James Dobson Doesn't Speak for Me from jamesdobsondoesn'tspeakforme.com

From James Dobson Doesn't Speak For Me

James Dobson doesn't speak for me is a coalition of pastors and other Christians, led by Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell who are standing up for our Christian faith and supporting Barack Obama. We are signing in our individual capacities and not on behalf of our churches or denominations.

JAMES DOBSON DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ME

James Dobson doesn't speak for me.

He doesn't speak for me when he uses religion as a wedge to divide;

He doesn't speak for me when he speaks as the final arbiter on the meaning of the Bible;

James Dobson doesn't speak for me when he uses the beliefs of others as a line of attack;

He doesn't speak for me when he denigrates his neighbor's views when they don't line up with his;

He doesn't speak for me when he seeks to confine the values of my faith to two or three issues alone;

What does speak for me is David's psalm celebrating how good and pleasant it is when we come together in unity;

Micah speaks for me in reminding us that the Lord requires us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him;

The prophet Isaiah speaks for me in his call for all to come and reason together and also to seek justice, encourage the oppressed and to defend the cause of the vulnerable;

The book of Nehemiah speaks for me in its example to work with our neighbors, not against them, to restore what was broken in our communities;

The book of Matthew speaks for me in saying to bless those that curse you and pray for those who persecute you;

The words of the apostle Paul speak for me in saying that words spoken and deeds done without love amount to nothing.

The apostle John speaks for me in reminding us of Jesus' command to love one another. The world will know His disciples by that love.

These words speak for me. But when James Dobson attacks Barack Obama, James Dobson doesn’t speak for me.

Voting Still Screwed Up in Palm Beach County?

HERE WE GO ANAIN: Voting Snafus in Palm Beach County

From the Sun-Sentinel.com   June 28, 2008 

Palm Beach County elections officials said Friday they are investigating why they failed to quickly count more than 700 votes in a special election that marked the county's first experience with optical scanners.

A 707-vote disparity between an unofficial vote tally Tuesday and a final count two days later in a West Palm Beach City Commission race has spawned another wave of criticism and questions about Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson's ability to run an error-free election.

Unofficial results reported a few hours after the election showed 4,085 votes cast. The next day, a computerized audit signaled a problem — three vote-counting machines apparently had collected votes that weren't counted.

On Wednesday, officials rechecked the three machines and re-ran their vote-counting "cartridges" through vote tabulating equipment. The recheck found the 707 additional votes, or 14 percent of the total cast, that had not been counted on election night.

By late Thursday, Anderson's office reported on its Web site a new and official tally of 4,792 votes cast in the low-turnout election.

The new votes didn't change the outcome, but critics of Anderson, including two of the candidates in Tuesday's election, complained on Friday about the supervisor's procedures, equipment and staffing. They said because of the county's national reputation for vote-counting problems, such as the 2000 presidential election, better efforts should have been taken to avoid such a discrepancy in unofficial and official results.

"What if those 700 votes had changed the outcome of the election? This is unacceptable," said Richard Pinsky, a consultant who ran winner Kimberly Mitchell's campaign. "This is not an election for school class president. We're talking about a dry run for the fall campaigns, the race for the president of the United States. We can't forget, Palm Beach County was ground zero for not getting it right."

Anderson faces re-election this fall. He was first asked about the discrepancy by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel early Friday. In his response, he said he was unaware of any discrepancy because he has been busy campaigning. Later Friday, after contacting managers in his office, he and a public relations adviser provided explanations.

Anderson and adviser Kathy Adams said that because no votes appear to have been lost and because "only three of 80 [scanner] cartridges" were involved, the public can be assured that the checks and balances of the vote-counting system worked as designed.

"This is very good. It shows how well these machines work," Adams said. "It alerts when there's an issue. And during an audit, it is picked up and everything is retabulated, and only then do [the results] become official."

Anderson said the incident highlights why the public should always maintain a degree of suspicion of unofficial election results.

"We know that those involved in campaigns and the media and the public want something they can look at [on election night] as a strong indicator [of results]," Anderson said. "But you can't always consider the first set of results. ... Everyone needs to take a reserve posture."

Rebecca Young, a challenger to Mitchell, called the episode "very troubling" and said she thinks to restore public confidence, there should be a recount using the paper ballots that voters marked on Tuesday.

Adams said Anderson has no plans for a paper ballot recount.

"Nothing was lost, all the votes were counted," Adams said. "I know it was a lot of votes, but it was just three cartridges, and we found them, and we've counted them."

Michelle Shaffer, a spokesman for the voting equipment manufacturer, reiterated the stance that the public can be confident that the optical scanners worked and votes were properly recorded and tabulated.

"It's much more important to get the vote counting done right than to get it done fast," Shaffer said. Mark Hollis can be reached at mhollis@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5512.

Ben Lowe, PH.D Presentation: The English Reformation

On Saturday, June 21 we went to hear Dr. Ben Lowe, history professor at Florida Atlantic University give a wonderful and insightful presentation on the English reformation at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Lake Worth, FL.

The English Reformation is a specialty of Dr. Lowe's.  Dr. Lowe, raised a Baptist was increasingly more interested in the historical significance of the English reformation during the reign of Henry VIII.  He did his dissertation on the subject and lived in England while doing the research for this project. Going from parish to parish he studied and learned about what actually was going on in England's religious and political life while under the Roman Catholic church.

We've all heard the stories about Henry VII and his wives in sixteenth century England. And many people believe that the Church of England was because Henry wanted his divorces granted by the Pope.

We learned from Dr. Lowe that there were MANY issues going on at the time between England and the Roman Church. 

It was a great lecture with many questions asked by the attendees.  

Euthanasia Provider Promotes Putting Alzheimer's Patients to Death

This article is from Lifesitenews.com

My only comment is that the doctor is CRAZY!

Gordon

Friday, June 20, 2008

Euthanasia Provider to Alzheimer's Patients: The Best Remedy is Death By Tim Waggoner SYDNEY, June 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Euthanasia provider and activist Dr. Philip Nitschke has released controversial statements that essentially instruct anyone who believes they are suffering from Alzheimer's disease to avoid obtaining a diagnosis in favour of seeking a doctor who can help them commit suicide as quickly as possible.  

These comments come on the heels of yesterday's New South Wales jury ruling that convicted two women for the "euthanasia" death of a 71-year old Sydney man, Graeme Wylie, in 2006. As reported by the news service, The Age, Shirley Justins, the wife of Wylie, was convicted of manslaughter for giving him a suicide drug, and Caren Jenning, who journeyed to Mexico to purchase the lethal drug, Nembutal, was convicted as an accessory to manslaughter.  Both women, who claimed Wylie wanted to die this way, face up to 25 years in prison and will likely receive their sentences in November.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the trial centred on whether or not Wylie had the mental capacity to choose to be euthanized.  Considering that just four months before his death, the husband and father could not recall his birthday or how many children he had and what sex they were, the jury decided Wylie was not able to choose suicide, and therefore convicted Justins and Jenning with manslaughter.

The court also brought to light the fact that Wiley's will was changed just one week before his death.  The new terms stipulated that Jenkins was to receive all but $200,000 of the $2.4 million dollar estate; over double the amount she was to originally receive.

Dr. Nitschke, however, opposed the jury's decision, saying, "Many people said this person [Wylie] knew what he was doing. I thought he knew what he was doing. Yet they base it on the medical evidence that he had lost his ability to make a decision, that he had lost his ability to say whether he could die or not." Dr. Nitschke, who heads the assisted suicide organization, Exit International, also said the ruling sends a "dreadful message" to Alzheimer's patients, and urged those suffering from the disease to avoid a doctor's diagnosis and seek assisted suicide as quick as possible in order to protect one's family from similar legal battles.

"Don't go to your doctor. Don't have the tests done. And if you do have the tests done that show that you're starting to lose mental capacity, make sure it is not recorded," said the doctor, indicating that those who contact Exit International would be receiving the same message. "We'll be advising people not to (declare they have Alzheimer's)," he said. "A person with Alzheimer's disease, means that they may have to move more quickly, and end their lives more quickly before this whole issue of capacity to make a decision comes to the fore," he finished.

The jury's decision and Dr. Nitschke's comments have sparked commentary from several professionals in related fields. In a LifeSiteNews.com interview, Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, applauded the jury's decision, given the fact that a Swiss euthanasia centre refused to assist in Wylie's suicide because of his increasing dementia.  The Swiss centre made this decision despite advice from Dr. Nitschke, who advised them to go ahead with the assisted-suicide after he had made an "assessment" of Wylie's condition. "The fact is the man was incapable to make these decisions, and they were made on his behalf and it was done against the wishes of his children. One of his daughters in particular was very upset," explained Schadenberg.

He then addressed the shocking statement issued to Alzheimer patients by Dr. Nitschke. "Dr. Nitschke is hell bent on death," said Schadenberg. "You have to put this into context.  He was the one who told the National Review that the peaceful pill [a suicide pill] should be available to troubled teens." Schadenberg then commented on the "bigger picture", explaining how Dr. Nitschke is not just fighting for a terminally ill patient's right to assisted suicide, but for "anyone's right to die." "He sees suicide as a human right.  It is not about the right to die of terminally ill people.  It is about what they would call the human right to die.  The right for anyone to die at the time of their choosing," he concluded.

Glenn Rees from Alzheimer's Australia said Dr. Nitschke's counsel was "worrying on many levels". "Diagnosis is vital for people with dementia, so they can get all the support they need to avoid depression and the things that might lead to this (euthanasia), so it's ridiculous to say they shouldn't get it," explained Mr. Rees. Rees finished by asserting that, "The last thing they should be doing is running away from a diagnosis."

University of New South Wales psychiatry professor Brian Draper, alluded to the fact that many Alzheimer's patients can enjoy their lives, saying Dr. Nitschke demonstrated "incredible ignorance" of Alzheimer disease. URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08062008.html

Who is Barack OBama

WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?

There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones. 

Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the

shower. Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

every time he sees an American flag. He also ends

every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE

FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly

mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep. A

tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF

ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.Every

weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters

HUNTING. 

Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He

has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He

occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which

is almost never because he is STRONG. Barack Obama

has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his

stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while

doing sit-ups.

There's only one artist on Barack Obama's

iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY. 

Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American. Barack Obama goes to church

every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He

goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT

NOW. Barack Obama's new airplane includes a

conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.

Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL. Barack

Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a

BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM

AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.

Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and

RELIGION because they are AWESOME.

Christopher Beam

is a Slate political reporter.

Article URL:

http://www.slate.com/id/2193798/Copyright 2008

Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC