Left Behind...The Game ?

Yep, your eyes are not deceving you. The makers of the best selling, Christian horror fiction series Left Behind, have now created a video game.

"The people behind the kooky Christian "Left-Behind" science fiction novels (about the futuristic battles on earth after the Rapture takes all the good Bible-bashers to heaven) have produced a violent, bigoted video-game version of their stories. Ironicially, the game is drawing fire from Jack Thompson, himself a nutcase Christian Conservative who hates video-games more than he hates sinning liberals."

"Players can command the army of good - the Tribulation Force - against the anti-Christ's Global Community.

The game's makers reject criticism, saying their detractors "have a clear hatred of Biblical Christianity".

An alliance of liberal groups including the Christian Alliance for Progress, the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, and Talk2Action, have urged the giant retailer Wal-Mart, among others, to stop stocking the game, which was released last month.

"It's about religious warfare. The way to win is to convert or kill. You have both the Inquisition and the Crusades," says Frederick Clarkson of Talk2Action.

"Anybody who is not a follower of Jesus is the enemy," he claims. "

Too scary.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6178055.stm

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/31/left_behind_christia.html

Cloned Food ?

So much happens in our fast paced world today it can sometimes be very hard to keep up. And this is probably just the way that big brother wants it. Did you know that the FDA is wanting to clone cattle for dairy and beef consumption? And I am not a wacky conspiracy theorist (ok maybe I am !) talking about something that might happen someday in the distant future. They are trying to do this right under our noses, in the next couple of months! And nothing will stop them unless we do something about it!

"The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) draft risk assessment that meat and milk from cloned animals are safe for human and animal consumption does not give consumers the big picture when it comes to the impact of animal cloning, according to a critical issue report released by The Organic Center.




The 22-page report, "Is the FDA's Cloning Proposal Ready for Prime Time?," delves deeper into the technology background, safety and food quality issues, animal health effects, labeling and economic impact of what the FDA has proposed. One of the arguments made in the FDA assessment is that clones are "virtually indistinguishable" from normal progeny and therefore may enter the food supply.

"Virtually indistinguishable is not a scientific standard," says Jim Riddle, organic outreach coordinator at the University of Minnesota, and author of The Organic Center critical issue report on animal cloning. "The FDA report shows that subtle changes occur in the 4 to 7 percent of animals that survive the cloning process and appear to be similar to other animals. The public is not likely to accept similarity of appearance as the decisive food safety hurdle standing between animal clones and the American food supply."

The Center's critical issue report highlights the other side of the animal cloning debate that many consumers will not hear from FDA or biotech officials."

I ask you, can we really trust our government? Make your voice heard on the FDA's official website, while there's still time.

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070130/0209170.html

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01541.html

It's My Life

I was recently talking to a new, good friend of mine at the beginning of the year. We were discussing our lives: what we had been through and what were hoping for. I told her that I felt like my life had been on pause. She then asked me something that haunted me--why did I feel that way? I realized that I was in control of my life and it was up to me to unpause it, so I have ! My only resolution this year is to live life to the fullest.

So the same week that we had that conversation, I decided to finally do something that I have dreamed about for a long time: write a movie. I know, it sounds crazy and many of you will think it will never happen. Or if it does happen, it won't be any good. I know this b/c part of me feels the exact same way.

This weekend I was thinking of all the reasons that I have to be happy, and all of the reasons that I have to be depressed. I came to the conclusion that in reality, it's ultimately up to me! So I choose to be happy, and I choose to work on this script.

So hopefully, you are wondering what it's about, right? Well, all I will say for now is that its going to be a true story about how the CIA was involved in the crack cocaine epidemic of the 80's.

Thanks to everyone who will support me, and to everyone else...I am going to be myself regardless ! And to my friend, thank you for inspiring me, not only by our conversations, but by living it by jumping out of a plane !

For the Bible Tells me so

A new documentary is being screened at Sundance this year, called For the Bible Tells Me So (www.forthebibletellsmeso.org). I look forward to seeing it b/c it describes where so many people like myself are at spiritually. We have grown up either fundamentalist or evangelical, and have either given up on Christianity and religion altogether, or we are seeking alternatives to our native faith.



Here is a description of the film from the website:
"For Hundreds Of Years...

The Hebrew and Christian Bibles have been used to sanction discrimination, repression, and injustice around the world. They have justified slavery, empowered segregation, and excused the subjugation of women -- and the tradition continues.

Today, a handful of religious passages are commonly exploited to justify condemnation of and violence against homosexuals.

FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO (working title) is a new feature-length documentary film that will look at this phenomenon and will directly confront the use of scripture by the religious right to deny gay and lesbian people basic human rights.

We will tell the story of V. Gene Robinson, a man from New Hampshire, whose consecration as the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion (indeed in Christendom) has sent shock waves throughout the world. We will also feature Chrissy Gephardt, the lesbian daughter of Congressman Dick Gephardt, as she and her family struggle to deal with her very public coming out. (In addition, an undecided third story of theological transformation on this issue will be featured.)

Throughout the unfolding of three very human journeys, clergy and major Biblical scholars will also weigh-in on what those oft-quoted scriptural verses, so often cited by religious conservatives, really mean. Among those voicing affirming interpretations of scripture are Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, openly gay Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech."

Sounds interesting, can't wait till it comes to Dallas.

Militant Faith ?

So I saw an independent film a few months ago called Jesus Camp, which just got released on dvd. It was a documentary about children who grow up in evangelical homes. I saw it with two friends, one is who evangelical and the other who is agnostic. Of course we all 3 had different opinions !

I have been trying to convince as many people as possible to see this movie, but had a hard time trying to describe it. Finally, Danielle, the pastor at Journey (www.journeydallas.com) said something that put into words excatly how I felt about it. She said (on a totally unrelated subject) that while watching the news one day, she finally understood how it must feel to be a Muslim in our country. And it finally hit me: my frustration is that when people today think of Christians, they think of the people in this movie.




This is very troubling for people like myself, who are very spiritual people, and who try to follow Christ to the best of our ability. Modern evangelicals do not represent what it means to be a follower of Jesus today, yet that is what most people think of. I am also not saying that all evangelicals are horrible people who are all wrong. I am just trying to sum up the stereotyping and misconceptions that I feel.

God says . . . ?

Pat Robertson is in the news again. This time, claiming that God spoke to him of an upcoming disaster to hit America this year, possibly killing a million people. How many times is this guy going to do this ? What really worries me is that there are actually some sincere people in our country who will really believe that God spoke to him. What happens when they want to turn this into reality? Scary !

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/07/MNGA7NEDPU1.DTL&feed=rss.news

I guess that I haven't realized how much I have changed over the past several years. Anyone who claims to be so certain and absolute about anything, especially faith and religion, frightens me.

Burrrrrrr ! ! !

The weather outside is frightful. Well not anymore anyways. But the past 24 hours in the Dallas metroplex have proven much more cold than most of us have grown accustomed to. Some would say so what, it's only 30 degrees. But if you have ever lived in Dallas, that translates into really damn cold!

While not getting any snow, we did get some ice. My normal 25 minute commute into work turned into a full blown 90 minutes.

First Post

Hello internet! After taking a semi-permananent break from blogging over the past 9 months or so, I am back in the game. Unlike most, I first got into blogging in the early part of 2002, before xanga, myspace or anything else that made blogging trendy.

2006 was a year of major change for me. I went through a divorce, moved from California to Texas and struggled to find a job. After a few frustrating months, I finally landed a gig working for the 2nd largest retailer in the country: The Home Depot. No, I don't work in a store nor do I wear an orange apron. I work in a call center office where I spend my time hacking into myspace and blogging, amdist getting my job done.

I, and many of my friends, are way excited that 2007 is finally here! So, here's to the exciting possibilites of all that this year holds in store.