Category Archives: Barack Obama

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Is Obama the antichrist and other discussions inspired by the Obamas…

Hello World!!!

It’s hot to death in the A, ain’t it? A few weeks ago, I was contemplating buying a row boat to get around it was raining so much and now ya girl is two shades darker and sweating at the most inconvenient times…God must be like, “I make it rain, y’all complain…I make the sun shine, y’all grumblin’…it don’t stop!” Ha, ha, let me stop trippin’ and complainin’…Thank God it’s sunny!

Okay, so last week, I was checking my home page at Facebook and one of my friends posted a most fascinating article, Crazy Right-Wing Myths About Obama 2.0: The Post-Inaguration Edition of Odd Things Conservatives Believe About Obama. Teleprompters! Hitler Youth! Satan!written by the Salon staff. Excellent piece! Wish I had written it!  The article includes an assemblage of ludicrous myths and the data to dispel them. So here are some of the myths they included…

  • Obama can’t function without a teleprompter, even uses it for answers at press conferences.
  • Obama’s stimulus provided cash for a “levitating train” between Disneyland and Nevada brothels.
  • Obama is a socialist.
  • Obama has created his own version of the Hitler Youth. And MY PERSONAL FAVORITE…
  • Barack Obama is the antichrist!

So during the election, I heard whisperings from people around me that Obama could be the antichrist…after all, he descended on the scene without much of a warning. Cornell West said Obama “rose like Phoenix” in a speech at Morehouse last year. And anyone who has attended church for more than a year has heard about the antichrist and how he will mysteriously appear on the world scene…But I did not know there was a whole movement dedicated to this whispering…According to the article, there are several Web sites devoted to this topic such as www.barackobamantichrist.blogspot.com, www.obamaantichrist.blogspot.com and www.beastobama.com.

On obamaantichrist.blogspot.com, there is a post about Obama distancing himself from the observance of the National Day of Prayer. The author states this is a reason why Obama could be the antichrist. But then, the author confesses about worrying at point if past President George W. Bush was the antichrist in the same article…That’s just weird…So on the one hand, this author thinks that Bush, the creater of the word “evildoer” could have been the antichrist and on the other hand, the most intelligent president we’ve had in quite some time is the antichrist…Sounds like an illness a few pills may help! The title of another post is “Obama and the Pagan Aspects of the White House Easter Egg Roll.”

According to the article, the antichrist is described as “lightning from heaven” in the Bible which translates to “baraq o bama” in Hebrew…Biblical scholars is that true? And the president’s limo is nicknamed “the Beast.” And finally, on the day after the election, the winning lottery number in Illinois was 6 _ _…(Yes, I’m crazy superstitious…I have a hard time writing that number out for any reason…) So is that enough evidence for y’all? I’ve said this before, and I will say it again: Why the black man gotta be the antichrist? We’ve had slave masters, adulterers, racists and warmongers as presidents! Why does the black man have to be the antichrist?

In other news, another one of my Facebook friends posted another article, “What Single Women Can Learn From Michelle: Would Most Type A Professional Women Have Dated Dated Barack When He was a Broke, Big-Eared Organizer With a Funny Name?” byJenee Desmond-Harris on the root.com. You can see where the author is going from the title. As we have all heard at this point, although our president was a summer associate from Harvard when he met our future First Lady, he was not the typical guy. He had a weird name. He was a community organizer. In one interview, President Obama said his car was so raggedy, you could see the road underneath the car. He had big ears.

The author states that many black women would have overlooked him because he didn’t have swag at that point in his life…Do you agree? I’m not so sure about that…Yeah, he didn’t have swag but he was a black man at Harvard…I wouldn’t pass that up – raggedy car or not…But I can see where the author is going…many of us seem to overlook the regular guy who may be going places for the guy who seems to have already arrived…My girls and I have been discussing this issue for a while…One of my friends, who is known to date men with impressive credentials, said,”Where would one even meet a regular guy,” or something similar. Funny, huh? She said this statement after another friend recommended dating “regular guys.” What makes a man regular? That’s the question to ask I think…If regular means hard-working, decent, intelligent, attractive, Christian sans the snooty attitude, I’m ’bout it.

But here’s another question: What Can Single Men Learn From Barack? As one commenter noted, are many Ivy-league educated black men checkin’ for that quintessential girl from around the way…? Or is it that once they have achieved that height, all they can see is white…y’all know what I’m saying…it’s certainly the move for many black men in power…Our First Lady is now known for her guns and style of dress, but I wonder if the same men that are praising her right now would be trying to step to her if they saw her at the light on Memorial Drive…She is smart and capable, but she doesn’t have Eurocentric features…so what many black men may need to realize is that smart, capable, assertive, undeniably black women are the way to go…As we’ve come to know, Michelle LaVaughn is the woman!

So to the “around the way girls” myself included, I post this throwback LL Cool J jam:

Any thoughts?

Tripped me out at the beginning of this video when LL said he was looking for a “regular” girl, not Ivana but Tawanna…

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Free To Be…

Hello World!!!

Since President Obama speech’s in Cairo, Egypt last week, I have been thinking about how Christians view and treat people who choose a different faith. President Obama spoke about preparing a path for peace between this country and the Islamic world – a sizeable feat since 9/11, Muslims have become on par with satanists it seems in this country…I think being a member of a minority group makes you sensitive to lumping people in one category, but I must confess that I, too, have found myself wondering what really goes on mosques…

However, I do know that Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker and as followers, we have the responsiblity to attempt to live peaceably with our neighbors even if we don’t always agree with their choices – religious or otherwise…One of the ways that I live at peace with people is to learn more about them…Last year, I attended a book signing for Muslim author, Melody Moezzi. She, too, felt that Muslims were demonized post 9/11 and decided to write book to demystify Islam and the people that are a part of that faith. Her book, “War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims,” includes profiles of 12 American Muslims from various walks of life. Below is how the book is described on her Web site:

War on Error brings together the stories of twelve young people, all vastly different but all American, and all Muslim. Their approaches to religion couldn’t be more diverse: from a rapper of Korean and Egyptian descent to a bisexual Sudanese American to a converted white woman from Colorado living in Cairo and wearing the hijab. These individuals, whether they were born to the religion or came to it on their own, have made their own decisions about how observant they’ll be, whether or not to fast, how often to pray, and what to wear.

Though each story is unique, each is also seen through the searching eyes of Melody Moezzi, herself an American Muslim of Iranian descent. She finds that the people she interviews are horrified that, in a post-9/11 world, they have seen their religion come to be represented, in the minds of many Americans, by terrorism. These thoughtful and articulate individuals represent the truth about the faith and its adherents who are drawn to the logic, compassion, and tolerance they find in Muslim teachings.

Moezzi, ever comfortable with contradiction and nuance, is a likable narrator whose underlying assumption that “faith is greater than dogma” is strengthened as she learns more about her religion and faces her own biases and blind spots. This fresh new voice, combined with the perceptions and experiences of her fellow American Muslims, make for a read that is both illuminating and enjoyable.

As we all know, this country was founded on religious freedom and God, Himself, gives us the choice to choose to serve Him…I find it so hypocritical when people force their views on others, knowing that our Lord doesn’t force Himself on us…Now, don’t get me wrong…I know that God wants us to tell others about our faith…how else can the gospel reach the world…but we cannot force others to believe how we believe…and when force turns to violence…is God really behind that…

I’m thinking of the murder of the doctor who performed abortions. He was shot and killed last Sunday in front of his church…We all know that many, very vocal Christians do not support abortion but is that a justification to murder those who perform or support abortions…Of course not…but as President Obama said (I’m paraphrashing obviously)  in his speech, extremism must be confronted and not supported…

Here is what he did say:

In Ankara, I made clear that America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people.

So here are my questions for you:  1. Are you friends with someone of another faith? 2. Are you friends with someone who has no faith? 3. Are you friends with someone who is agnostic?  Do you and that friend discuss your different faiths or lack of faith? How have those discussions impacted your relationship?

I have been friends with someone of the Bahai Faith. We discussed our faiths but we never tried to convince each other to leave our respective faiths, and I was comfortable with that as our faiths was not the primary reason for our friendship. I also have friends who are agnostic as well…Now, I would be lying if I said sometimes I think to myself if only this person knew the Lord…but I’m not the Judge…

Any thoughts?

NEWSFLASH:

In an effort to diversify this blog, I have decided to cover certain categories on a periodic basis…

Shout Out To… -This category will feature different churches that have remarkable ministries in church or outside of the church…Check out my blog on Wednesday for my first official “Shout Out” in this series…

Book Notes – This category will include book reviews of Christian books for the most part…However, since I am a bibliophile, I will also review interesting books from a varietyof genres.

Blog Envy – As I stated in a previous post, I have a tendency to be a hater…but in an effort to evolve and become ever more spiritual, I will feature remarkable blogs in this category….Of course, I will be secretly hoping that my blog becomes more popular than the blogs I feature, but the Lord is still working on me… 🙂

Living Single – In this category, I hope to feature people who are single but are living victoriously – in spite of the pressure in this world to be coupled up…(it even goes back to the days of Noah.)

Soulmates – I want to feature Christian couples who have been married for 10 years or more and share the secrets of their success…

Your Turn – As self-centered as I can be, I, of course, realize that I am not the only one who has something to say…I will ask people who have interesting views and or experiences to share them here…

If you have suggestions for any of these categories, please e-mail me at jholness7@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 


 

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Tavis Is Still Alright With Me…

Hello World,

The weather in the A has been gloriously sunny over the last few days, and I’m feeling good…listening to the birds chirping as night fades to day…”Good Morning,” I want to say to them…okay, let me stop waxing poetical and get to the subject of this post…

As my typical custom dictates on Sunday mornings, I tuned my radio to V-103 to listen to “The Triple T (Tall, Talented and Totally Sold Out to the Lord) from Tennessee” also known as Larry Tinsley play the gospel hits as I drove to church last Sunday. (Incidentally, I worked with Mr. Tinlsey for a few months at AIR Gospel, a local record company, for a few months. Not only is he gracious on the air, he is a class act in person as well. ) Instead of hearing Mr. Tinsley’s warm and reassuring voice, I heard another familiar voice…I was a bit startled so I looked at my radio to ensure that I had tuned into the right station. But then, I heard Mr. Tinsley break in and I realized that he was interviewing Tavis Smiley. In characteristic form, Tavis seemed like he was about to stutter as he excitedly described a new exhibit which will be debuting in Atlanta on June 12.

America I AM: The African American Imprint highlights 400 years of African American contributions  to our country through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos and music. The four-year traveling exhibition museum, which nationally debuted in Philly, will be housed at The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center from June 12 through September 6. The exhibition was developed with the collaboration of  The Smiley Group Inc., Arts and Exhibitions International and the Cincinnati Museum Center. It seems like a must see!

Here are some of the highlights of the exhibit according to the Web site:

•    “The Doors of No Return” from the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, which enslaved Africans passed through to board ships to the “New World”
•    The typewriter Alex Haley used to write the groundbreaking book, “Roots”
•    Objects representing the African-American troops that fought and impacted the outcome of major U.S. wars
•    Malcolm X’s journal and personal Koran
•    The door key and stool from the Birmingham jail cell that held Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he authored “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
•    Frederick Douglass’ clothing and letter from President Lincoln that enabled him to move among Union lines recruiting black soldiers
•    The robe that Muhammad Ali wore during training for the “Rumble in the Jungle,” where he defeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman.

Through a partnership with Northern Trust, 10,000 free tickets will be distributed to Georgia youth. Also, in partnership with Wal-Mart, discounted tickets are available at 125 Georgia Wal-Mart locations. (My nephew and I will be in the house! ) Atlanta-area seniors will also be able to visit the exhibition for free through various city programs courtesy of Wal-Mart.

Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster (www.Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000). Tickets are purchased for a specific date, and will be $12 for adults; $5 for children ages 6-17; and $8 for seniors over age 65, as well as for groups of 10 or more.  For more information about the exhibition and tickets, visit www.AmericaIAM.org.

Tavis said that he has worked on this project for several years, and I am deeply thankful for his efforts. People must have thought I was a strange child as I spent hours reading books about slaves as a third grader, but I had a seemingly unquenchable desire to know more about black history. Maybe it was because I was the only black child in my class and felt I didn’t quite fit in among the white students. How I would have loved to view this exhibit back then! Thankfully, I can go now, and I hope y’all do too.

Now, I know that Tavis has fallen out of the good graces of many black folk since the Barack Obama election controversy, but all is forgiven in my eyes. His life is clearly dedicated to the empowerment of black America without apology or compromise…y’all need to stop trippin’ and give him love…

Any thoughts?

P.S. Apparently, Atlanta is the only stop in the Southeast so y’all from the surrounding states better include the A in your summer plans or you will miss out!