We Are What?

We Are What?

- A recent column based on a study states that fewer Americans are claiming an organized religion. He goes on to give numbers that fewer people claim to be Christian, etc. He then states that the scandals in various religious groups are most responsible for this downward trend.

I have a different view on that. Perhaps the downward cycle of people claiming religion is a direct representation of the downward trend that society is clearly going into. Fewer people subscribe to a faith, more people subscribe to lawlessness and anarchy as we are witnessing in this day unlike any other.

Rather than looking at religion as the bad guy, the columnist is excusing the desertion of a facet of life that is designed to bring about a more peaceful, positive focus on this challenging world in which we live.

Might I suggest, that rather than encourage people to just join a religion, how about people just try Jesus? Being a Christian is so much more than having a religion. It is to change one's life into making it into that of the only begotten Son of God. It is not a religion that people need, it is a change of lifestyle and even that of life. Try Jesus.

Are We supposed to be Stupid or What?

- The shamockery that is the Bailout for the Finance Industry continues to irritate me. I'm not going to harp on how Congress in 2008 just gave the finance companies and CEOs basically vaultfuls of money with no oversight. But now we see, that AIG, ground zero of this economic mess, is still giving away $165+ million dollars in bonuses. Am I supposed to be ok with that? Are the American people supposed to be ok with that? Are we supposed to be that stupid?

The autoworkers' union was told to give up concessions or watch their employers go into bankruptcy. Yet and still, AIG can say "We had to honor our contracts which called for bonuses." Somebody needs to go to AIG and shut them down! President Obama is calling for the Treasury Department to do whatever can be done to either stop the bonuses or stop the payments to AIG.

AIG, for those who don't know, was the company whose risky investing started the domino effect known as this recession we are in. Their methods in trading should call for heads to roll, not bonuses to be doled out. It is sheer insanity that they say they cannot do anything BUT pay the previously agreed to bonuses. They should either pay back the money owed ASAP (with penalties), or they should just watch their company go under.

We're not that stupid.

Obvious Book Plug of The Day:

- For me, to write is to live. It took some time for me to really enjoy the process of putting thoughts. ideas, et. al on paper. But now, this gift is more than just a gift. It makes me feel so good to be able to express myself in this fashion. Let me paraphrase my man Train. When you can do your thing and share it with others, it's a beautiful thing indeed.

I may not be like Jordan on the court, Ashe on the circuit or Tiger on the links. But man, I tell you, when I can get on the keyboard and bang out what's in my mind, it does my mind good like a drug, my body good like milk, and my spirit good overall. Soon enough, the world will be able to see what God ha given me the ability to do and when that happens, it's shouting time for real. But being a good Christian, I'm not going to wait until then, I'll shout and praise Him in advance!