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Why Pope Benedict Gave His Two Week Notice.
These pictures tell it all: Benedict was subjected to a hostile work environment! How can he do his job of poping correctly when the holy spirit is constantly interfering? How else would you explain all of these infuriating “wardrobe mishaps”? The holy spirit has been harassing popes for centuries, and Heaven’s Human Resources department has yet to do a damn thing about it. I think Benedict has a good case if he wanted to file a harassment lawsuit. I’m glad someone is finally taking a stand against that insufferable invisible prick!
Related articles
- Going Against the Current (heartnsoulblog.wordpress.com)
- On the announcement of Pope Benedict’s resignation (thepracticingcatholic.wordpress.com)
100,000! The Best of Beneath The Tin Foil Hat.
When I started this blog two years ago, I had very little expectation. I figured I would write about what interests me, and put it out on the intertubes for whoever else would care to read it. Hell, I’m surprised I’ve managed to stick with the blog this long. I never imagined that my blog would ever attract this much attention, as modest as that attention may be.
The blog recently passed the 100,000 view mark, and I want to thank everyone of you who support BTTFH. It’s been a lot of fun putting myself out there, as well as meeting and interacting with so many cool people!
To celebrate, I thought I would share links to my 5 favorite posts, as well as the top 5 posts by view. I hope you enjoy!
Top Five All Time Fan Favorites:
#5 Naked Family
A pic of a family in anatomically correct naked costumes. What’s not to like?
#4: I Got Nothing
Who knew bitching about school and writer’s block, would generate so much interest?
#3 Beneath The Tin Foil Hat Goes Global: My Interview On Russia Today
Like everybody else, I wrote a series of posts about Anders Breivik and the Utoya, Norway massacre. Somehow, my posts caught the attention of a producer on the Russian news network, Russia Today. The interview went horribly wrong, thus ending my brief career as a Russian TV pundit.
It was still fun as hell though!
#2 Dear Republicans
A meme I shared that highlights just how much today’s GOP dislikes – well, they dislike everybody.
#1 From Mittens To Kittens
I posted this shortly before the election, just to put a little irreverence into a tense atmosphere. Who knew so many people like pictures of cats?
My Top Five Favorites
#5 Angry Poetry Week: Howl – Allen Ginsberg
One of the best poems written by one of the best writers to ever walk the face of the earth!
#4 Why God Hates Al Gore: Judeo-Christianity and Ecology.
A small history lesson concerning religion, and it’s sense of entitlement to all things big and small on our planet.
#3 My Response to Republicans Over SB5? F*ck You!
This is me doing what I do best.
#2 The Pueblo Indians of The 17th Century.
Another history post: This one is about those naughty Pueblo Indians.
#1 Where is The Angela Davis of Today’s Generation? She Never Left!
What can I say? I’m a history geek.
Once again, I want to thank everyone who continues to support my little piece of crap blog. I love you all!
Related articles
- Cat in the Tin Foil Hat (itinerantneerdowell.wordpress.com)
The Lost Commandments
The world might be an infinitely better place if these had made the top ten 
A tip of the tin foil hat to The Other 98%
God’s Mission Statement:
Can I get an amen?
Much Like Today’s GOP.
Obama Comes Out In Favor of Marriage Equality.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Did I just see rainbow smoke coming from the White House chimney? In an interview with ABC News Robin Roberts today, President Obama echoed the sentiments of Joe Biden ( without the off the wall Will & Grace comments):
OBAMA:”I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about. members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point
I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
The interview is scheduled to air tonight.
I must say, this is a pretty bold statement, considering the fact that it’s an election year. Hopefully, he’ll get another 4 years to back that statement up. As I stated in a previous post, it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work to get rid of DOMA, and finally bring about marriage equality on a federal level.
I hope Obama’s actions will be louder than his words.
Posted from my CrapBerry
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Related articles
- Obama to give TV interview on gay marriage as speculation grows (guardian.co.uk)
- Half of Americans Support Legalizing Gay Marriage (newsy.com)
- North Carolina vote shows gay marriage still divisive (tbo.com)
- Is Barack Obama Poised to Announce that He Supports Gay Marriage Soon? (themoderatevoice.com)
Two Conservative Icons Talk About Religion.
How could any self respecting conservative argue with Ayn Rand or Jesus? Maybe you should rethink your theocratic, capitalistic outlook on life. A tip of the tin foil hat to Being Liberal for sharing.
The Tebow Manamana
Image via Wikipedia
Anyone who pays any kind of attention what so ever to football (or religion) is aware of Tebow mania. The legend of Tebow began at Florida University, where he had a stellar college career that included a national championship. As a second year pro, he took over as quarterback of the Denver Broncos early in the year, and lead them to 6 straight wins, a playoff birth, and an amazing overtime victory over the Steelers in the first round. He has become a household name in a relatively short period of time.
With Tebow mania comes much praise as well as criticism of the man. People either love him or hate him. Just look at any comment thread that follows one of the gazillion articles about him. The most popular and most ridiculous debate about the man is his faith. It’s no secret that the man is a devout christian. However, he doesn’t necessarily flaunt it anymore than any other religious athlete; in fact, other than giving thanks to the invisible sky wizard after making a play (the phenomena of Tebowing), his interviews tend to focus on football. Unlike former QB Jon Kitna, who spewed his faith forth from underneath his crucifix baseball hats at every opportunity, Tebow really does not push his faith into our faces.
In reality, it’s the overzealous christians in our society who make his faith an issue, not Tebow. To listen to them, one would think that Jesus is his personal Quarterback coach. They blather on about how christ made him the player he is today, rather than acknowledge that his success came from Tebow himself. The bottom line is that Tebow is a dynamic leader, a quick study of the game, and a tireless worker at his craft. He was born to be a football player. The fact that he is a devout christian is irrelevant to his success; It was he who made himself what he is today.
The Tebow phenomena is indicative of one of the core problems that I have with religion. There is a major tendency for most christians, muslims, etc, to attribute the randomness of living to god. There is a disturbing tendency for the deeply religious to throw one’s hands in the air while screeching “GOD, MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS” and letting an imaginary being take control of their lives, rather than taking responsibility for their own actions, and doing what can be done to have a good life. While Tebow may give props to god for some help, I’m betting he understands that he’s the one responsible for his success.
Love Tim Tebow, or hate Tim Tebow; it doesn’t really matter to me. My only wish is that we leave his faith out of it when debates about him crop up. I would rather talk about whether or not he can sustain his success on the field(which I think he can). His religion is his business, not ours.
Related articles
- Is Tim Tebow’s Success the Result of Divine Intervention? A Christian’s Take (bleacherreport.com)
- Tebowing-Should Sunday AM Meet Sunday PM? (denver.cbslocal.com)
- The Non Sports Fan’s Guide to Tim Tebow [Explainer] (gawker.com)
- Who Is Tim Tebow? (etchedinblue.wordpress.com)
- Tim Tebow’s public expressions of Christian beliefs ignite conversation about faith and its role in sports (pennlive.com)
- Denver Broncos QB Tebow Is Good for NFL, Religion-Based Tebowmania Is Not (bleacherreport.com)
- Tim Tebow On Receiving End Of ‘Divine Intervention?’ (wycd.radio.com)
Are We Experiencing A New Great Awakening?
Image via Wikipedia
For those of you who may not be familiar with the term “Great Awakening,” it refers to a period of religious revival in religious history. Generally it lasts over decades, and represents a gradual change in religious ideology, more so from those who feel disenfranchised from their church, than those who are settled in their religious methodology. These Great Awakenings are characterized by widespread revivals from evangelical ministers, a profound increase in religion, as well as conviction and redemption from those who are touched by it. Generally it is accompanied by the creation of new religious movements and denominations.
In America , the First Great Awakening began in 1734, and lasted until the Revolutionary War. In fact, this movement was an important precursor and underlying factor that would set the tone of the colonials in their quest for independence.
A Majority of the British colonials on the east coast of the New World were Calvinists. They believed that God had already chosen who would go to Heaven and Hell and that nothing a person could do would change that. For the Calvinists, Christianity was all about faith and scripture. Calvinists were divided into two classes, the civil man, who was destined to hell, and the walking saint, who was destined to heaven. It was the responsibility of the walking saints to set the example of faith, in order to keep the civil man on the path of doing good works. If the walking saints did their jobs well, and everyone was faithful to god, church, and scripture, then the community as a whole would prosper. In the colonies there were three main types of Calvinists; these were the Puritans and Separatist Pilgrims of the New England colonies, and the traditional British Anglicans of the Southern Colonies. The Puritans and Pilgrims were the most hardcore of the Calvinists; it was their belief that there should be no separation of Church and State. (Sound familiar?)
When the New England colonies were first formed, it was the Puritan and Separatist belief that true religion included a return to a feudal economy. The church run government would set the price for goods and services, and it was illegal to over charge or monopolize. Communities were built around the church, and land was allotted to villagers for open farming. It was a reciprocal economy.
However as the decades rolled by and land was taken up, later generations were forced to hive out; there was no land available around the village, so they moved further out into the township, or further still into the frontier. It was these yeoman farmers who struggled to survive, while the townsfolk prospered and became enormously wealthy. It was this hiving out that would lead to a break down in patriarchy, communal interest, and respect for authority. As each generation came to be, there was a general breakdown in their faith of the old ways, which fostered resentment towards the planter and merchant elites. The newest generations of colonials were angry that these elites were now profiting from price gouging and monopolizing, which went against the very grain of Calvinist principle.
In 1734, this religious disenfranchisement began to come to a head. New religious leaders such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield began to travel from colony to colony, without the church’s permission, to encourage a return to their roots of religious community, as well as promote faith that came from the heart, not scripture. Their sermons were emotional and captivating, and their messages of renewed faith and saving grace became popular with the common folk throughout all the colonies. Though itinerant preaching without a permit was illegal, these new preachers did it anyway.
The results of the Great Awakening had a profound affect on how colonials began to view themselves. There was now a sense of bonding among all the colonies; there was a union of faith that previously did not exist. There was a new individualism that grew from this movement, as well as a harbinger of freedom of speech, which is one of the basest of ideologies that Americans cherish and cling to for all they’re worth. This first Great Awakening would also set the tone that Americans were the chosen people to morally set the example for the rest of the world. The Great Awakening brought about monumental change in religion, as well as how the colonials viewed themselves. The result was the Revolutionary War.
With the button set to fast forward to present day, I believe that our world may now be going through another Great Awakening. However, this one is not only a change in religious conviction; it’s a wholesale change in ideology across the board. It’s this change in ideology that may be the underlying cause of the civil unrest that is erupting across the globe. Many are realizing (again) that civilization has divided itself into two classes- the haves and the have nots. The have nots have grown tired of the oppressive old ways of the haves. They’re angry, and are ready to force change. We’re seeing this in North Africa, the Middle East, and now Europe . In North America , this resentment is well under way, and I would not doubt that civil disobedience, including rioting, begins to happen in a very short time.
The haves are trying to hold on for dear life. We see this in the oppressive laws that have been passed which perpetually strip us of our liberties, and firmly cement us into our lower economic and social classes. The haves are trying to close our society and reinforce theocracy in order to protect their financial elite status. Global class warfare is once again under way, and when it truly reaches North America , we may be in for one hell of a revolution. I’m not promoting violence; I abhor violence, no matter what circumstances it presents itself in. I’m just saying, people are angry that 1% of the people control the vast majority of the wealth, as well as furious that this 1% make our laws, and control nearly every action of our daily lives.
Better buckle up and hunker down folks; there is a fucking huge storm on the horizon, and it is about to hit us with a hell of a lot of force and fury. I’m just saying.
Related articles
- If Jonathan Edwards Could Inspire Backsliding Puritans, There May Also be Hope for Lazy Writers. (henrybrownrichardson.wordpress.com)
- Featured Artist: Great Awakening (jennblogsat.wordpress.com)
- Whitefield’s Conversion (kevinnunez.org)
- America’s Great Awakening !!! (via 2012 Patriot) (loopyloo305.wordpress.com)
