LAST NIGHT’S memorial for the victims of the shooting in Tucson felt more like a political rally than a somber remembrance. In fact, thousands of t-shirts with the slogan “Together We Thrive” were distributed to the attendees. At the very least, it seems like a very odd tribute to the dead. Don’t miss the opening blessing (link opens YouTube video).
Elsewhere, Rick Warren has partnered with three doctors, including Oprah’s favorite Dr. Oz (all professing the benefits of Eastern mysticism and, in Oz’s case, influenced by the 18th century “Christian” mystic Emanuel Swedenborg), to create a purpose-driven diet plan. Will anyone at Saddleback Church object?
Also: an iPhone app to read your mind; and hundreds of dead birds near St. Louis.
The Loughner thing gets weirder. Rense just interviewed Texe Marrs who revealed that the structure in the Loughner’s back yard misrepresented as a demonic shrine is, in fact, a sukkot from the Feast of Booths. Was Loughner using salvia divinorum for ushpizin prayers?
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Burt,
I wouldn’t believe everything Marrs says. The guy flew off the rails several years ago. He also plagiarizes a lot.
His books have become notorious for circular citing. Check out the sources cited at the end of his books. Almost all conspiracy literature. Research methods teach that, argumentatively speaking, your position is best served by primary sources and sources that don’t agree with you.
Christians need to stop taking legit research and retooling it for some bullcrap metanarrative they have concocted. Chris Pinto and Eric Jon Phelps are notorious for doing just that.
Let God determine when the “endtimes” will be. It will happen when He wants it to. Don’t try to get decent deep political research to conform to some bullcrap interpretation of prophetic Scriptures.
That being said, you are right in pointing out Loughner’s involvement in the occult. His experimentation with lucid dreams makes me wonder if he was even awake during the attack. That’s speculation, of course.
The attempts to put this off on Palin and talk show hosts is extremely lame. There’s a 75-year-old, deaf sheriff who really needs to lose his job over this. Megyn Kelly made him look like the fool he is, and she’s not exactly the sharpest tool.
Adam Weishaupt was also influenced, to an extent, by Swedenborg.
I went to Urbana University for a time after I got my associates degree. It’s ran by followers of his. His complete works were kept at the university library. Sat and read a little. They had some gnostic overtones.
The development of this event into a political football for both major political parties is predictable and pathetic.
I looked to confirm that Dr. Daniel Amen, one of the men Rick Warren recruited to lead his “Daniel Plan” for weight loss, really does teach tantric sex. As Paul rightly notes, we shouldn’t rely on circular sourcing.
Yep.
Are there no Christian nutritionists with whom Warren could partner? Of course there are. But they’re not famous.
I think your snark about the memorial is way off base. Does a memorial have to be somber? Have you ever been to an Irish wake? Are you against allowing people to mourn and react in the way they want to. I don’t remember the President saying anything partisan or political. It was obvious that his speech was very moving and inspiring for the people there. After a horrendous week of sorrow, fear, and anger these citizens needed an uplifting release. His message that we should strive to be as good as we can be for our children was beautiful.
Decency isn’t a personal standard — it is its own. Do our actions in reality seek an alignment with decency or goodness?
To hell with hell.
Sarah: I must respectfully disagree. The memorial was totally appropriate, and the president was absolutely right to speak, which he did very well. I had no problem with the tone of the event.
The t-shirts, however, were inappropriate and tacky. They branded the event as political first and foremost.
Anthony: decency is in the eye of the beholder. Absent an external standard, every man — to borrow a biblical phrase — does that which is right in his own eyes. Even Hitler was a righteous man by the standards of Hitler.
“Together we thrive: Tucson and America.” Derek, After so much death and sorrow, I think the students were trying to draw people together and find some comfort and hope in solidarity.
On another note, I want to say that I do enjoy listening to you and Sharon, both of you seem genuinely warm and caring. Sarah
Most religions agree on basic rules: honor what is good, be temperate, avoid violence, do not lie, and be willing to help. It kills me that certain people honestly believe, folk who meet the above criteria still fall short of peace and deserve hell — eternal agonizingly intense violence. Hitler… really?
So righteousness is determined by consensus. Even when the consensus agrees that it’s good to, say, sacrifice children in fire or cut the hearts out of living victims?
It’s simple logic: without an external arbiter of right and wrong, everyone determines for themselves what is moral and what is not. So yes, really, Hitler was a moral man by the standards of Hitler.
Now, on what basis does your opinion of morality trump Hitler’s?