Rick Warren’s Fifteen Minutes
Posted by Michelle Moquin on December 23rd, 2008
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Actually, I’ll give him two…two minutes of my two cents that is…because that is about all I can. I know little of the man except that he does not allow gays to hold membership at his Saddleback church. Although he welcomes them with open arms to attend, in hopes to change their homosexual lifestyle. Yeah, like they have a choice in the matter.
And just yesterday it was noted that he removed the anti-gay language from his church website. Will it return after he conducts the invocation at the inauguration? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
I love serendipitous moments and I love reading about them too. I just read this morning that Melissa Ethridge had one when she was invited to perform a song for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, only to be informed that the keynote speaker that night was going to be non other than Pastor Rick Warren. She wanted to cancel but her gut asked, “Are you really about peace or not?”. This is what Melissa Ethridge had to say:
On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn’t sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn’t want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife’s struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.
When we met later that night, he entered the room with open arms and an open heart. We agreed to build bridges to the future.
Now I’m not saying that I approve of this man’s beliefs or his behavior in honor of his beliefs; I don’t. But Like Ethridge, I am open-minded too. And, I have read that he has done an enormous amount of good towards AIDs relief in Africa. And that he has brought important issues such as sustainability of the earth, and protection of the animals and people who live here, to the Evangelicals, where he has found many supporters among their ranks. I’m an earth and animal advocate, so I give respect to those that are too, even if I don’t agree with everything they believe in. Hey, I support PETA with monthly donations, but I’m not against people eating meat and I eat meat myself.
Is Warren Gay? Who Knows. He wouldn’t be the first bigot protesting too loudly.
Lastly, Obama is a smart man. And he has his reasons for inviting Pastor Warren to conduct the invocation. Mark mentioned the other day, ‘Now how can we object when he invites Rev. Wright to the White House, when he as (sic) has ceremonially kissed our white anti-Christ’s ass?’ Interesting viewpoint and he does have a point.
Obama has chosen Warren for a small segment of a one-day affair, not a Cabinet post. But some say this action by the Obama administration is setting the gays back significantly. Do you think so?
Hmm…I think his two…ah 15 minutes are over on my blog…at least until another day.
Readers: Comments? Blog me.
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Hi Mark: Thank you for the compliments and for sharing about your family gatherings. I am always delighted to inspire and enlighten people. It is what I aspire to. And the feedback…I am not one to censor myself here as I so enjoy just going with the flow of my feelings and thoughts. It is one way of many in expressing my creativity freely. However, should mainstream media ever request my opinion, I think I could blue-pencil my writes and still get my point across :) Welcome to my blog – I hope that you’ll keep reading and continue to voice your opinion.
Hi Zen Lill: I will be home most of the day catching up so call when you are free. If I’m out running errands when you call, I’ll be available on my cell.
Lonnie: You being gay should not threaten anyone. But some people hate change and they like control. And some are so afraid of their own sexuality that they will go to extremes to protect in the name of self preservation. No, it is not fair, but it is what it is. However, I feel we can get ahead by talking about it ‘aspirationally’, and take peaceful action.
Hi Madaline: Good to hear from you. Sounds like you and the girls have been busy. You have come along way in the training of the girls; I am sure that even if you don’t want to admit it, you have bonded with some of them. I’m interested to hear about the exchange and the new girls that from the other solar systems. Are they Earth-like?
In regards to this Earth, let me know as soon as you are able to research some issues that we are having here in regards to Bush’s midnight madness.
Travel safely and good luck avoiding those hot bits of stars.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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December 24th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Whole Grains to the Rescue
Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD
University of Minnesota
Everyone knows that eating ample amounts of fruits and vegetables can lower cholesterol, promote weight control and help prevent heart attack, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. But few people realize that whole grains are just as good as fruits and vegetables — and sometimes even better — at fighting many of these serious illnesses.
Fiber gets most of the credit for the healthful properties of whole grains, but studies have found that the phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found in whole grains, which contain all parts of the grain, are just as important. The whole grains described below can be found at most health-food stores and many grocery stores…*
AMARANTH
What it’s good for: This tiny grain with an earthy, faintly grassy taste may protect against heart disease and cancer. It is also an excellent source of complete protein — that is, one that contains all eight essential amino acids.
Major effective ingredients: Vitamins E and B. Amaranth is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron.
How to add it to your diet: As it cooks, amaranth releases a glutinous starch that adds body to soups and stews.
BROWN RICE
What it’s good for: Helps fight eye disease (macular degeneration) and certain cancers, including lung cancer.
Major effective ingredients: Vitamin E and other antioxidants.
How to add it to your diet: Season brown rice as you would white rice, or it can be added to soups, casseroles, stir-fry dishes and salads.
CORN
What it’s good for: Helps fight heart disease and cancer… and may guard against cataracts.
Major effective ingredients: Of all the grains, whole-grain corn is the richest source of antioxidants. It’s also a good source of insoluble fiber, which cannot be digested but adds bulk to the stool.
How to add it to your diet: Choose whole-grain corn-based cereals, whole-grain cornmeal breads and cornmeal tortillas.
OATS AND BARLEY
What they are good for: Lowering cholesterol.
Major effective ingredient: Soluble fiber. When soluble fiber is digested, it changes to a gummy consistency that lowers blood cholesterol. The exact mechanism of this effect is not yet known.
How to add oats to your diet: Choose an oat cereal or oatmeal or make oatmeal cookies.
How to add barley to your diet: Use it to thicken soups and make creamy risottos, or cook it with carrots.
RYE
What it’s good for: Protects against heart disease and hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and prostate malignancies.
Major effective ingredient: Rye is a rich source of lignans, a class of phytoestrogens (plant compounds that help protect against the harmful effects of excess estrogen).
How to add it to your diet: Use whole-grain rye bread or whole-grain rye crackers.
WHEAT
What it’s good for: It has a laxative effect that aids digestion and also is high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Major effective ingredient: Insoluble fiber.
How to add it to your diet: Replace white bread with whole-wheat bread… and highly processed cereals with whole-grain cereals.
Helpful: To ensure that a bread product contains whole grain, the label must include the word “whole.” Example: For whole wheat, look for whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat grain. Breads that contain seven, 12 or even 15 grains are not necessarily whole-grain breads.
interviewed Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, food science and nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. She is the author of dozens of medical articles on dietary fiber.