Ontario Empoblog

Rather than writing about the Council of Jerusalem at this moment, I figure I'll post some jokes instead. DISCLAIMER: These jokes were found on a Nestle product. If you are boycotting Nestle for moral reasons, this disclaimer is being provided as a service to you so that you can continue your boycott, refuse to read the rest of this message, skip school, go out on the streets, wave Mexican flags, and...whoops, wrong protest . Carry on. Taken from the wrappers of a couple of Willy Wonka Laffy Taffy packages. 7. Michael M., Youngstown, OH What do you call a cow with a twitch? Beef jerky. 8. Vickie R., Franklin, LA What did Jon do when his dog ate his science book? He took the words right out of his mouth. 11. Nicholas W., Sandy, UT When is homework not homework? When it is turned into the teacher. 12. Tiffany M., Superior, WI Why did the skeleton cross the road? To get to the body shop. From the Ontario Empoblog (Latest OVVA news here )

This is a followup to a couple of recent posts on this blog: Paul - Inerrant, Inspired, or Idiotic? OEMR - The Epistle of Straw? Those of you who have read Jennifer's comments in this blog know her view of Paul. If you didn't, she had a post in her own blog about the matter. Here is a small excerpt: Why did Paul believe he was better than the apostles who had lived with Jesus, whom Jesus himself commissioned, even condemning them to hell? Why was he so opposed to circumcision when he was the one who ordered Timothy to be circumcised? Why would I want to emulate a man who was an egomaniacal, chauvinistic racist? (Ok, that’s my own personal question, not the [online Bible study] group’s).... Let me close by saying that regardless of whether Paul was a fanatic or a fraud, it absolutely does not shake my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ or my commitment to follow him. It’s just one more reason why I have come to the conclusion that I need to live in the Gospels, absorbing and memori...

In the past, this blog has touched upon issues in which a government passes an immoral law, and a Christian must decide whether or not to obey it. The classic example of such a law can be found in Daniel 6, a case in which Daniel knowing violated a law that he believed was immoral, and was therefore subject to the consequences imposed by the government authorities. One of the arguments against current U.S. immigration law in general, and the new House bill in particular, is that it is immoral : Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio led a special hearing on immigration issues at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights July 19.... "We come here today to hear from those who are affected by a morass of laws which are ineffective, inefficient and immoral," said Bishop DiMarzio in his opening statement to a standing-room-only crowd. "We need to be open to rethinking our whole immigration system based on reality," continued the bishop, a longtime advocate of immigration ref...

I didn't anticipate this question this morning, but it's certainly a valid one at present: Is Islam a religion of peace? Here are some comments [1] [2] [3] on the topic: This is the biggest dilem[n]a with supposedly "liberating" these Islamic countries. You cannot change culture and religion. The religion says he should die.... posted by A Human Bean [The Abdul Rahman] case has really brought to light what [A Human Bean] said, the problem of liberating Islamic countries. It also brings to light the indisputable truth of violence that is at the very core of Islam. So many people have been led to believe that it is a religion of peace, when that is not the case.... posted by Jennifer Some Muslims would probably argue that all of the Quran references to killing were meant for the time of Muhammad and do not apply to the present day. Others, such as the "moderate" Afghan spiritual leaders and Al Qaeda, would argue that they DO apply. posted by Ontario Emperor...

As a Lutheran, this does hit close to home. I found a United Methodist website that reproduced several of Martin Luther's comments on the Epistle of James: "Saint John's gospel and St. Paul's epistles, especially that to the Romans, and St. Peter's first epistle are the true pit and marrow of all the books. They should justly be the first books, and every Christian should be advised to read them first and most, and by daily reading to make them as familiar to himself as his daily bread. In them you do not find described many works and miracles of Christ; but you do find depicted in a masterly manner how faith in Christ overcomes sin, death, and hell, and gives life, righteousness, and salvation. This is the real nature of the Gospel … These books show you Christ and teach you all that is necessary and salutary for you to known even though you were never to see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore St. James epistle is really an epistle of straw compared to...

Yes, I know that the Blog Etiquette Powers That Be state that blogs are supposed to be spontaneous written diarrhea and all that, but I'd like to attempt to author an orderly exploration of various topics pertaining to moral relativism. So far, I've decided that I'd like to touch upon a few issues: Those who insist on battling one sin (e.g. greed or homosexuality) while ignoring other sins (e.g. greed or homosexuality). There's a whole list of sins to look at. (Actually, there's a similar list somewhere else; I just have to find it.) Those "open borders" advocates in authority who maintain that illegal immigrants are not morally obligated to follow U.S. rules about jumping fences, but are currently criticizing students who refuse to follow school rules about jumping fences. [1] [2] Last but not least, I'd like to touch upon selective application of the Bible in a more general sense. Whether we label our view of the Bible as "inerrant" or ...

Not all legislators are lawyers or professional politicians. The following appeared in an article on mobile gaming devices: Taking gambling off the casino floor will make it harder to ensure minors don't wager, said [Nevada] state Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, the lone lawmaker who voted against the bill when it passed the Legislature last year. "It's already hard enough to stop kids from playing Keno," said Carlton, a part-time legislator who is a full-time waitress at the Treasure Island resort's coffee shop. Carlton's web page lists her legislative and non-legislative experience: Legislative Service: Nevada Senate, 1999-2005—five special and four regular sessions. Member: Senate Committees on Commerce and Labor, 1999-2005; Legislative Affairs and Operations, 1999-2001; Natural Resources, 1999-2005; Transportation and Homeland Security, 2005; Transportation, 2003. Legislative Commission, 2003-2004. Vice Chair, Legislative Committee for the Review and O...

Following up on the latest status of Abdul Rahman (a/k/a Abdur Rahman ), I ran across the following : Abdul Rahman, 41, was released from the high-security Policharki prison on the outskirts of the capital late Monday after a court dropped charges of apostasy against him for lack of evidence and suspected mental illness.... Muslim clerics condemned Rahman's release, saying it was a "betrayal of Islam." They threatened to incite violent protests.... Rahman's ordeal began as a custody dispute over his two daughters, now 13 and 14. The girls had been living with their grandparents their whole lives but Rahman sought custody when he returned to Afghanistan in 2002 after living in Germany for nine years. A custody battle ensued and the matter was taken to police. During questioning, it emerged that Rahman was a Christian and was carrying a Bible. He was immediately arrested and charged.... Back to the Muslim clerics in Afghanistan. You'll recall that they previously ...

"Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. Its them twisting it that ruined it for me." -John Lennon On Saturday March 18, I linked to (but did not comment on) a section of a web page entitled "Exposing Paul's Lies" from the "Answering Christianity" website, a Muslim site. Some of the things that are "exposed": 1 Cor 7:14, which speaks of a spouse sanctifying an unbeliever and children, contradicts the claims of baptism. According to Abdullah Smith, Paul is an anti-Christ who negated many things that Jesus taught , including the circumcision requirement, the belief in monotheism, the need to keep the commandments to obtain salvation, and the need to fast. There are many, many other links, but that's enough for now. In response, two verses come to mind: John 8:58 and Matthew 19:23-26 - the former stating Christ's divinity (and not written by Paul), and the latter stating the impossibility of human perfection (...

This is actually the SECOND case of Hell's Angeles [OE 3/28 - oops] trademark infringement that I've read. The first one occurred when Dan Ackroyd and Michael O'Donoghue were on Saturday Night Live. The Hells Angels expressed their concern when their "colors" appeared in this sketch: "Johnny Angel" Summary: Teenaged Dyan (Dyan Cannon) is dying to make an impression on "Johnny Angel", whom her parents (John Belushi, Gilda Radner) are horrified to learn are three members of the Hells Angels (Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase). As Dyan bursts into song, the Hells Angels tear the house apart and tie her parents up with rope. No problem with the content - just the use of the colors. The second, more recent trademark infringement case involves another media company : Hells Angels has sued Walt Disney Co., claiming that a planned movie about a group of motorcycle riders called "Wild Hogs" infringes on its trademark name and skull l...

I can't remember who came up with this gem (which I paraphase): If you were accused of being a Christian, would they have enough evidence to convict you? Well, here's the latest in the Abdul Rahman case: An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence, and he will be released soon, an official said. But I suspect they aren't looking real hard: Gen. Shahmir Amirpur...said Rahman had also been begging his guards to provide him with a Bible. Meanwhile, he's in prison, and was recently moved from one location to another: Earlier Sunday he was moved to a notorious maximum-security prison outside Kabul that is also home to hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaida militants. The move to Policharki Prison came after detainees threatened his life at an overcrowded police holding facility in central Kabul, a court official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Fro...

Scriptures that challenge one's mind need to be examined. While reading a post in Emmaus Journey, I was motivated to look up Exodus 32:14. Here's how it reads in the King James Version : Exodus 32:14 (King James Version) King James Version (KJV) Public Domain 14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. The NIV words this verse as follows: Exodus 32:14 (New International Version) New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. Either way, you have a picture of God changing his mind. Jesusmyth states the problem as follows : The Bible presents an interesting picture of God, i.e., a god who never changes (Malachi 3:6) but actually does frequently change his mind and even regrets what he's done ('repents') - Genesis 6:6,7, Exodus 32:14, 1 Samuel 15:35, 2 Samuel 24:16, 1 Chronicles 21:l5, Jeremiah l8:8,10,...

OK, let's move to real press releases. The Embassy of Afghanistan has issued this press release (also here ) regarding Abdul Rahman: Embassy of Afghanistan: Response to Public Inquiries About Mr. Abdul Rahman To: National Desk Contact: Joshua R. Gross, Media Relations Officer, Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, 202-483-6410, ext.802, 203-895-7734 cell, gross@embassyofafghanistan.org WASHINGTON, March 22 /Christian Wire Service/ -– The Embassy of Afghanistan greatly appreciates public concern about Mr. Abdul Rahman. We have received a significant number of inquiries about Mr. Rahman’s case, which initially involved a civil lawsuit in child custody filed by his family. Please note that the Government of Afghanistan is fully aware of and pursuing the best ways to resolve Mr. Rahman’s case judicially. It is too early to draw any conclusion about the punishment, and we appreciate public understanding of the sensitivity of religious issues. Afghanistan’s judicial system is currently ev...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONTARIO VINEYARD VILLAGE ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES LANGUAGE ISSUES Proposal Strengthens Opportunities in the Western Hemisphere GUASTI, CA and BARROW, AK – March 24 2006 - The Ontario Vineyard Village Association (OVVA) strongly endorsed the enactment of a "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) act in Mexico that provides benefits to Spanish language learners (SLLs). Ontario Emperor, First Vice President of the Association, stated, "I believe that such an act holds considerable promise for closing the achievement gap between SLLs and other students. I strongly endorse the creation of a road map for policy-makers and school administrators for implementing a law which effectively addresses the needs of SLLs. "A Mexican NCLB can close the achievement gap between SLLs and their peers. But it will not be successful if these children are exempted from many of the law’s provisions," stated Ontario Emperor. "The answer is not to water down such a law but ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONTARIO VINEYARD VILLAGE ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS Offers Only Real Solution to Mexican Immigration GUASTI, CA and BARROW, AK – March 24 2006 - In an unprecedented move, the Ontario Vineyard Village Association (OVVA) has proposed a revolutionary idea to solve Mexican immigration issues. According to Ontario Emperor, newly-appointed First Vice President of the Association, this proposal represents an unprecedented expansion of the scope of activities for the Association. Ontario Emperor states, “The Ontario Vineyard Village Association, unlike the Ontario Mountain Village Association, is not a single issue group. While the OMVA limits itself to banning Wal-Mart in northwest Ontario, California, but doesn’t address the problems caused by polluting firms in northeast Ontario, the OVVA has worked hard to address a variety of issues of major importance to the residents of Ontario.” Recent proposals by the OVVA include: The championing of a minimum w...