Those Denying Resurrection Keep Religious Language To Spread Deception

In the 9/20/11 issues of Sojourners magazine is an advertisement for the 2012 Gladdening Light Symposium featuring Jesus Seminar scholar John Dominic Crossan. Part of the ad copy reads, "Feed the soul, savor the beauty, and experience the communion love of Agape in the Gladdening Light of God."

However, if Crossan is being heralded as what in show business and prize fights circles is called the main event, those in attendance will have very little to ultimately be glad about. Given the name of the symposium, the event frankly borders on false advertising.

Anyone that has subscribed to the History Channel or A&E before both networks went nearly all alien autopsy and rummage sales has no doubt seen Crossan. He is a talking head that use to get dragged out around Christmas and Easter time for those specials that posture as giving viewers the latest dirt on the events of the Bible being bantered about in the halls of respectable academia.

However, seldom do these programs confirm the accuracy of the Biblical accounts. Rather, the intended purpose is often to heap as much skepticism upon these narratives as possible.

Crossan’s ticket to never picking up a bar tab (or in this case midwinter accommodations in sunny Florida) is that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. Instead, Crossan believes Christ’s body was instead most likely eaten by dogs.

But rather than surrendering to a life as a squeegee man if religion is such a colossal waste of time, Crossan has taken up the mission of destroying other people’s faith as well. It’s just that Crossan continues to hold onto Christian terminology to accomplish this task. And it’s quite the incentive to keep at it that mildly entertaining eccentric skeptics are invited on midwinter Florida speaking tours and squeegee men are not.

Over the centuries, most have been drawn to Christianity as a result of its hope and promise of a blissful afterlife at the conclusion of this so very brief existence of terrestrial mortality. Crossan’s vision of Christianity’s allure is markedly different.

On the surface, what Crossan and the Gladdening Light Foundation are calling for sounds quite a bit like Communism, but of a milksop variety lacking the backbone to do so without reference to God and along with the hopes that the religious buzzwords will draw in the easily duped.

The ad copy reads, “...Crossan’s vision of God’s longing for a just and loving community representative of all (‘loving thy neighbor as thyself’ from Leviticus and the Gospel of Mark).” The paragraph concludes that, along with Crossan, a number of whom couldn’t otherwise get real jobs such as a “community choreographer” will speak about “their own creative aspirations struggling for transformation beyond societies that marginalize the disenfranchised.”

This may need to be translated for those that don’t speak stoned hippy. What this really means is that your rights and property as an individual mean very little or even nothing.

It is only the group that counts since that is the only thing that lives on. In a materialistic universe without a Resurrection, we pass out of existence at death (or at best make a guest appearance as a garbled electronic voice phenomena on one of those cable TV spiritism shows that took the place of the kind programming Crossan used to be featured on when A&E and the Discovery Channel attempted to appeal to the educated).

"Struggling for transformation" is the new euphemism for the old revolutionary phrase "by any means necessary". For now, the saps at the Gladdening Light Symposium are so naive that they think you will be so dazzled by COMMUNITY choreography (must be something like a Glee cast dance number) and Cherokee story telling that you will gladly hand everything you have over to what the ideological forbearers of these sorts of activities use to call the vanguard of the proletariat.

Of course, they will skim some extra off the top for themselves. I'm sure John Dominic Crossan didn't come cheap and at least had his first class airfare provided while no doubt working into his lectures why the rest of us ought to flagellate ourselves over the developed world's carbon footprint.

This still doesn't answer the most important question. What will prevent the likes of those worked up into such a froth of imminent expectancy from turning violent when they discover you aren't quite as moved as they thought you would be by fancy footwork and the cute little parables many American Indians seem to have a knack for?

One should not try to deny that there will not be any bashing of Western civilization in general and America in particular at the symposium. This will be an automatic given.

This can be discerned from the phrase "societies that marginalize the disenfranchised". But is a symposium where "Pilgrims concerned with the plight of the world's people will gather for an entire weekend of vigorous discussion, enlightened teaching, and thoughtful reflection" where the attendees don't actually travel to assist the disenfranchised but rather to the state whose very name epitomizes delightful winter comfort and luxury really going to accomplish all that much?

About the closest any of the attendees will come to a Third Worlder is the picture of the African refugees placed in the left hand corner of the advertisement announcing the symposium. What this vigorous discussion, enlightened teaching, and thoughtful reflection will likely consist of is a bunch of moderately wealthy former hippies and their young adult children dreaming up additional ways to shame you out of your own money or how to swindle it away from you at the end of the taxman's gun if you aren't gullible enough to go along with the obsequious self-loathing.

I Corinthians 15:19 says in regards to the Resurrection, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." I Peter 1:16 assures, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." Any doubting this central teaching of the Christian message while continuing to employ the imagery and rhetoric of the faith is not out to instill hope but rather the most enslaving form of tyranny.

by Frederick Meekins

The Burke-Hayek Double Play Combo

Apart from stating he was a "severely conservative" Governor, the most memorable line from Mitt Romney's speech at CPAC today was a reference to baseball.

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Nader to NHL: Ban Fighting

Consumer advocate and perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader is calling upon the NHL to ban fighting.

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Obama WH Doesn't Care if the Senate Passes a Budget

Mark Hemingway of The Weekly Standard draws our attention to this exchange yesterday between ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

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CNN Kicks Roland Martin Off The Air

CNN has suspended Roland Martin indefinitely for tweets he wrote during the Super Bowl which were construed as homophobic.

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Who The BBC Calls Extremist

Over at NRO, Charles C.W. Cooke drew my attention to an article which appeared in The Telegraph concerning a meeting involving the mandarins a the BBC. Their discussion centered around how to describe Abu Qatada, the imprisoned al Qaeda terrorist who a British immigration tribunal ordered released on bail earlier this month.

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Let's Not Measure Oval Office Drapes for Santorum Just Yet

At present, Quin Hillyer is in a state of euphoria and could probably leap across the Colorado River if he were so inclined and I wouldn't blame him for doing so.

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Thoughts on the Santorum Sweep

As both John Tabin and Jim Antle have noted (as did Team Romney even before the results), Rick Santorum has no more delegates this morning than he did 24 hours ago. Yet there is no question that Rick Santorum is in a far stronger position then he was 24 hours ago, delegates or no delegates.

To read the rest of this post, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Why The Pats Losing The Super Bowl Wasn't So Bad After All

Maria Menounos, co-host of the syndicated entertainment show Extra and a diehard New England Patriots fan, lost a bet with correspondent A.J. Calloway.

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In Defense of Clint Eastwood

As I wrote here shortly after it aired on Sunday night, I really liked the Clint Eastwood Chrysler Super Bowl ad and said it was the only ad worth remembering.

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No I Didn't See That (I Guess I Was M.I.A.)

Unlike Ross Kaminsky (and much of the world), I missed the M.I.A. giving the world the old familiar suggestion during Madonna's Super Bowl half time show. Most of Madonna's music doesn't interest me so I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the proceedings.

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Thoughts on Queen Elizabeth II @ 60

Sixty years ago today, Princess Elizabeth ascended to the throne becoming Queen of England and of all nations in the British Commonwealth after the death of her father, King George VI.

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AFP: Happy Birthday President Reagan

Washington, DC – Today Americans for Prosperity, the nation’s premier advocate for economic freedom, released a very special “Happy Birthday” message to honor President Ronald Reagan on his 101st birthday. The 60-second television spot contrasts Reagan’s optimism, prosperity, and belief in freedom with the broken promises and class-warfare rhetoric of President Obama.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said, “On Reagan’s birthday, I can’t help but miss the President more than ever. His vision for America contrasts so sharply with the big-government waste and cronyism that will be the legacy of the Obama Administration.”

Called “Two Visions,” the ad compares and contrasts quotes from the two presidents, showing the stark difference in their view of what America should be.

“It’s important to remind ourselves what a terrific difference a great leader can make in this country,” Phillips continued. “President Reagan knew that free market policies would result in millions of new American jobs, exploding personal incomes, with broad-based prosperity and optimism for our nation. However President Obama’s approach is just the opposite – more taxes, more government, and job killing regulations – all in pursuit of his own liberal ideology.”

The ad culminates with the message: Happy Birthday, President Reagan. We miss your optimism, your love of America, and your belief in the power of freedom. The ad release coincides with social media advertising and grassroots action.

Giants Best Pats - Again

As Yogi Berra said, "It's Deja Vu all over again."

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Clint Eastwood 2012

The only Super Bowl commercial I am going to remember is the spot Clint Eastwood did for Chrysler.

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Alliance Defense Fund offering week long scholarships in Florida for training Christian attorneys

National Litigation Academy


Among the more than one million lawyers in America are thousands who believe in the issues supported by ADF. However, few have the specific training or experience necessary to handle a free-speech, religious liberty, or other matters involving constitutional law and other areas of concern to the Alliance.

To help recruit and train this untapped resource of dedicated women and men, ADF launched the National Litigation Academy - a state-of-the-art lawyer training project - in 1997. The Academy sessions consist of worship and devotional activities, banquets, theological exhortation, worldview analysis, fellowship, common meals, and joyful interaction. They feature an intense course of study conducted by some of the nation's top law school professors, litigators, and constitutional experts in the country. These experts instruct on public interest practice topics such as the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, Equal Access law, 42 USC § 1983 actions, Family and Marriage law and other matters.

Past National Litigation Academy sessions have helped effectively equip attorneys to battle the radical homosexual legal agenda, defend parental rights, uphold the sanctity of human life, and protect religious freedom. Each academy session is four to five days in length and the CLE segment qualifies for mandatory continuing legal education credit in most or all applicable states.

One of the unique aspects of our National Litigation Academy is the way it can help multiply our Ministry Friend's investment in ADF. As an ADF ally, the attorney's expenses are scholarshipped by ADF, including travel, lodging, and most meals. In return, each attorney ally who attends the National Litigation Academy makes a faith commitment to provide 450 hours of pro bono legal work on behalf of the Body of Christ. The goal is to fulfill this commitment over a three-year period on cases and projects related to his or her training and/or matters that forward the mission of the alliance. Attorneys whose firms will not permit a 450 hour commitment or who have extreme extenuating circumstances may qualify for a 200 hour commitment over a three-year period. Persons with the smaller commitment may fulfill it only by performing specified litigation activities, and will not receive all of the benefits of a full commitment. Please direct questions regarding the pro bono commitment to nlainfo@telladf.org.

In just eleven short years, ADF has trained more than 1,300 allied attorneys that have provided dedicated, pro-bono service valued at over $100 million in the legal battle to defend, protect, and affirm religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.

Admission to each NLA is granted only after application and acceptance. Space is limited. Applications are now being received for the following session:

Schedule
NLA 34: July 11 - 15, 2011

Apply here. The deadline is April 20

Ben Gazzara, 1930-2012. R.I.P.

Actor Ben Gazzara passed away on Friday of pancreatic cancer. He was 81.

To read the rest of this obituary, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

The Unemployment Numbers Benefit Obama

Even if Ross Kaminsky is correct in saying that unemployment is falling despite President Obama's economic policies there is no question these numbers will help Obama's re-election prospects. The unemployment rate has fallen five straight months dropping nearly a percentage point. Perception, after all, comprises nine-tenths of reality.

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A Thought for Josh Hamilton

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton apparently suffered a relapse on Monday night and was seen drinking at a bar in Dallas. His teammate Ian Kinsler is also reported to have arrived at the bar in an effort to persuade Hamilton to return to his home.

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Edwin Jackson On The Move Again

Consider what I wrote when the St. Louis Cardinals acquired pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Chicago White Sox (via the Toronto Blue Jays) last July.

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Does Trump's Endorsement Matter?

First, it looked like Donald Trump was going to endorse Newt Gingrich. Now, as both Jeff Lord and Ross Kaminsky have noted, it looks like he's going to give his blessings to Mitt Romney.

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Boondoggle Projects Threaten California with Third World Status

By Martha Montelongo

Gov. Jerry Brown has an interesting definition of “third world.”

In an interview with a San Francisco radio station last week, Brown said California would become “a Third World country” unless the state builds a ghastly $100 billion high-speed rail line that’s been fraught with mismanagement, cost overruns and shaky ridership projections.

It’s an odd claim, considering many third-world nations are characterized by crumbling infrastructure, failed boondoggle projects and constant budgetary trouble. In much of the third-world, a new leader will pour massive amounts of a nation’s fortune into a single prestige project, only to have it fail when poor planning, bureaucratic incompetence and malfeasance slowly eat up all the funds.

By this definition, California seems currently on track to become America’s third-world state. Just like high-speed rail, the same spending lobby is promoting a nearly $1 billion per year tax hike so that a politically appointed panel can dole out favors to cronies. The $1 billion in new taxes under Proposition 29 goes into a lockbox that only this politically-influenced commission can access. Not even in cases of waste or abuse can the Governor or the Legislature make any changes! Proposition 29 sounds like it was plucked straight from the playbook of some Latin American dictator or Middle Eastern sheikh.

Jerry Brown ought to find the nearest dictionary. Pouring money into boondoggle projects while neglecting vital services like education and public safety is the surest way for California to join the third-world. Until California can figure out how to pay for what it already has, voters need to say no to more new spending.

Martha Montelongo is a columnist and radio talk show host.

Links 1: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/01/jerry-brown-high-speed-rail-california.html

Link 2: http://www.stopoutofcontrolspending.com/the-facts?utm_source=Third%2BWorld%2BStatus%2BFeb&utm_medium=Blogger%2BOutreach&utm_content=Facts&utm_campaign=Phase%2BTwo

Angelo Dundee, 1921-2012. R.I.P.

Legendary boxing corner man Angelo Dundee passed away at the age of 90. As of this writing, his cause of death is unknown.

To read the rest of this obituary, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Rush Should Credit Andy McCarthy, Not Me

It has come to my attention that Rush Limbaugh mentioned yours truly on his radio program today.

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Don Cornelius, 1936-2012. R.I.P.

Don Cornelius, the longtime host of the nationally syndicated TV show Soul Train, died this morning of an apparent suicide. He was 75.

To read the rest of this obituary, please check out The Spectacle Blog.