Tuesday, October 21, 2008
ITS YOUR DUTY TO VOTE SEE BELOW
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
About Time!
I have not posted in a long, long time. "Why?" you ask.
Let me tell. It is personal, and it is because I felt uneasy about some of the hits I received after my posts criticizing the Bush administration. Enough said.
But I am going to post again, and I am going to post about something very dear to my own heart. Politics.
This years Democratic primary has been a fascinating experience for me.
I was deeply interested in the candidates and their qualifications. I had a favorite. Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards were almost a tie. First I favored one,then the other.
I knew that Kucinich did not really stand a chance in the long run, and I really didn't think that Edwards did either.
At that time I always said that I would be happy with either Hillary or Obama.
They were the two candidates who stood the best chance of defeating the current administration. That is, and always has been, the most important thing in my mind.
The most important thing is to defeat the Republican power machine.
At different times I prefered one , then the other.
Mostly it was Obama, but it largely depended on the last speech I heard, or the last point that one made.
At the time of the Texas primary I decided that I prefered Obama on most issues, but I liked Hillary's health care plan better.
I actually voted for Obama, but liked both.
Then I discovered some intresting facts. The largest contributors to both Hillary and McCain were large corporations. Obama's contributions mostly came from small donors, everyday working people who believed in what he said.
Think about it, if a politition is supported by a big company and a vote comes up which affects that company, what is the politition likely to do? There is an old saying"Dance with him who brought you". If the politition wants to be supported again in the next election they have to remember which side their bread is buttered on.
Then I heard on Air America Radio that an article tracing the sources of the largest contributors to all candidates found that Hillary and McCain were largely supported by the same companies.
In fact, I work for the biggest one of all!
That drove home the biggest point of all. I want a candidate who is independent. he can vote for against any company. He can always folow his own beliefs.
That is Obama. that is who I support and I ask you to do the same.
If you study history you see that countries rise in importance and power. Then they stay level and begin to drop again, only to be replaced by another. Greece, Rome, France, great Brittan, the United States.
We have reached our peak and have began to descend under the administration we now have.
The basic human rights guaranteed to all citizens have begun to deteriorate under Bush. Habeas Corpus is dead. The government spys on our citizens. The future American citizens have worked hard for is being robbed out from under them.
The oil companies make obscene profits every quarter. Each one a new record! And I have reached the point that I have to cut out medical expenses and lower all my expenses in order to pay my bills.
I may have to quit going to Church one week a month because I can't afford the gas!
In the year 2000 I always had an extra $1000 in my checking account. I paid my bills, I saved, I tithed, I helped others who were less fortunate than me. I was always ahead. if I wanted to buy a new toy I did.
Not now. We no longer eat out, we never go anywhere becuse we cant afford gas. Our diet has changed. Steak is out.
And we are not alone. People everywhere are losing their homes.
If we are to turn this country around we have to take hold now! We Must take back our country from big profit executives whose companies go bankrupt but still give them $40 Million dollar bonuses.
To do this we need a leader who will stand up for the average American citizen.
That man is Barack Obama.
Let me tell. It is personal, and it is because I felt uneasy about some of the hits I received after my posts criticizing the Bush administration. Enough said.
But I am going to post again, and I am going to post about something very dear to my own heart. Politics.
This years Democratic primary has been a fascinating experience for me.
I was deeply interested in the candidates and their qualifications. I had a favorite. Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards were almost a tie. First I favored one,then the other.
I knew that Kucinich did not really stand a chance in the long run, and I really didn't think that Edwards did either.
At that time I always said that I would be happy with either Hillary or Obama.
They were the two candidates who stood the best chance of defeating the current administration. That is, and always has been, the most important thing in my mind.
The most important thing is to defeat the Republican power machine.
At different times I prefered one , then the other.
Mostly it was Obama, but it largely depended on the last speech I heard, or the last point that one made.
At the time of the Texas primary I decided that I prefered Obama on most issues, but I liked Hillary's health care plan better.
I actually voted for Obama, but liked both.
Then I discovered some intresting facts. The largest contributors to both Hillary and McCain were large corporations. Obama's contributions mostly came from small donors, everyday working people who believed in what he said.
Think about it, if a politition is supported by a big company and a vote comes up which affects that company, what is the politition likely to do? There is an old saying"Dance with him who brought you". If the politition wants to be supported again in the next election they have to remember which side their bread is buttered on.
Then I heard on Air America Radio that an article tracing the sources of the largest contributors to all candidates found that Hillary and McCain were largely supported by the same companies.
In fact, I work for the biggest one of all!
That drove home the biggest point of all. I want a candidate who is independent. he can vote for against any company. He can always folow his own beliefs.
That is Obama. that is who I support and I ask you to do the same.
If you study history you see that countries rise in importance and power. Then they stay level and begin to drop again, only to be replaced by another. Greece, Rome, France, great Brittan, the United States.
We have reached our peak and have began to descend under the administration we now have.
The basic human rights guaranteed to all citizens have begun to deteriorate under Bush. Habeas Corpus is dead. The government spys on our citizens. The future American citizens have worked hard for is being robbed out from under them.
The oil companies make obscene profits every quarter. Each one a new record! And I have reached the point that I have to cut out medical expenses and lower all my expenses in order to pay my bills.
I may have to quit going to Church one week a month because I can't afford the gas!
In the year 2000 I always had an extra $1000 in my checking account. I paid my bills, I saved, I tithed, I helped others who were less fortunate than me. I was always ahead. if I wanted to buy a new toy I did.
Not now. We no longer eat out, we never go anywhere becuse we cant afford gas. Our diet has changed. Steak is out.
And we are not alone. People everywhere are losing their homes.
If we are to turn this country around we have to take hold now! We Must take back our country from big profit executives whose companies go bankrupt but still give them $40 Million dollar bonuses.
To do this we need a leader who will stand up for the average American citizen.
That man is Barack Obama.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
New Project
After laying off for an extended period, I have decided that I need to express myself again.
Things have continued to happen that influenced me and affected me. I just did not write about them.
The political situation is a mess and I have plenty to say about it.
I could point out that we spend $1600 per second in Iraq. But we can't spend enough on our countries infrastructure to prevent needless tragedy.
The steam pipe in New York, the bridge in Minneapolis. The levees in New Orleans. All these things are a typical example of the problems presented when the administration decides that they need to make the public forget that we have a war going on.
Higher taxes to keep our country working smoothly would cut down on the spending on the war or would make the voters have to sacrifice for the war to continue.
The public is not supposed to inconvenienced by the war. They might try to end it. This is not what the president and his big corporate cronies want.
They make money off the war.
Why do you think that the news crews are not allowed to show the caskets of the fallen soldiers being brought home or buried?
The war must not inconvenience the voters.
But enough of that. Other things have come up to get me to write again.
Our church is going to do a really great thing to make a difference in the world. The idea came from Jesus MCC in Indianapolis. Our Pastor and others heard a lot about it at the recent MCC Conference in Arizona and decided that we should do it in Dallas.
This program features billboards with the message "Would Jesus Discriminate?" it has a web address for people to look to see more.
At the website we will provide information and scripture readings for people to read. We hope that reading these scriptures from our viewpoint will educate people.
When it was done in Indianapolis there were before and after polls done which showed that it actually made a significant change in the opinions of the general public.
Of course the fundamentalists protested, there were news stories on tv and in the papers. This just helped the program to work. The more people talked about it the more people went to the website. More of them read the passages in the bible which were written about gays in biblical times, and which prove that Jesus knew and interacted with gays in a positive fashion. These passages need to be pointed out.
People generally learn to discriminate out a lack of education. If you educate them they understand and their attitudes change. As the Reverend Elder Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches ( The largest denomination in the world of churches that have an outreach to the LGBT population) says, People need to read the Bible with new eyes. The churches and leaders that preach hatred of gays today are the descendants of the same people and churches that preached discrimination against black people in the past.
It seems incredible today that there used to be laws keeping racially mixed couples form marrying! What changed? The people learned to read the bible through new eyes and developed a new understanding of what the Bible really says.
People need to be educated. That's how you go about changing the world.
The church's site will serve as the primary focus, but the blog will enable people to read comments from gay Christians about how their own lives are affected.
Things have continued to happen that influenced me and affected me. I just did not write about them.
The political situation is a mess and I have plenty to say about it.
I could point out that we spend $1600 per second in Iraq. But we can't spend enough on our countries infrastructure to prevent needless tragedy.
The steam pipe in New York, the bridge in Minneapolis. The levees in New Orleans. All these things are a typical example of the problems presented when the administration decides that they need to make the public forget that we have a war going on.
Higher taxes to keep our country working smoothly would cut down on the spending on the war or would make the voters have to sacrifice for the war to continue.
The public is not supposed to inconvenienced by the war. They might try to end it. This is not what the president and his big corporate cronies want.
They make money off the war.
Why do you think that the news crews are not allowed to show the caskets of the fallen soldiers being brought home or buried?
The war must not inconvenience the voters.
But enough of that. Other things have come up to get me to write again.
Our church is going to do a really great thing to make a difference in the world. The idea came from Jesus MCC in Indianapolis. Our Pastor and others heard a lot about it at the recent MCC Conference in Arizona and decided that we should do it in Dallas.
This program features billboards with the message "Would Jesus Discriminate?" it has a web address for people to look to see more.
At the website we will provide information and scripture readings for people to read. We hope that reading these scriptures from our viewpoint will educate people.
When it was done in Indianapolis there were before and after polls done which showed that it actually made a significant change in the opinions of the general public.
Of course the fundamentalists protested, there were news stories on tv and in the papers. This just helped the program to work. The more people talked about it the more people went to the website. More of them read the passages in the bible which were written about gays in biblical times, and which prove that Jesus knew and interacted with gays in a positive fashion. These passages need to be pointed out.
People generally learn to discriminate out a lack of education. If you educate them they understand and their attitudes change. As the Reverend Elder Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches ( The largest denomination in the world of churches that have an outreach to the LGBT population) says, People need to read the Bible with new eyes. The churches and leaders that preach hatred of gays today are the descendants of the same people and churches that preached discrimination against black people in the past.
It seems incredible today that there used to be laws keeping racially mixed couples form marrying! What changed? The people learned to read the bible through new eyes and developed a new understanding of what the Bible really says.
People need to be educated. That's how you go about changing the world.
The church's site will serve as the primary focus, but the blog will enable people to read comments from gay Christians about how their own lives are affected.
Monday, May 28, 2007
An Open Letter to the Democrats
I finally gave in and I'm back. I am mad about politics again. This time it's the Democrats I'm mad at!
This is an open letter to Harry Reid and the rest of the DEMs in congress.
First. Why do you think the Democrats were given a majority in the last elections?
Because we want you to end this war! We want the current administration to be fought at every turn and we want you to take back our country!
You don't do this by caving to Bush because of a single veto!
Putting reasonable expectations on the funding bill is exactly the right move. If Bush vetos it again, send it back again.
The Dems will not be responsible for failing to fund the troops. You will have met the funding requests for the war.
George will be at fault because he will not have accepted some reasonable guidelines toward ending the war, which is the wish of the majority of Americans, as expressed in the last election.
If you let him set the rules of the game then you will be going against the clear wishes of those who gave the Democrats the majority.
Let me put it simple language which any politician should be able to understand.
You want to be re-elected. To do this you need money, votes , and people to work for you at the grass roots level.
If you continue to cave in to Bush you will not be doing what you were elected for, and your support will dry up and you will not be re-elected again.
In fact,I and most like minded voters will work for the election of other people,either Democrats or independents, or even a Republican. As long as they pledge to do as WE wish and fight and remove the lying, dishonest people now in the White House.
Its that simple. Your voting record will be the determining factor.
How many more young Americans must loose their lives in an unjust war in a country who does not even want us there? Even one more young hero's death is too much.
We elect you, we support you. Think it Over! Deacon Harry
This is an open letter to Harry Reid and the rest of the DEMs in congress.
First. Why do you think the Democrats were given a majority in the last elections?
Because we want you to end this war! We want the current administration to be fought at every turn and we want you to take back our country!
You don't do this by caving to Bush because of a single veto!
Putting reasonable expectations on the funding bill is exactly the right move. If Bush vetos it again, send it back again.
The Dems will not be responsible for failing to fund the troops. You will have met the funding requests for the war.
George will be at fault because he will not have accepted some reasonable guidelines toward ending the war, which is the wish of the majority of Americans, as expressed in the last election.
If you let him set the rules of the game then you will be going against the clear wishes of those who gave the Democrats the majority.
Let me put it simple language which any politician should be able to understand.
You want to be re-elected. To do this you need money, votes , and people to work for you at the grass roots level.
If you continue to cave in to Bush you will not be doing what you were elected for, and your support will dry up and you will not be re-elected again.
In fact,I and most like minded voters will work for the election of other people,either Democrats or independents, or even a Republican. As long as they pledge to do as WE wish and fight and remove the lying, dishonest people now in the White House.
Its that simple. Your voting record will be the determining factor.
How many more young Americans must loose their lives in an unjust war in a country who does not even want us there? Even one more young hero's death is too much.
We elect you, we support you. Think it Over! Deacon Harry
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Troy Perry Film
Check out the new movie trailer for "Call Me Troy"a film about Troy perry the founder of the MCC Denomination and one of my heros.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tvATGIT64
This man has done more than anyone else to combat the mis-conception that you cannot be gay and Christian. He has brought a new understanding to many and has also been a tireless worker for the human rights of gays everywhere.. The film is to be released this spring and should be a great viewing experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tvATGIT64
This man has done more than anyone else to combat the mis-conception that you cannot be gay and Christian. He has brought a new understanding to many and has also been a tireless worker for the human rights of gays everywhere.. The film is to be released this spring and should be a great viewing experience.
Rumor Campaign Starts
Sorry, I've been really busy and haven't had time to post lately.
Did you see the recent story on Fox News about Barack Obama having gone to school in a madrassa in Indonesia when growing up? A madrassa is a school which teaches very fundamentalist type Muslin religion.
This story was first published in "Insite Magazine" a little read right wing propaganda rag. They claimed that the tidbit was picked up by a worker in the Hillary Clinton campaign. Then the New York Post, a Murdoch owned newspaper made it a headline and FOX news, Rupert Murdoch's personal news slanting machine, picked up the story and featured it in a newscast, trumpeting that Hillary Clinton was making the accusations.They however, did not name a single person within the Clinton camp as a source.
The facts are that the magazine is published by the "Washington Times", which is generally considered to be a right wing tool.
No one at any point tried to check out the facts of the allegation .
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have labeled the rumor to be a right wing hatchet job.
CNN on the other hand sent a reporter to visit the school and reports that it is a state run school with Christian, Muslims,Buddhist and Confucian students. The principal says that while they treat all religions with respect, they do not favor religions.The majority of the students are Muslin because the are is mostly Muslin.
This, unfortunately, is just the beginning. The fundamentalist right will ramp up as the election nears and we will see a really major campaign of mis-information coming our way.
Personally, I NEVER watch Fox News because of it's consistent slanted and inaccurate reporting. I would encourage you to do the same.
Did you see the recent story on Fox News about Barack Obama having gone to school in a madrassa in Indonesia when growing up? A madrassa is a school which teaches very fundamentalist type Muslin religion.
This story was first published in "Insite Magazine" a little read right wing propaganda rag. They claimed that the tidbit was picked up by a worker in the Hillary Clinton campaign. Then the New York Post, a Murdoch owned newspaper made it a headline and FOX news, Rupert Murdoch's personal news slanting machine, picked up the story and featured it in a newscast, trumpeting that Hillary Clinton was making the accusations.They however, did not name a single person within the Clinton camp as a source.
The facts are that the magazine is published by the "Washington Times", which is generally considered to be a right wing tool.
No one at any point tried to check out the facts of the allegation .
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have labeled the rumor to be a right wing hatchet job.
CNN on the other hand sent a reporter to visit the school and reports that it is a state run school with Christian, Muslims,Buddhist and Confucian students. The principal says that while they treat all religions with respect, they do not favor religions.The majority of the students are Muslin because the are is mostly Muslin.
This, unfortunately, is just the beginning. The fundamentalist right will ramp up as the election nears and we will see a really major campaign of mis-information coming our way.
Personally, I NEVER watch Fox News because of it's consistent slanted and inaccurate reporting. I would encourage you to do the same.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Pray for Change
I have a friend who I love very much who has many troubles. She prays and asks God for help. Then she wonders why He doesn't change everything the way she expects .
She will pray about changing her life several times a day and wonder why nothing happens.
Why doesn't a change happen? First we must look at the rest of her life. What does she do between prayers? She continues her life as before. She does everything the same way she always has. Nothing she does in her life changes.
Oh, she may make some small changes, but she doesn't really grab the bull by the horns and say"what I've been doing for years hasn't worked, I'm going to approach everything from a different direction in a different way." She doesn't even ask God for direction.
Instead of doing everything the same and waiting for God to change her life she needs to make a big effort herself.
There are two absolute truths I have learned about praying for God's help:
1. If you don't ask him he won't help you. 2. If you don't make a real try to to reach your goal or fill your needs yourself he won't help you.
If you sincerely ask God for help every day and mean it He will listen. The more you ask the more he will listen. God may move things for you somewhat as a part of his major plan, but if you don't try to change things on your own not much is going to happen.
If you have an obstacle to overcome you must really try to do it on your own.
If you sit on one side of the mountain and say to yourself"Gee, I've heard its great over there. There are streams of milk and honey and the streets are paved with gold. I hope God will move me there."
What's God's reaction? He says "No you don't, if you wanted to go over there you'd start climbing."
God rewards effort. He will help those who first help themselves. If you expect God to do everything for you then then you are in for a disappointment.
If you are doing a lot of good work for God, helping His master plan then he may reward you. But, He may reward you with more things you can do to bring Him Glory.( That is your real purpose in life anyway. You were created to bring God glory.)
If you want more than that you must get up and get to work.
You know, I started this post because of a recent dialy devotional post my pastor sends out on the net every day.
I read his message and thought, "You know, there is a lot in this message
that might help several people I know."
I started writing this with that in mind. About halfway through however It began to soak in to me that this message may have been planted in my mind by God, I have had a lot of real major problems in my life for the
last year and I have prayed repeatedly for God's help.
I have alos prayed something that I started praying a few years ago based on the Prayer Of Jabez. I asked the Lord to expand my territory so that I may do more to serve him. ( Check out the popular book "The Prayer Of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson, it can be a real blessing in your life)
I have prayed this for a long time and it has always worked.
I asked Him to let me serve Him and he has done it in so many ways that I am amazed! The best moments in my life have been spent in service to God.
I have to ask myself now, "Why has he answered those prayers and not the others for calling His help in my own struggles?"
Could it be that he is still waiting for me to do more to try to change thngs on my own so that he may help me? Or am I still living according to His plan for my life. Am I destined to be changed in some way by the obsticales I am fighting so that I might better fit into His plan?" They are dragging me down in some ways, but is this His plan for me?
I guess I will be doing a lot more praying for awhile
And maybe a lot more trying too.
God Bless. Deacon Harry
She will pray about changing her life several times a day and wonder why nothing happens.
Why doesn't a change happen? First we must look at the rest of her life. What does she do between prayers? She continues her life as before. She does everything the same way she always has. Nothing she does in her life changes.
Oh, she may make some small changes, but she doesn't really grab the bull by the horns and say"what I've been doing for years hasn't worked, I'm going to approach everything from a different direction in a different way." She doesn't even ask God for direction.
Instead of doing everything the same and waiting for God to change her life she needs to make a big effort herself.
There are two absolute truths I have learned about praying for God's help:
1. If you don't ask him he won't help you. 2. If you don't make a real try to to reach your goal or fill your needs yourself he won't help you.
If you sincerely ask God for help every day and mean it He will listen. The more you ask the more he will listen. God may move things for you somewhat as a part of his major plan, but if you don't try to change things on your own not much is going to happen.
If you have an obstacle to overcome you must really try to do it on your own.
If you sit on one side of the mountain and say to yourself"Gee, I've heard its great over there. There are streams of milk and honey and the streets are paved with gold. I hope God will move me there."
What's God's reaction? He says "No you don't, if you wanted to go over there you'd start climbing."
God rewards effort. He will help those who first help themselves. If you expect God to do everything for you then then you are in for a disappointment.
If you are doing a lot of good work for God, helping His master plan then he may reward you. But, He may reward you with more things you can do to bring Him Glory.( That is your real purpose in life anyway. You were created to bring God glory.)
If you want more than that you must get up and get to work.
You know, I started this post because of a recent dialy devotional post my pastor sends out on the net every day.
I read his message and thought, "You know, there is a lot in this message
that might help several people I know."
I started writing this with that in mind. About halfway through however It began to soak in to me that this message may have been planted in my mind by God, I have had a lot of real major problems in my life for the
last year and I have prayed repeatedly for God's help.
I have alos prayed something that I started praying a few years ago based on the Prayer Of Jabez. I asked the Lord to expand my territory so that I may do more to serve him. ( Check out the popular book "The Prayer Of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson, it can be a real blessing in your life)
I have prayed this for a long time and it has always worked.
I asked Him to let me serve Him and he has done it in so many ways that I am amazed! The best moments in my life have been spent in service to God.
I have to ask myself now, "Why has he answered those prayers and not the others for calling His help in my own struggles?"
Could it be that he is still waiting for me to do more to try to change thngs on my own so that he may help me? Or am I still living according to His plan for my life. Am I destined to be changed in some way by the obsticales I am fighting so that I might better fit into His plan?" They are dragging me down in some ways, but is this His plan for me?
I guess I will be doing a lot more praying for awhile
And maybe a lot more trying too.
God Bless. Deacon Harry
Monday, December 18, 2006
Calling Rev Barnes
"Its happened again. First it was Ted Haggard. Last week the Rev Paul Barnes of Grace Chapel in South Denver announced that he was stepping down as pastor of his big mega church.
" I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year old boy." Barnes said."I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away".
Barnes said that he became a Christian at age 17 and felt that it would help him to give up homosexuality. Of course the feelings never went away.
He still believes that a person is not born "that way".
If he knew of his sexuality at 5 years old what did he think made him gay?
Does he not believe that the Lord is perfect and does not make mistakes? Has he ever considered that if the Lord would not change him it must be because he does not need to be changed?
I wish these fundamentalists would look at the excellent literaturee available on the MCC Church website, http://www.mccchurch.org
and other places. Read the information, study it, look at the passages in the Bible themselves. Read it with new eyes. Could it be that they have misunderstood what the bible says?
Not that many years ago the fundamentalists could show you Biblical passages proving that the white man was superior to the black man. They could prove to you that God approved of slavery!
What changed? Was the Bible re-written? Did God change his mind?
No, the readers re-examined the passages and read them with new eyes and found out that they had been mis-interpreting them all along.
The same is true of homosexuality. Fundamentalists have been wrong for years.
I was taught wrong as a child myself, and hid my true identity from the world untill I was in my mid 30's. How much did I hurt myself? Why did I not accept the truth sooner? I personally feel that my own case it was a part of God's plan. He was showing me things that I would later need when I became his servant.
I now know that God was right, I was wrong. I pray that Rev. Barnes will finally come to accept who he is. He is God's child and God loves him as He made him. I hope that he will accept that this too is part of God's plan. I pray the Rev Barnes will accept his new identity and move on in service to God.
He seems, from what I have read and seen of him, to be an honest, decent Christian man. He deserves to be truly happy in service to his Creator.
I would also encourage any others who read this and are denying themselves a chance to lead an honest life to think, study, pray and accept yourself as God made you.
Deacon Harry
" I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year old boy." Barnes said."I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away".
Barnes said that he became a Christian at age 17 and felt that it would help him to give up homosexuality. Of course the feelings never went away.
He still believes that a person is not born "that way".
If he knew of his sexuality at 5 years old what did he think made him gay?
Does he not believe that the Lord is perfect and does not make mistakes? Has he ever considered that if the Lord would not change him it must be because he does not need to be changed?
I wish these fundamentalists would look at the excellent literaturee available on the MCC Church website, http://www.mccchurch.org
and other places. Read the information, study it, look at the passages in the Bible themselves. Read it with new eyes. Could it be that they have misunderstood what the bible says?
Not that many years ago the fundamentalists could show you Biblical passages proving that the white man was superior to the black man. They could prove to you that God approved of slavery!
What changed? Was the Bible re-written? Did God change his mind?
No, the readers re-examined the passages and read them with new eyes and found out that they had been mis-interpreting them all along.
The same is true of homosexuality. Fundamentalists have been wrong for years.
I was taught wrong as a child myself, and hid my true identity from the world untill I was in my mid 30's. How much did I hurt myself? Why did I not accept the truth sooner? I personally feel that my own case it was a part of God's plan. He was showing me things that I would later need when I became his servant.
I now know that God was right, I was wrong. I pray that Rev. Barnes will finally come to accept who he is. He is God's child and God loves him as He made him. I hope that he will accept that this too is part of God's plan. I pray the Rev Barnes will accept his new identity and move on in service to God.
He seems, from what I have read and seen of him, to be an honest, decent Christian man. He deserves to be truly happy in service to his Creator.
I would also encourage any others who read this and are denying themselves a chance to lead an honest life to think, study, pray and accept yourself as God made you.
Deacon Harry
Friday, December 01, 2006
The 25th Year of AIDS
It,s the evening of World AIDS Day and I still haven't posted anything special for it. I have hoped all day long that I would get a sudden inspiration but it hasn't happened. So, I'll just have to tell it from the heart.
World AIDS Day means so much to me because of those I love who have passed, those I know now living with the disease, those whom I hope we can save from contacting it and especially because of the person I share my life with, who has AIDS.
I have been the primary caregiver for two people whom I love. The first, my nephew Pat, was one of the early persons to contact what was then known as G.R.I.D. My partner Dan was diagnosed in 1991. I have been a support person to many more.
We have been together since then. We have had lots of ups and downs, but his fighting spirit and never quit attitude are inspiring to me. (Look back in the archives to one of my first posts, "My hero's") or click on the link for the BIKEBOYS site for more about him and all he does.
I could never begin to list all the people I have known who have lost their lives to this disease. The effect of seeing a beautiful human being become so ill and waste away has a tremendous effect on your inner being.
To hold someone you love in your arms as they ask you for permission to let go and die is something you never get over.
I will always have a sad part of me that forever mourns the losses. But we who mourn have an obligation too.
We must urge our new Democrat controlled congress to pass new bills, to spend more funds on research to treat and find a cure and to educate and prevent the spread of this pandemic.
We must insist the the Bush administrations policy of pushing abstinence-only programs be halted. These programs do not work and only cause a drain of finds and efforts from programs which teach prevention in a more realistic approach.
WE must insist that people in Africa and other areas in the third world should receive more funds and support.
These are the facts:
Forty thousand persons become infected every year in the US.
Of those living with AIDS in the US 1/3 to 1/2 are either homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.
HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among those between 15-59 WORLDWIDE!
HIV/AIDS has become the 3rd leading cause of death among all diseases.
An estimated 35.9 million people worldwide are living with AIDS.
Over 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide.
There are more than 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa.
Check out the link at the begins of this post for more figures.
So, as World AIDS Day fades, we must do our part to help, in the name of those who are no longer with us.
Posted with Love for Pat & Scott, and for so many others. Deacon Harry
World AIDS Day means so much to me because of those I love who have passed, those I know now living with the disease, those whom I hope we can save from contacting it and especially because of the person I share my life with, who has AIDS.
I have been the primary caregiver for two people whom I love. The first, my nephew Pat, was one of the early persons to contact what was then known as G.R.I.D. My partner Dan was diagnosed in 1991. I have been a support person to many more.
We have been together since then. We have had lots of ups and downs, but his fighting spirit and never quit attitude are inspiring to me. (Look back in the archives to one of my first posts, "My hero's") or click on the link for the BIKEBOYS site for more about him and all he does.
I could never begin to list all the people I have known who have lost their lives to this disease. The effect of seeing a beautiful human being become so ill and waste away has a tremendous effect on your inner being.
To hold someone you love in your arms as they ask you for permission to let go and die is something you never get over.
I will always have a sad part of me that forever mourns the losses. But we who mourn have an obligation too.
We must urge our new Democrat controlled congress to pass new bills, to spend more funds on research to treat and find a cure and to educate and prevent the spread of this pandemic.
We must insist the the Bush administrations policy of pushing abstinence-only programs be halted. These programs do not work and only cause a drain of finds and efforts from programs which teach prevention in a more realistic approach.
WE must insist that people in Africa and other areas in the third world should receive more funds and support.
These are the facts:
Forty thousand persons become infected every year in the US.
Of those living with AIDS in the US 1/3 to 1/2 are either homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.
HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among those between 15-59 WORLDWIDE!
HIV/AIDS has become the 3rd leading cause of death among all diseases.
An estimated 35.9 million people worldwide are living with AIDS.
Over 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide.
There are more than 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa.
Check out the link at the begins of this post for more figures.
So, as World AIDS Day fades, we must do our part to help, in the name of those who are no longer with us.
Posted with Love for Pat & Scott, and for so many others. Deacon Harry
World AIDS Day revisited
This is a post I wrote for World AIDS Day in 2005. Due to power problems from the weather I lost most of the evening being unable to post anything new, so I thought that I would repost up this old post.
If things work out I hope to add another post after work today.
World AIDS Day is always a special day for me as I remember my past friends and loved ones and pray for an end to AIDS.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
World Aids Day.....
Today is World AIDS Day. The numbers are staggering. More than 40 Million people worldwide have AIDS! AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. 3.9 million people died from AIDS last year alone and another 4.9 million became infected.
(figures are from a recent U.N. report)
In the US the number of new cases reported every year has remained more or less stable from 2001 to 2003. However, the number began to rise again since 2003.
Every hour 2 more young Americans are infected with AIDS!
The Human Rights Campaign issued a report card on our governments efforts this year. See http://www.hrc.org for the details.
The main point is that our government rated an "F"in 2 of 4 categories, prevention and care & treatment. They only managed a D in research and a C in Global AIDS. The HRC has a online link to allow you to email your elected officials and let them know that this is not acceptable. Please use it.
On a personal level:
I have had far too many friends who have died from this disease.
I have also been involved as a caregiver and/or advisor to several persons.
My nephew Pat moved here from Iowa at age 17 so that he could come out and live life as the man he was. This was in the early 1980s. He and I became very close and it was extremely hard to take when he became infected with "GRID" (Gay Related Immune Disorder ) as it first was known. There was almost no knowledge and there were no treatments for it. All the doctors could do was to treat the symptoms by trying to keep the fevers down, etc.
I used to get up at night and hold him as he shook with"night sweats. "
Then I would change his sheets and he would go back to bed. I never felt so helpless in my life. Someone I loved deeply was so ill and I couldn't do anything! I had a nurse-call button clipped to his sheets and an intercom mounted to the wall by his bed so he could call me when he needed me. When AZT was released we were so happy that at last there was something he could take. However the first meds were all so toxic that they caused their own problems. He had to use suppositories to fight the nausea had to keep a pan beside his bed all the time.
It was a horrible experience to watch him slowly die. His death was the hardest I had ever faced. My parents had lived their lives and it was much easier to take. Pat, was so young,and I loved him so much. I would ask myself frequently "Why him? Why can't it be me?"
Pats ex, Scott, had become my best friend. Of course he was also infected, although he lived with his family and not with me, I was very involved in his illness. I was the one he talked to and asked advice of. Over a several year period I watched him get slowly worse. The HIV meds always had bad side effects on him and he was always miserable.Finally he became infected with CMV and lost the vision first in one eye then another. He entered a hospice program where they kept him comfortable but made no efforts to prolong his life. I was the only pallbearer at his funeral who was not a family member.
About this time Dan( my partner) became infected. When he was first diagnosed in 1990 he already had an opportunistic infection, Cryptoccal Meningitis. He was deathly ill and I had to run IV's for him every night at home. He has been hospitalized several times and I have seen his weight drop as low as 110 lbs.
Now he weighs about 160 and looks good because of medical breakthroughs in the past. The biggest difference between Scott and Dan was that Dan was never bothered by drug side effects. He always took his meds in the proper amounts at the proper time. He never missed. Also, the FDA approved trials of Protease Inhibitors in 1995 and I was able to get him on a trial while he was in the nursing home.
He did have a reaction to DDI and developed pancriatitis. His pancrease
went wild and damaged his lungs. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks that time, 10 days in ICU. He had previously had all his legal affairs taken care of and had given me his power of attorney for health care. When he was in icu I went against all the things we had discussed and put him on life support. He was on life support for 7 days while his lungs healed and he was able to recover. His family in Pennsylvania did not want anything to do with him, so I spent 7 days at the icu with him, going home only to sleep.
It was a hard period, but we got through it. I told in a previous post about his experiences in a nursing home and in the AIDS Rides. I am very proud of him for what he has endured and what he still does today.
So , for World AIDS Day I am pausing to remember Pat, Scott & Dan's close friend and nursing home roomate, James. They are especially in my heart today as I pray for them and all the others who have passed on before us. Deacon Harry
# posted by Deacon Harry @ 12:07 PM
If things work out I hope to add another post after work today.
World AIDS Day is always a special day for me as I remember my past friends and loved ones and pray for an end to AIDS.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
World Aids Day.....
Today is World AIDS Day. The numbers are staggering. More than 40 Million people worldwide have AIDS! AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. 3.9 million people died from AIDS last year alone and another 4.9 million became infected.
(figures are from a recent U.N. report)
In the US the number of new cases reported every year has remained more or less stable from 2001 to 2003. However, the number began to rise again since 2003.
Every hour 2 more young Americans are infected with AIDS!
The Human Rights Campaign issued a report card on our governments efforts this year. See http://www.hrc.org for the details.
The main point is that our government rated an "F"in 2 of 4 categories, prevention and care & treatment. They only managed a D in research and a C in Global AIDS. The HRC has a online link to allow you to email your elected officials and let them know that this is not acceptable. Please use it.
On a personal level:
I have had far too many friends who have died from this disease.
I have also been involved as a caregiver and/or advisor to several persons.
My nephew Pat moved here from Iowa at age 17 so that he could come out and live life as the man he was. This was in the early 1980s. He and I became very close and it was extremely hard to take when he became infected with "GRID" (Gay Related Immune Disorder ) as it first was known. There was almost no knowledge and there were no treatments for it. All the doctors could do was to treat the symptoms by trying to keep the fevers down, etc.
I used to get up at night and hold him as he shook with"night sweats. "
Then I would change his sheets and he would go back to bed. I never felt so helpless in my life. Someone I loved deeply was so ill and I couldn't do anything! I had a nurse-call button clipped to his sheets and an intercom mounted to the wall by his bed so he could call me when he needed me. When AZT was released we were so happy that at last there was something he could take. However the first meds were all so toxic that they caused their own problems. He had to use suppositories to fight the nausea had to keep a pan beside his bed all the time.
It was a horrible experience to watch him slowly die. His death was the hardest I had ever faced. My parents had lived their lives and it was much easier to take. Pat, was so young,and I loved him so much. I would ask myself frequently "Why him? Why can't it be me?"
Pats ex, Scott, had become my best friend. Of course he was also infected, although he lived with his family and not with me, I was very involved in his illness. I was the one he talked to and asked advice of. Over a several year period I watched him get slowly worse. The HIV meds always had bad side effects on him and he was always miserable.Finally he became infected with CMV and lost the vision first in one eye then another. He entered a hospice program where they kept him comfortable but made no efforts to prolong his life. I was the only pallbearer at his funeral who was not a family member.
About this time Dan( my partner) became infected. When he was first diagnosed in 1990 he already had an opportunistic infection, Cryptoccal Meningitis. He was deathly ill and I had to run IV's for him every night at home. He has been hospitalized several times and I have seen his weight drop as low as 110 lbs.
Now he weighs about 160 and looks good because of medical breakthroughs in the past. The biggest difference between Scott and Dan was that Dan was never bothered by drug side effects. He always took his meds in the proper amounts at the proper time. He never missed. Also, the FDA approved trials of Protease Inhibitors in 1995 and I was able to get him on a trial while he was in the nursing home.
He did have a reaction to DDI and developed pancriatitis. His pancrease
went wild and damaged his lungs. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks that time, 10 days in ICU. He had previously had all his legal affairs taken care of and had given me his power of attorney for health care. When he was in icu I went against all the things we had discussed and put him on life support. He was on life support for 7 days while his lungs healed and he was able to recover. His family in Pennsylvania did not want anything to do with him, so I spent 7 days at the icu with him, going home only to sleep.
It was a hard period, but we got through it. I told in a previous post about his experiences in a nursing home and in the AIDS Rides. I am very proud of him for what he has endured and what he still does today.
So , for World AIDS Day I am pausing to remember Pat, Scott & Dan's close friend and nursing home roomate, James. They are especially in my heart today as I pray for them and all the others who have passed on before us. Deacon Harry
# posted by Deacon Harry @ 12:07 PM
Thursday, November 23, 2006
A Special Thanksgiving.
First, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope yours was as good as mine.
I had a unique experience last night. I slept on the floor of our church, right in front of the alter....Let me explain.
You see every year our church has a thanksgiving dinner for our members and friends and their friends.
This started a few years ago when it occurred to me that many in our community have no real family to spend the holidays with. It can be a real "bummer" to spend a holiday alone.
First I invited friends to my house for a thanksgiving potluck dinner. I made the big items, turkey, dressing and gravy, etc and others brought a side item.
Then a few years ago, when our church rented a new bigger place to worship, we suddenly found ourselves with a real commercial kitchen with 4 ovens and a big stove.
So, we held a big dinner and invited lots of people.
Now after 2 years in our own building we are still continuing the tradition. I love to cook and everyone says I'm quite good. So, I cook the big items and everyone else brings sides.
Our new Church home has a bigger kitchen than my house so I cook my portion at church.
Last year I had to get up at 3 am and drive in 40 miles to cook dinner and have it ready on time.( after turning in at 11:30 pm.)
This year I thought that I would try a radical new approach. I decided to spend the night at church.
You see, it sounds simple and logical. Dan and I arrived at church about 10:30. After unloading and making sure that everything was set up we went to bed. I did not have to get up until 5:30 am to get it all ready on time.
Of course we have no sleeping quarters there, but no problem there is a couch in the social hall where Dan slept. I decided that I would try sleeping in the sanctuary. The pew cushions have fairly comfortable pads. I also joked to the pastor that it would not be the first time I have slept in a pew.
Actually, I put the cushions from 4 pews on the floor in the front of the church and made a bed 2 cushions wide and 2 high. It was really quite comfortable.
I turned out the lights and found that there was enough light coming in through the stained glass windows to make it easy to sleep, but I could still see objects fairly well.
As I laid there and looked up at the alter and the cross of my church home from a different perspective a strong feeling hit me.I needed to pray.
First I prayed I'm going to sleep with you tonight Lord. But I immediately realized that I sleep with Him every night. He is always there watching over me.
So, I tried again. I told Him that it was really an overpowering feeling to be there at the alter where I worship him weekly.
Yes, I worship him continually anyway. I talk to him lots of times every day and I thank him for the blessings he gives me constantly. I ask him for help and guidance and for him to bless others.
But this was different....I don't quite know how to explain it.
This time, here I was in our darkened church in front the alter that I love so much.
I felt my soul open up in such a powerful awareness of His presence. I talked to him for a long time.
I thanked him for the everlasting gift of His Grace.
I told him that I am in awe that he loves me in spite of all terrible things I have done in my past.
I told Him that I am so overwhelmed as I look back in retrospect to the dark first 40 years of my life when I denied His existence and declared that I was an atheist.
He was there,loving me, guiding me and leading me to the period of my life since I gave myself to Him. He loved me even though I denied Him!
He equipped me so perfectly for the ministries of service to him that he has led me to now. I feel so unworthy of His love, and I am based only on my own actions, but because He gave his life for me on the Cross I am indeed worthy of His love. His Grace is truly the greatest gift imaginable.
I thanked Him for allowing me to serve Him. I thanked Him for leading me to my church home where I am encouraged and equipped to find my own ministries. This is my real family in Christ. I thanked Him for allowing me to help others to find their own special place.
I told Him that serving Him is all I desire in my life.
This was indeed a thanksgiving that I will always remember.
This is not going to be the only time I spend the night at my Church with my Saviour.
May God Bless you as He has me. Deacon Harry
I had a unique experience last night. I slept on the floor of our church, right in front of the alter....Let me explain.
You see every year our church has a thanksgiving dinner for our members and friends and their friends.
This started a few years ago when it occurred to me that many in our community have no real family to spend the holidays with. It can be a real "bummer" to spend a holiday alone.
First I invited friends to my house for a thanksgiving potluck dinner. I made the big items, turkey, dressing and gravy, etc and others brought a side item.
Then a few years ago, when our church rented a new bigger place to worship, we suddenly found ourselves with a real commercial kitchen with 4 ovens and a big stove.
So, we held a big dinner and invited lots of people.
Now after 2 years in our own building we are still continuing the tradition. I love to cook and everyone says I'm quite good. So, I cook the big items and everyone else brings sides.
Our new Church home has a bigger kitchen than my house so I cook my portion at church.
Last year I had to get up at 3 am and drive in 40 miles to cook dinner and have it ready on time.( after turning in at 11:30 pm.)
This year I thought that I would try a radical new approach. I decided to spend the night at church.
You see, it sounds simple and logical. Dan and I arrived at church about 10:30. After unloading and making sure that everything was set up we went to bed. I did not have to get up until 5:30 am to get it all ready on time.
Of course we have no sleeping quarters there, but no problem there is a couch in the social hall where Dan slept. I decided that I would try sleeping in the sanctuary. The pew cushions have fairly comfortable pads. I also joked to the pastor that it would not be the first time I have slept in a pew.
Actually, I put the cushions from 4 pews on the floor in the front of the church and made a bed 2 cushions wide and 2 high. It was really quite comfortable.
I turned out the lights and found that there was enough light coming in through the stained glass windows to make it easy to sleep, but I could still see objects fairly well.
As I laid there and looked up at the alter and the cross of my church home from a different perspective a strong feeling hit me.I needed to pray.
First I prayed I'm going to sleep with you tonight Lord. But I immediately realized that I sleep with Him every night. He is always there watching over me.
So, I tried again. I told Him that it was really an overpowering feeling to be there at the alter where I worship him weekly.
Yes, I worship him continually anyway. I talk to him lots of times every day and I thank him for the blessings he gives me constantly. I ask him for help and guidance and for him to bless others.
But this was different....I don't quite know how to explain it.
This time, here I was in our darkened church in front the alter that I love so much.
I felt my soul open up in such a powerful awareness of His presence. I talked to him for a long time.
I thanked him for the everlasting gift of His Grace.
I told him that I am in awe that he loves me in spite of all terrible things I have done in my past.
I told Him that I am so overwhelmed as I look back in retrospect to the dark first 40 years of my life when I denied His existence and declared that I was an atheist.
He was there,loving me, guiding me and leading me to the period of my life since I gave myself to Him. He loved me even though I denied Him!
He equipped me so perfectly for the ministries of service to him that he has led me to now. I feel so unworthy of His love, and I am based only on my own actions, but because He gave his life for me on the Cross I am indeed worthy of His love. His Grace is truly the greatest gift imaginable.
I thanked Him for allowing me to serve Him. I thanked Him for leading me to my church home where I am encouraged and equipped to find my own ministries. This is my real family in Christ. I thanked Him for allowing me to help others to find their own special place.
I told Him that serving Him is all I desire in my life.
This was indeed a thanksgiving that I will always remember.
This is not going to be the only time I spend the night at my Church with my Saviour.
May God Bless you as He has me. Deacon Harry
