"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:9-10

I wonder if Jesus feels that Rick Warren is pierced with many griefs:

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers during a sermon at the church on Saturday.

Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person to Saddleback Church by New Year's Eve. More was arriving by hand and by mail, he said.

"This is pretty amazing," said Warren, who made the announcement by bringing out 24 volunteers each holding a sign for $100,000. "I don't think any church has gotten a cash offering like that off a letter."

The pastor said he planned to talk about what he called his church's "radical generosity" in the rest of the weekend's sermons. He said the total came from members, and the donations were all under $100.

"We're starting the new decade with a surplus," he said. "It came from thousands of ordinary people. This was not one big fat cat."

The posting on Warren's Web site read: "With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated."

Warren said the church had largely managed to stay within its budget during the year, but "the bottom dropped out" when Christmas donations were down.

The letter cited the church's accomplishments in 2009 and detailed how the donations would be used, including the church's food pantry, homeless ministry, counseling and support groups.

I realize that churches require donations for support, but I'm having a hard time with the notion that the man who wrote The Purpose-Driven Life and all its ancillaries was nearly as hard up as his flock was, with 10% unemployment.

Maybe Jonathan Turley has the right idea:

First, there was Rod Parsley saying that Satan has been messing around with his bank accounts and needs a massive infusion of cash to fight his demonic plan, here. Now, fellow Evangelical pastor Rick Warren has asked for roughly a million dollars from his faithful due to a few end of the year shortfalls in cash flow. Given these calls to the faithful, I wish to add my own discovery of a demonic plan to deny me of ready cash and call upon everyone on this blog to send me money immediately to fight for righteous and redemptive blogging.

There you go...God is commanding you to send me money, even though I have a decent living and am more fortunate than most human beings on this planet. You don't want to go against God's design, do you?

As I continue to thank Countdown, I'll try to do some late night open threads on Keith. Tonight-he interviewed the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, who spoke at length about the faux reaction to his sermon at Coretta King's funeral yesterday.

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT low res

Countdown played the usual idiocy from Rush Limbaugh and posted a snippet of Malkin to highlight their ignorance. The best way we can show our support for Countdown is to tune in and leave the show on for the full hour.

(As a side note, in FDL's name Norah O'Donnell contest- go over and check out the winning selection. I got it right by the way.)

Also-we were named site of the day by "Politics1" Thank you.

Hitchens and the War on Christmas

On Scarborough Country, there was the new fade that will likely be a staple segment every year on 24/7 during the holiday season. The War on Christmas. Hitchens is always a hoot to watch when he takes on the these "war on Christmas" nuts. (You know how I feel about Chris and his pro-neocon views) The manufactured crisis that helps to line "pockets of gold" for those who scream loud enough during their fund raising drives. Falwell has devised a new angle called, "Friend or Foe Christmas campaign."

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

Joe had a minion of Jerry Falwell on from the Liberty Counsel, named Mathew Staver.

A few highlights: (Full transcript)

Scarborough: Hold on. Guys, stop. God bless us all. Just stop and let's have a meaningful conversation.

Hitchens: Don't invite me on and tell me to keep quiet. Don't do that.

Scarborough: Well, Christopher, why don't you let other people talk for a second, OK?

Hitchens: I came here to talk, not to listen to you. You invited me on for my opinions, not to listen to yours.

Scarborough: OK. Well, you know what, Christopher? I will never make that mistake again.

Hitchens: This guy from Lynchburg defines progress as teaching junk science to our children, and leaving us the mockery of the world by pretending that we did not evolve.

Hitchens: That's progress to him. And he's a front man—and he's a front man—and he's a front man—and he's a front man for the fat-faced reverend... Hitchens: ... who applauded the destruction of the World Trade Center---Front man Falwell. Hitchens: Falwell said the World Trade Center was brought down by God.

Joe, gives a sermon at the end of the clip: "We can talk about-I mean, we ought to be able to talk about this like adults, instead of having this rudeness, which, I got to tell you, I mean, my mom didn't raise me that way. My dad didn't raise me that way. I can't understand people who behave that way. But I am very sorry it happened tonight. And it doesn't usually happen in SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY. When I first started this show, it happened once in a while. I didn't control things as well as I should have. And I apologize to you for that. But it's just not going to happen on my show tonight. It's not going to happen in the future. And I'm sorry for what you just saw....

This hypocrisy is frightening, dangerous and once again exposes the fallacy of this faith-based presidency. It's fine for preachers to campaign for George Bush and say anything they want, but beware the man of God who opposes the war. I wonder what would have happened if the Pope resided in the US. Would the Catholic Church have the IRS breathing down their necks?

Dave Johnson has more: "How many "conservative" churches that DO tell parishioners how to vote have received similar letters? Has the Heritage Foundation, also a "501c3" charity, received a similar letter? Jerry Falwell? James Dobson? Of course not. But a minister gives a sermon saying that Jesus would be against the war, and he gets a threat-letter from the government. Watch your backs!"

CNN plays audio of NC Church's anti-Kerry election sermon

The following quote is taken from the sermon: "The question then comes in the Baptist Church, how do I vote? Let me just say this right now. If you vote for John Kerry this year, you need to repent or resign. You have been holding back God's church way too long

Download | play -Real Audio only-(Hat Tip Dave for the video)

Has anyone seen FOX cover this story yet?

SENATORS CLINTON AND MURRAY TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO MEMO TO FDA ON PLAN B

Washington, DC-- Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today sent the following letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt urging him to launch an
investigation into a memo sent by Dr. David Hager to Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford on Plan B. The Senators reiterated their concern that FDA decision-making process was being driven by personal
beliefs and ideology over science.

May 12, 2005

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, D.C., 20201

Dear Secretary Leavitt:

We write to urge you to immediately initiate an investigation into
reports in this morning’s Washington Post and The Nation that W. David
Hager was asked to write a memo to the FDA commissioner about Plan B.
According to the reports, Dr. Hager was requested to write the memo
after an FDA Advisory panel voted in favor of making Plan B available
over-the-counter. If substantiated, these allegations seem to leave
little doubt that the process for considering Barr Laboratories’
application was based not on science, but on personal beliefs.

Both The Washington Post and the Nation report that Dr. Hager stated in
a videotaped sermon that he was asked to write a “minority report”
outlining why over-the-counter sales of Plan B should be rejected. It
is unclear whether the FDA asked Dr. Hager to write a report, with the
Washington Post reporting that he has given conflicting accounts to
reporters.

On the taped sermon itself, Dr. Hager states that “I was asked to write
a minority opinion that was sent to the commissioner of the FDA. For
the second time in five decades, the FDA did not abide by its advisory
committee opinion, and the measure was rejected… I argued from a
scientific perspective, and God took that information, and he used it
through this minority report to influence the decision. Once again,
what Satan meant for evil, God turned into good.”

As we have previously stated, we are concerned that the FDA’s
decision-making process is placing personal beliefs over science. And
Dr. Hager’s statements only add to our deep concern. The FDA should
never let political considerations interfere with scientific treatment
decisions.

Day-by-day, the public’s confidence in the FDA’s ability to make

Click Here to read the letter

The Nation's article Dr. Hager's Family Values is here : Despite his public moralizing on sexual matters, Hager, according to his former wife, Linda Carruth Davis, repeatedly sodomized her without her consent throughout the last seven years of their 32-year marriage, the article reports. The Nation editors note, "These serious allegations are relevant to the public role of the subject of the profile, who was appointed by President Bush to be a custodian of women's health." Currently, prominent members of the US Senate, including Hillary Clinton and Patty Murray, have held up Lester M. Crawford's nomination
as FDA director over the agency's handling of the Plan B decision. Dr. Hager is up for reappointment to the FDA committee on June 30.

Amanda at Pandagon says:Women's bodies belong to Dr. Hagar

When Bush appointed Dr. David Hagar to the FDA, pro-choicers and other people who consider the FDA's duty to judge the safety and effectiveness of drugs, not to control women's sexual behavior, raised the alarm. In his private practice, Dr. Hagar had a reputation for denying unmarried women the birth control pill, apparently because he seemed to think that he, not these women, should make their choices about premarital sex and contraception use...read on

Jesse asks has a follow up: DOOOOBSOOOOON!

To follow up on Amanda's post on the Bad Doctor Hagar, it honestly makes you wonder what would happen if you went onstage and told the Focus on the Family members what kind of scum they're being implored to pray for. I went ahead and asked them. I'll tell you if I find out anything.

Eschaton says:Dear Dr. Haber: I have long wondered how I could resolve my desire to have forced sodomy with my wife with my faith in Christ. It appears you have found the answer, though I have yet to hear from you how you've based this in scripture. Unlike you, I have not been blessed with a narcoleptic spouse, so sneaking it in while she's asleep may not be an option. As a doctor, could you perhaps suggest some God blessed pharmaceutical aid for my desires?

Jesus General says: Dr. Hager does for women what Dr. Frist did for cats.

We have to be the party of " NO" when it comes to insanity.

'It's Human Carnage'

via JSonline: Tragedy puts spotlight on small, obscure church

A man neighbors described as quiet and devout opened fire Saturday on a group of men, women and children attending a weekly church service at a Brookfield hotel, killing eight people - including himself - and seriously wounding four others.... " 44, of New Berlin, was suffering from depression and was upset about a taped sermon he had heard a couple of weeks before by one the church's chief evangelists, Roderick C. Meredith. "

Meredith, the church's presiding evangelist, warned in a February sermon of the urgent need to prepare physically and spiritually for the "end time," according to a text of the sermon on the church's Web site.

The serman was emailed to me. Are You PREPARED? By Roderick C. Meredith... "I also want to strongly encourage our subscribers—especially the Americans—to prepare for a financial emergency that may strike our nation within a very few years. Although I am certainly not a financial expert, I do have access to many very reliable news sources. Right now, more and more news reports are warning of an impending financial collapse that may devastate the United States within the next several years! Note carefully a few highlights from a September 12, 2004 article by Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle:

The long-term budget projections are just horrifying,’ added Leonard Burman, co-director of tax policy for the Urban Institute. ‘I’ve got four children and it really disturbs me. I just think it’s irresponsible what we’re doing to them.’ …. So each of us should carefully consider what lies ahead, and get our own financial house in order....read on

What roll has this speech played in Ratzmann's actions? The "end times" prophecies are prevalent in many religious doctrines and booksales are through the roof in tackling this subject right now. It seems common practice for religious leaders to talk about government policies, candidates and judicial nominees to their congregations in a way that I have never seen before. As the days go on, hopefully Ratzmann's rampage will be just part of the lunatic fringe. Let's hope.

(update:

Terry Ratzmann's Homepage

It's called carnivorous plants. I believe this is his page) hat tip danny

Amazing Grace

via All Spin Zone

Yesterday evening, I was doing some research for my "Talking to the Reptile" series, when I quite by accident ran into an exceptionally relevant sermon on Beliefnet. I urge you to read the entire sermon by Forrest Church, Senior Minister of All Souls Church (Unitarian) in New York City. Not only is it timely, but it takes the evangelical fundamentalists to task on many issues, using the Schiavo debacle as a jumping off point for talking about the "culture of life" that apparently is so near and dear to the fundies....read on

via BlondeSense

The culture of life applies to all life.
If you claim to be christian then act like it. Especially in public...read on

The culture of life means if you are going to pull out all the stops and drag out your Christ on the Cross statue then you had better know what it means to be christian or shut the hell up:

Both posts are exceptional in bringing together the aspects of a real spiritual life, not one that is a single issue hypocrisy.