Month: July 2003

A friend of mine, who is far to the right of me politically, expressed frustration with the ousting of Trent Lott as Senate majority leader. He changed his mind after reading Shelby Steele’s piece.Read the article here.

Author: FrontPorch

If my records and memory serve me well, 50 years ago today, I was Baptized and became a full fledged member of the the Three Forks Bacon Creek Baptist Church in Northern Hart County KY. The feat was accomplished in the North Fork of Bacon Creek just North of Grace Brooks home. She was living there with two of her three sons John & Jim. The Most Reverend Manley Towles was performing the sacrament. I notice some of my childhood friends some living some not, they are: Bud Jones, Jimmy Wagoner, Jessie Howard & Frank Talley, (Little) Henry Hodges, Randell Skaggs and some adults & children I do not remember.
click here
Read onThis memory takes me back a little further to the late forties when my mother was teaching the Beginners Class at the old church. Each sunday she would prepare me to recite a bible verse. The first two I remember was, “Jesus wept” and “God is Love”. Through 16 years of self run riot and 27 years of attempting to follow a path more in step with God’s will, I find the definition of God is Love to be the most appropriate for me to follow. The most important act of God’s Love is shown in obscure passages in the Bible and a sometimes thought as rebukes. Here are some of the passages that I find very interesting.

St. Luke Ch 15 Vs 12, and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them.

This is only implied act of love that a father has for his son. He gives the wealth that belonged to the son and let him go when he very well knew what was in store for the son. This type of act takes faith.

Luke 18:25 – For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

This verse and the ones before and after shows compassion for a person that could not adept his life to the spiritual principles that Jesus Christ laid out.

St. Luke 15 Vs 31

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

This is same story as first, please note the reassurance the father has given older son. Note the father does not let the older son bring into play the show of affection he has show for the younger son. These statement show clearly this man loved both sons the same. regardless of past behavior.

These are only three passages many many more exist.

God is Love as mother taught

1 John Ch 4 vs 7-8

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.
Author: harold

The ABC trlevision network aired a primetime special on 4/21/03 that largely attacked the scientific basis that defines addiction treatment today. “Help me I can’t help myself” was hosted by veteran ABC correspondent John Stossel and the majority of experts utilized in the report believe that addiction is more likely a choice than a brain disease. They reject the latest science produced by the National Institutes of Health, which says addiction is characterized by chemical and biological changes in the brain that inhibit an individual’s ability to NOT use alcohol or other drugs.
The show also featured an individual with a substance use disorder who had a poor personal experience in clinical treatment and eventually stopped using drugs on his own. No individuals who successfully completed treatment or found clinical treatment to be an important part of their recovery process were included in the report.
Several national organizations, including the National Association of Addiction Treatment Professionals and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, issued press releases criticizing the report for its inaccuracies and lack of balance.
Numerous NAADAC members also expressed their concern about the program to the national office and in response the below letter was sent to Stossel on 5/1/03. The overwhelming response by NAADAC members to the letter has been positive, although a small minority of counselors say they agree with the program. As always, NAADAC respects the diversity of opinions that exist among its 13,000 members. The chief aim of the letter was to encourage Stossel and ABC to “deliver accurate and complete information” to its audience.
You can read a transcript of the program by visiting this page on the ABC News website: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Living/stossel_addiction030421.html. 5/1/03
John Stossel
ABC News
147 Columbus Ave.
10th floor
New York, NY 10023

Dear Mr. Stossel,
On behalf of NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals, I am writing in response to the ABC television special “Help Me, I Can’t Help Myself”, which you hosted on Monday 4/21/03.
NAADAC is the largest national membership organization for addiction focused health care professionals with over 13,000 members. Founded in 1972, NAADAC is dedicated to enhancing the professional growth and development of individuals who treat and help prevent addiction. We are also ardent advocates for our patients and clients.
Your report causes our association concern for several reasons.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ABUSE AND ADDICTION
The show’s recurrent theme that “addicts” can simply quit if they so choose is based on a failure to accurately distinguish substance use or substance abuse from addiction. Alcoholism and drunkenness are not the same thing. The brain scans mentioned by Dr. Stephen Dewey in your report reveal chemical and biological differences between those who are addicted and those who use or abuse substances. Science has demonstrated that the brains and bodies of some individuals react differently to substance use and, as a result, their ability to quit is inhibited. Addiction is a real and complex disease.
Rather than challenging the disease model of addiction by pointing to individuals who have, on their own, successfully quit using alcohol or other drugs, you should focus instead on the scientific mystery of why some individuals become dependent on alcohol or other drugs and some do not.
The need for additional scientific knowledge about the biological basis of addiction is tremendous, as is the need for increased treatment spending. The annual social cost of alcohol and other drug disorders to America is over $300 billion. That includes lost productivity, health care expenditures, and criminal justice costs. Given our nation’s fiscal debt and the comparitively small $100 billion that America expects to spend on the war with Iraq, more attention should be given to alcohol and drug disorders. Their collective social cost deserves greater attention in public and policy discussions.

ON STIGMA AND ADDICTION
The most negative and ill-informed comments in your report came from Dr. Sally Satel, who believes that the stigmatization of addiction is a good thing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Stigma prevents many individuals from seeking the help they need. Stigma yields unequal and inadequate insurance benefits for the assessment and treatment of addiction. Stigma also gives rise to public policy that prevents individuals in recovery from obtaining social services-including housing, education and welfare assisstance- that are neccessary for many to return to a fully functioning life.
( Dr. Satel’s nonsensical statement that divorces brain functioning from human behavior further erodes her credibility as an addiction expert. “You can look at brains all day,” she said. “They can be lit up like christmas trees. But unless a person behaves in a certain way, we wouldn’t call them an addict.” This statement belies scientific understanding. I hope you will utilize better-qualified experts in future reports.)

ON INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ADDICTION
Your use of the words “excuse” and “helpless” in the segment on “Uncontrollable Impulses?” implies that individuals skirt responsibility for their behavior by casting blame on the disease of addiction. While some individuals will inevitably point fingers at others or circumstances beyond their control, recognition of personal responsibility and behavioral change are major components of any credible treatment program.
In closing, I want to thank you for taking the time to explore addiction issues in a primetime special on broadcast television. As you know, alcohol and drug use are major medical and social problems in America. More media coverage is needed on the scope of the problemand its potential solutions. My aim is to bring to your attention a number of facts that are paramount to addiction professionals.
Representing the nation’s frontline addiction counselors, NAADAC is here to assist you in any way possible to deliver accurate and complete information to the viewing public. I encourage you to call on us as the need arises in your future work.
Sincerely,
Roger A. Curtis, NCAC II, LAC
President
Author: TimHardy

I remember awhile back, the president of our country at the time lied about a relationship. The relationship had nothing to do with his job, and the whole issue really was between himself, his wife, and the person he had an affair with. However, I lot of people were up in arms, crying for impeachment and what not. Fast forward to today. We’ve all been hearing about the allegations that Bush wasn’t exactly correct in his State of the Union Address. Here is an link removed on TomPaine talking about some of the errors and possible lies that were given to us by the Administration. Here is another link removed on the Indepentent talking about how the CIA told the British Government not to include the Niger/Iraq claim in its report on the War in Iraq. I like at the end of the article how it talks about our government trying to pass the buck and blame the Brits on the Niger claim. Classic Stuff.

Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but I think that lying about why we are invading a sovereign nation, putting our own soldiers at risk, and killing countless innocent people is a lot worse that lying about a relationship. Yet, it doesn’t seem like the American Public really cares. A lot of people died. People are still dying. One of the main reasons we were told we were in Iraq is based on lies and fabricated information. Why aren’t we angry? Why aren’t we outraged?
Author: jonathan

I came across this in the July-August 2003 issue of “The Quest.” It was written by Albert Einstein in his book “Ideas and Opinions.”

“There is the cosmic religious feeling of rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms — this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong in the ranks of devoutly religious men.”

Author: LadyDi

7/11/1993

I became a Baptist 40 years ago this month. I strayed away from the Church of my parents and the Spiritual Truths of that fellowship. That departure spirit led me into a life of self will run riot.

I have always proclaimed my faith as a Baptist and most likely, I always will. However, when I made a decision to turn my life over to Jesus Christ it was geographically impossible for me to be involved with the Baptist Church. This has been true for the past 17 1/2 years.

Last month my family and I moved to Tupelo and we have been looking for a new church to attend. This morning I was watching a TV program with a alleged Baptist Minister trying to sell a set of video tapes. These tapes describe our country’s ills and how to resolve them. It showed some graphic scenes of public officials behaving in ways contrary to this alleged minister’s predilections

My wife & I later attend worship service where we met a very charismatic minister. He began a 40 minute lecture on the tenets of child rearing. Of things I heard noteworthy were: fathers should purchase dowels to bring down the rod on their offsprings, the order of authority in God’s Plan, Jesus Christ over the Church, men over their families, husband and wives over their children, women submissive to their husbands and obedient to elders in the fellowship of the church. In his explanation of God’s plan he came up short of advocating masters over their servants. Another thought brought down singles mothers as handicapped (I wonder how he would class Mary, Mother of Jesus)

As I listened to ministers stereotype groups and generalize the behavior of others. I wonder if there are any Baptists out there who believe in the original Baptist thought that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and through Him our sins are forgiven, through remission not by the close scrutiny of others.

Are there any out there who believe the only power God has given us is Victory over our sins? The only way to to remain Victorious is to maintain the courage to pass this along to others.

Do not we Baptists know that political activism, squabbles over money and prestige only divert us from our relationship with Jesus Christ? Are there any out there in the hinterlands who can tell a cleric from a political activist? Can anybody out there say they have a relationship with Jesus Christ and will have tomorrow no matter who turns gay or who has an abortion. or no matter who is elected head jerk of Pitsville, USA? Can you still remain faithful if your child is not allowed to hear a prayer at a public school written by the head Baptist cleric.

I have heard much from the lips of ministers upon what it takes to be a Christian, but the best came from my mother upon my first visit after her brothers death. She was grief stricken and express sadness because she had not been present at the moment of his death. I stated to her there was very little aid and comfort she could have given since he died of a heart attack outside shoveling snow, “He must have died before he hit the ground”. How could you have helped?” She replied, “I could have held his hand!”
Sometime after Dubya became President, I started identifying myself as a Christian non affiliated. I no longer call myself a Baptist.
Author: harold