Archive for the 'Religion' Category

Susan Boyle

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

Susan Boyle is God’s messenger.

 

A writer at the Boston Globe named Paulson asks us why Boyle has touched so many people around the planet.  He admits to his worries about the demise of his paper but is transfixed by the You Tube video of Boyle singing on television.  M. Paulson quotes theologians and wants your thoughts on why Boyle is important to all of us. 

 

The theologians have it right but I’ll go beyond.  Boyle is God’s message.  She has lived quietly and unassumingly for almost 50 years in Scotland in preparation for our times.  The Globe writer fears for his job.  There are food riots around the world.  The Chinese have eaten our lunch.  Newsweek charges Americans have given up on God. 

 

Then comes a humble Scot and we are moved from our self pity and shaken by the voice.  By Friday I stumbled across a ten year old recording of Boyle singing.  Tears formed in my eyes. 

 

Boyle’s voice is God telling us, “Be not afraid”. 

Cookies for our Troops

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Judy Mangini joined us on-air on Friday, December 05, 2008.  Judy hosts a “Cookie Exchange” every year.  Participants bake cookies, which are then shipped to our troops overseas.  She suggests others can do the same.  The care packages are sent to the following address:

 

Trina Gardner

at:  Cartina Hill

KBR

APO AE 09391

 

Judy offers that if you can bake the cookies she can also ship them.  Cookies can be dropped off at the WGMD studios during daytime business hours and Judy will pick them up before the end of the business day on Friday, December 12, 2008.  Wrap them well!  She has also recorded a Christmas CD and for a small donation you can pick up a copy at our studios.  Money raised from donations for CDs will be used to provide a Christmas for a needy Delmarva family.  Every year Judy and her husband anonymously provide for one family.  The CD is a delight.  Judy has a fine voice, recently winning a talent contest at Long Neck. 

President I am that I am

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

So the plumber isn’t named Joe? It’s his middle name. No surprise here. We aren’t allowed to speak middle names in this campaign. The name which can’t be spoken, familiar to people of faith, which means the candidate, will now be known as “I am that I am”. When you go and vote tell them “I am” has sent you.

I’ve been putting together some strings of ideas. A story on NPR told me the world financial system was now so complex we need to be part of international regulation of the markets. U.S. sovereignty will be surrendered to a new world financial order. Days before I read a report from a U.N. committee. It recommends that meat be rationed to 2 servings a week in order to provide equally for all people of this world. Considering much of the world eats very little meat the paper targets the industrialized world or primarily English and French speaking North America. You’ll need a U.N. card for grocery shopping.

The same report also urges prohibition of alcohol. Apparently brewing cold beer takes food from the mouths of children in Bangladesh. Since we can’t be trusted to do the “right thing” the world government will reshape our conscience. Don’t object or you’ll lose the ration card and be left with an empty rice bowl.

How convenient for the globalists the financial panic. For many years I’ve derided conspiracy theorists who spoke of a currency called the Amero, the North American Super Highway and Washington’s submission to the United Nations. Now I’m starting to take these claims seriously.

Which candidate most likely to assume the White House would take us in this direction? Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden are primary sponsors of the “global tax”. Nearly one trillion dollars would be funneled overseas in an effort to end poverty (Apparently no one before has ever thrown money this direction). We’ll also need a trillion or so for single payer health care. We’ll control costs by limiting what your doctor can earn. You may remember surgeons in the Soviet Union often were paid less than construction crews. Not to disparage blue collar workers but your doctor has years of student loans on the books.

Unless of course you make education “free” and control teacher pay. This should only cost the treasury a trillion or trillion and one half. With a national debt expected to reach 11 trillion dollars next year you’re probably worried the national credit card will be maxed pretty soon. Not to worry, the Chinese have agreed to continue financing the debt as long as we agree to worldwide control of financial markets and ultimately subject our government and the will of the people to control of a world body. It’s all so easy but for the United States Constitution. No need to worry, Obama will appoint Justices who’ll smooth the rough edges. He owes the Chinese, my friends, they’ve bankrolled his campaign.

Lastly, you’ve likely heard President Obama and his Congressional friends, riding a rising tide in both houses plan to put the Fairness Doctrine back in place. Effectively silencing talk radio hosts nationally and at the local level who may dare tell you “I am that I am” is a false God.

Our Lady of the Pumpkin Patch

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Some of you listening Tuesday heard me describe the pumpkin patch photograph.  My 14-year-old daughter took this shot and hours later saw the unusual image.  I’ve had a fellow at Quinnipiac University tell me there isn’t a flaw in the lens.  It was just before noon with the sun above us and it was a very, very dry day. 

Our Lady of the Pumpkin Patch?  The Great Pumpkin?  The ghost of a country bumpkin?  Offer theories (science) or your thoughts on faith.  Would welcome the comments!

 

Characters Remembered

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Who was the man who used to walk up and down the Rehoboth Boardwalk and shout “REPENT” !?  Callers remember him from the 70’s, do you?

 

I just received this e-mail about this interesting town character:

 

Dan, my husband and I listen to your program everyday — starting at 5:30 a.m., and enjoy hearing what has happened in our area during the night and for the latest news and topics that you and your listeners offer.  Yesterday one of the topics was the boardwalk ministries in Rehoboth.  One of your listeners called and mentioned an old fellow who, years ago, used to walk the streets and boardwalk in Rehoboth proclaiming the coming of our Lord and calling for everyone to “Repent”.  At the time I thought how wonderful that he had the Holy boldness to proclaim our Lord!  And he did this for several years.

 

Then, one day during the summer, my first husband [who passed away in '78 with leukemia], our son and I were at the old Blue Hen Mall in Dover.  It was early evening and we were returning to our car when we saw this older, raggedy black man, who was carrying his usual walking stick.  We recognized him at once as the man we had seen many times before on the boardwalk in Rehoboth.  Then something happened that I will never forget — it is etched permanently in my mind.  There were two young men in their early twenties who had a large boxer dog on a leash.  The dog was barking at the old man and straining at his leash.  The men unleashed the dog and told him to “sic” the old man.  The dog started running across the parking lot, bent, to all appearances, upon tearing the old man up.  This is the wonderful and unforgettable part:  The old man turned around when he heard the dog, who at this point was racing toward him.  He stopped, stood still, pointed his finger at the dog, and shouted at him, “Jesus,” “Jesus,” “Jesus.”  The dog stopped, stood still for a moment, and retreated to his owners as quickly as he had come.  There is power in the name of Jesus!  Glory to God!

 

 

Fred Phelps is a Liberal.

Thursday, November 1st, 2007

Don’t be played by Attorney Fred Phelps and his “family.”

Something strange hit me the first time, about two or three years ago, when I first saw videos online of Fred Phelps and his Westboro Attorney Church. The thought: “America, Media, Conservatives, Patriots, Liberals; you’re being played.” I tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that, yes, the members of WBC are insane… but, not in the way you think. I make the statement now, one which many of you will find crazy. FRED PHELPS AND THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH ARE A GROUP OF FAR LEFTISTS ATTEMPTING TO MOCK THE CONSERVATIVE RIGHT IN AMERICA. And everybody is eating out of their hands.

The group are very good at what they do. Rattling cages. They have you all worked up so much that you can’t see throught their very obvious agenda. They paint a cartoon of American conservatives: “God lovin’, fag hatin’, hate lovin’ intolerants.” They present the picture that religious conservatives are so full of hate and prejudice that they’d even go so far as to blame America for military deaths, mine collapses and everything else because of the “scourge” of homosexuality the nation is embracing. I beg you to look closer at them. Look at them through indifferent eyes. Watch their videos. Guys, it’s all an act. A bad act. Please don’t take their bate.

Sure they are crazy. Crazy to push their extreme leftist agenda so far… but, they are not what they seem. They weave a tangled web, for sure. They are protesting troops funerals (typical anti-war leftist agenda) on the grounds of free speech (similar to trials Phelps took part in as a civil rights attorney) and now they are smearing Fred Thompson, saying he once held their beliefs. They are doing what they can to make the religious right look bad.

Uncovering the truth and leftist origins of the Westboro Baptist Church.

 

Who are they: One Big Happy Family:

Sky News claims that WBC consists of “about 150 members”. BBC Two claims there are 71 members. A compilation of the names of Phelps’ grandchildren and great-grand-children, combined with his nine “loyal” children and their spouses, though, numbers 90 Individuals who followed Phelps Sr. after he was voted out of his old congregation, Eastside

Baptist Church (a traditional Baptist church), consisted of the Hockenbargers (whose offspring later married into the Phelps clan), George Stutzman, Chris Davis (who also married into the Phelps clan) and Theresa Davis (whose relationship, if any, to Chris Davis is unknown).
Leader/Founder Fred Phelps. Who is he? A Former Civil Rights Attorney. From wikipedia

Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1962, and founded the Phelps
Chartered law firm in 1964. The first notable cases were of a civil rights nature. “I systematically brought down the Jim Crow laws of this town,” he says.[10] Phelps’ daughter was quoted as saying, “We took on the Jim Crow establishment, and Kansas did not take that sitting down. They used to shoot our car windows out, screaming we were nigger lovers,” and that the Phelps law firm made up one-third of the state’s federal docket of civil-rights cases.[13]
 

Phelps took cases on behalf of African American clients alleging discrimination by school systems, and a predominately black American Legion post which had been raided by police, alleging racially-based police abuse. Phelps’ law firm obtained settlements for some clients.[14] Phelps also sued then-President Ronald Reagan over Reagan’s appointment of a U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, alleging this violated separation of church and state. The case was dismissed by the U.S. district court.[14] Phelps’ law firm, staffed by himself and family members also represented non-white Kansans in discrimination actions against Kansas Power and Light, Southwestern Bell, and the Topeka City Attorney, and represented two female professors alleging discrimination in Kansas universities.[13]

In the 1980s Fred Phelps received awards from the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Blacks in Government and the Bonner Springs branch of the NAACP for his work on behalf of black clients.[15]

Phelps Chartered also won one of the first reverse discrimination cases

Democrat Candidate:

Phelps has run in various Kansas Democratic Party primaries five times, but has never won. These included races for governor in 1990, 1994, and 1998, receiving about 15% of the vote in 1998.[34] In the 1992 Democratic Party primary for U.S. Senate, Phelps received 31% of the vote [35] Phelps ran for mayor of Topeka in 1993 [36] and 1997. [37]

gore-with-phelps1

(above Phelps and the Gores)

Sure, I’m crazy, huh? But don’t let this guy play your emotions, take an honest look at him. Fred Phelps is a crazy liberal.

 

Separated at Birth? The Nature Boy/Moroni

Tuesday, June 5th, 2007

As promised during our discussion today of local Mormons and Professional Wrestlers, I shall now provide you with a visual comparison of Mormon prophet Moroni and NWA wrestling legend “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in one of my now famous “separated at birth” blogs..

Moroni is: (from wikipedia.org)

according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet and military commander who lived in North America in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Latter-day Saint theology can be interpreted to mean that after his death Moroni was resurrected and became an angel. In addition to the Book of Mormon account, Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses also testified they saw Moroni in the form of an angel of light.

Ric Flair is: (from wwe.com)

While at times he has been the dirtiest player in the game, Flair has never strayed from being “The Man” who most young sports-entertainers—WWE Superstars included—idolize. Even those unfamiliar with his storied career, the “styling and profiling” in custom-tailored sequined ring robes, or his “Nature Boy” strut know one thing when they hear “Woooooo!” shouted at a WWE live event, a craps table in a Las Vegas casino, or on the scoreboard at the RBC Center, home of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes: they’re in “Ric Flair Country.” “A kiss-stealing, wheeling, dealing, jet-flying, limousine-riding son-of-a-gun”

Now.. without further adieu.. Prophet Moroni vs. Ric Flair (separated at birth)

Forgiveness

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

Jud Bennett writes about redemption:

Dear Friends,
Something good must be in the Delaware drinking water, other then the polluting, carcinogenic chemicals I usually complain about. This amazing year of political upheaval, fanatical diatribes, and vitriolic sensationalism has turned remarkably into a series of positive notes-renewing my faith in humanity. Perhaps “the Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways!”
Perception is reality and can only be defined by one’s own universe. What we feel, what we see, and what we ultimately learn are indicative facets of our personalities and the sum total of our existence.   Wil Rogers, one of our country’s most provocative Americans made many quotable statements: The most famous quote was : “I never met a man I didn’t like”, and another one I personally hang on to is ”that most good judgment comes from previous bad judgment.”
To clarify where I’m heading with this dissertation and where I intend to end up, I’ll mention briefly some personal incidents, some remarkable communications, and some objective observations. At this point you must be quite confused, so here it goes.
In the 2004 election, I ran for Sussex County Council. With 17,500 people voting, I lost by 3 votes. Hard to believe and when it’s that close, every little thing becomes a factor. One factor that bothered me the most which I perceived as extremely detrimental and contributed significantly to my loss were the actions of the infamous Joe Connor. This successful real estate agent and Democrat political activist, conducted a personal diatribe against me overtly and covertly that was second to none. His steady drumbeat of negativity concerning my ancient, past business failures and former risqué life style were definitely effective. Interestingly, after several appearances on WGMD radio and some later discussions with Joe, he actually apologized to me, and said he had made a huge mistake. He asked for my forgiveness. Remarkably, I was able to get past my hatred for the man and I actually now like the guy. To be able to forgive Joe Connor and to no longer hate him was an interesting mental adjustment. I actually felt a relief of sorts- a spiritual sense of well being.
During the recent John Atkins saga, nobody was more accusing and more caustic towards John Atkins, with all his self inflicted troubles, than Joe Connor. There was an almost, maniacal obsession by Joe Connor to air publicly every negative aspect of the former Representative’s supposed high crimes and misdemeanors. I had actually thought that Connor had been cured of his bent towards the political malignment of certain individuals, but that was not yet the case. 
As was reported on the front page of the local section of the News Journal and broadcasted on WGMD radio- recently, Joe Connor filed bankruptcy, was charged with forgery and theft, and is soon to be arrested and arraigned for DUI, fleeing the police, first degree reckless endangerment, and a variety of other traffic offences. With broken bones and on a suicide watch in a Salisbury, Md hospital lies a very humiliated and deflated Joe Connor. Amazingly, the first person to visit him was former Representative John Atkins. Again forgiveness has prevailed and John Atkins is free of the weight of hatred and the need for revenge. The ultimate goodness from all of this is that I believe Joe Connor will now be freed of his affliction, and even though he has hard times ahead of him, including potential incarceration, I know he will be healed by the spiritual friendship offered by those who he himself has injured.
Through the milk of human kindness indeed comes redemption. I cannot help believing that this redemption must come from God. I wish Joe Connor well and I believe with continued help from his friends and lasting forgiveness from his former enemies, we will all be whole again. I have hope. These are simply some musings from Sussex County’s most imperfect human being.
Simcerely yours,
Judson Bennett-Coastal Conservative Network

Easter Sunday Company

Sunday, April 8th, 2007

Listening to a CD this morning there was a cut which, not for the first time, got me to wondering.

It’s Easter morning. Knock at the door and there stands Jesus. My great room is a disaster because we are in the throes of painting, replacing carpet, we have dogs and cats running around, there’s nowhere to sit comfortably. We just put a ham and a lamb roast in the oven which will be accompanied by baked sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, crusty bread and salad. We have a bottle of Pinot Grigio somewhere. When dinner is ready we can sit cross-legged at the coffee table…as we often do, anyway. So…I’d gladly shake his hand, welcome him in to please feel at home and invite him to stay for dinner.

First I’d ask how he found us and if he had a place to stay, offer him one if he didn’t. Depending upon how he was clothed, I’d ask if he would like a jacket, sweater or something warmer to wear. I’d have to bring him into the office to be assured of somewhere to be comfortable as we chatted. I would ask him what he thinks of what we have accomplished, done, wrought in this world during the 20+ centuries since he made history with his birth and death. Since opinions vary generationally, I’d also ask what his father’s opinion is. I’d tell him about our family…introducing each of them through a pictorial history. Perhaps turn on the television, visiting Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and ask him what he really feels about war, poverty, the death penalty, honestly sharing my own opinions about each. What did he think of Hitler, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, the Pope, Muhammad and Jerry Falwell.

I would ask if we are made in his father’s image, his father’s creation, yet we are all of varying hues, cultures, beliefs and, yes…sexual preference…who and which is “wrong”…and why. What does he think of the immigration policies. Does he see any of us treating our neighbors as he wanted us to…and what about religious differences creating so much hate and discontent. He was born a Jew yet he did not strictly adhere to Jewish laws and customs of the day. Not only that, after his death he has since been revered as a Christian. How did he feel that through history his legacy has been to revile anything and anyone not Christian whether or not they follow a spiritual path yet using his…and his father’s…name as a righteous banner for their words and deeds.

Of course this conversation would be interspersed with throwing a ball for the dogs, laughing at the bird’s attempt to join the discussion and enjoying the meal. If he chose not to stay we’d ask where we might take him next…too cold and too far to walk, would he like to have some food with him for his journey, how about a coat and some money. If he chose to stay and try his hand at painting, we’d give him a brush. He would leave, knowing his visit had been our pleasure and, hopefully, his and that he would be more than welcome any time.

If Jesus came to your door this afternoon…what would you do?

Not “When it begins” but “When it ends”…how and by whom? That is the question.

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

Today is the 34th. Anniversary of Roe v. Wade which, no doubt, will renew all the old arguments and adversarial issues…. Life and death divides us as little else might. Proponents of anti-abortion have no difficulty with their conscience…or definition and hypocrisy of “sanctity of life”…when sending those same babies, 18+ years later, into wars and pre-emptive debacles to assuage their own fears for personal or national “freedom” or to the gallows, gurney or electric chair when pacifists object to war and adherents of the abolishment of the judicial death penalty are pressured to reconcile this “no kill” argument with the pro-choice stance of retaining legalized abortions.

Would that legalized abortion wasn’t necessary…that people would not take those steps which could result in unplanned, unwanted pregnancy and, heaven knows, every piece of knowledge necessary to avoid such is out there, open and available to all. But they ignore it and offer every excuse in the book for what ensues then seek to rectify things by ridding themselves of the evidence…and, for thirty-four years it has been legal to do so. However, abortions haven’t only been undertaken since legalization but has been a practice since time immemorial. The difference is instead of back-alleys, coat-hangers, questionable drug treatments which, too often, took not only lives of the fetus but those of many of the “hosts”, legalization made it possible to choose/decide if and where this procedure should be done and done hygienically and safely, thereby far reducing the risks to more lives. A woman’s life is no more important than the baby’s she is carrying…but nor is it less so. Not so different from those women with some clout who could afford to go overseas to combine their abortion with a vacation or be admitted to a hospital where it would be carried out and covered under a different procedure…albeit fake. Women who, for whatever reason, decide they do not want or cannot raise a child conceived through irresponsibility have always found a way to rid themselves of their mistake and, further, always will…legal or not. Speaking personally I would defy anyone to provide proof that pro-choice proponents are so because of a desire to “kill babies”. The operative word is “choice”; a life choice which belongs to the woman directly involved…not me, not you, not the government. We all have unquestionable rights to whatever medical procedures deemed necessary…whether to preserve/enhance our lives or health and well-being and would adamantly revolt if government stepped in to disallow those rights. How is this different…except in a matter of personal conscience?

We choose conscience then, some years later find our sons and daughters are sent off to risk their lives somewhere across the globe, cheered on by many who may have caused us to question our consciences in having these children. Rage against women ending the life of a fetus changes to admiration for sending those kids out to be physically/emotionally damaged or to come home in a body bag. We can be proud of this, this gives us a sense of comfort and a choice to continue living our lives as we enjoy, as we have been accustomed and with somewhat less fear. And when they do come home they and the women who bore them, are left to deal with the pieces left of the whole…with about as much support as the woman intimidated in her first few weeks of pregnancy, doesn’t have the abortion she initially “chose” but struggles every day by herself while the anti-abortionists have moved on.

We choose conscience and, twenty years later the son or daughter we bore is accused of murder, found guilty and sentenced to die by hanging, electrocution, lethal injection or even firing squad. Raise hell about the death penalty and immediately the question arises “yeah, you want the death penalty abolished but you kill babies in the womb!” Yes?? And yet they rant and proselytize about the sanctity of life?

I’m all for the sanctity of life across the board. I don’t believe in abortion but the right of anyone to choose a medical procedure in a safe environment; I don’t believe in war…but the right to choose whether or not my child has to be your cannon fodder if he/she has no belief in your cause; I don’t believe in murder…but the right to demand my government not be complicit in a like retaliatory response. What I consistently heard is “Stop the killing of babies in the womb!”…but if a woman dies, too bad; “Send our troops so we have less to fear.”…but when our troops are killed…or kill…so sad; “Murder is against the law!”…kill the SOB.