via I Need to Find a Job at a Megachurch….

Interesting list of morals to give to kids without religion.

Be Kind and Gentle to everyone and everything.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Have love for humanity and the universe.

Enjoy this life as much as you can.  Assume this is all you are going to get (there may not be an afterlife).

Search for beauty and good in everything.  Everything has a positive side.  If you don’t see it, create it.

Test yourself, your ideas and beliefs.  Trust what your senses and intuition tell you.  The more extraordinary the claim, the more convincing the evidence must be to support it.

Use Reason and Creativity to solve problems, and don’t count on anyone else solving them for you. You are empowered.

Take care of your body.  If it’s not working right, the rest of this list can be much more difficult.

Use your Powers for good.  Make the world a better place for yourself and everyone else by doing what you can.

You are an animal, and you have a place in the world as all animals do.  Try not to abuse your position.

Learn as much as you can and pass on your knowledge.

I often wonder at the Ten Commandments, you know, of all the things that could have been said, why were those the rules? This list seems much more humane, and maybe its because this author isn’t asking her followers to enter a land and kill everything found there.

It’s really a great CD, a testament to the melodies of the Beatles and the musicianship of ATB. Hurry up on over to Andy’s site and order a copy today: Andy Timmons Band Plays Sgt. Pepper CD! Available for Pre-order!

SELECT count(*) as `total`,
dayname(created) as `dayname`,
dayofweek(created) as `weekday`
FROM leads
WHERE date(created) between
DATE_ADD(DATE(NOW()), INTERVAL(1-DAYOFWEEK(DATE(NOW()))) DAY)
AND
DATE_ADD(DATE(NOW()), INTERVAL(7-DAYOFWEEK(DATE(NOW()))) DAY)
GROUP BY dayname(created)
ORDER BY weekday

prints out a table like

Sunday 1

Monday 14

Tuesday 32

etc.

So, what are the protesters so upset about, really?

Do they have legitimate gripes?

To answer the latter question first, yes, they have very legitimate gripes.

And if America cannot figure out a way to address these gripes, the country will likely become increasingly “de-stabilized,” as sociologists might say. And in that scenario, the current protests will likely be only the beginning.

The problem in a nutshell is this: Inequality in this country has hit a level that has been seen only once in the nation’s history, and unemployment has reached a level that has been seen only once since the Great Depression. And, at the same time, corporate profits are at a record high.

In other words, in the never-ending tug-of-war between “labor” and “capital,” there has rarely—if ever—been a time when “capital” was so clearly winning.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1#ixzz1alo6T0az

via Mountain Biker vs. African Antelope.

via Andy Timmons Video Interview with Harmony Central.

“The January 2011 issue of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research reported that Christian religious leaders will commit an estimated $34 billion in financial fraud in 2011 while $31 billion will be spent on global missions. Researchers from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimate that Christian religious leaders will commit $90 million in financial crimes daily and the fraud is growing at a rate of 5.97% each year. If the researchers are correct, religious financial fraud among Christians will almost double in 14 years to $60 billion annually by 2025.”

Via donate now and often and please more

Being part of a church that was recently rocked by some financial troubles, its really hard to get behind supporting any kind of church. Really what are you to think when you visit these large churches with coffee bars and stadium sound systems?  Where does that money go? Should all churches be small, and is it bad for them to get big? And if you have that kind of money, how do you decide what to do with it?

• Sure there are things to pay for, but are they the things people should pay for at the end of the day?
• Should staff salaries comprise the largest percentage of its budget?
• Do you really need someone with a doctorate or high level of education on staff to share the message - its a simple message right?
• Is there, or should there be a conflict with those who preach/teach/minister and also control the church finances?
• Who should control church finances? (sadly no real answers here, everyone from members to elders have  messed this up)?
• Should the church offer counseling for people based on biblical principles, the same bible that says these things?
• What is the deal with churches and taxes?
• Is it a fundamental problem then to expect something out of them in the first place because you are paying them?
• What are preachers paid for, if this gospel message and salvation comes freely?
• Is preacher really a position, or just something christianity has because of the example of Paul and other apostles? Why is that person always the focal point, shouldn’t all members be able to share on some basic level?
• Is the gospel message something that should be a career choice?
• If it requires 35 volunteers and 6 paid staff members to put on a 1 1/2 hour show once a week (not counting Wednesdays) to simply say “believe and be saved”, is that overkill?
• Is it really responsible to think the bible even gave contemporary Christianity some kind of guide as to what a modern church should look like? * Spoiler: no
• Can the church and its message really be relevant 2000 years later without taking principles out of context and trying to force them into modern society? If its principles are good, why do we need all the the other stuff that gives the bible such a bad name, or need the bible at all; isn’t that something we could just write down now (why isn’t the first commandment do not kill btw)?
• Is the message of Jesus more likely one of an apocalyptic prophet and less of a God?
• If God is all powerful, why become a man and get himself killed to forgive our sins? Does this sound more like an uneducated rationalization of someones death, or the eternal plan of an almighty creator? If the bible was written today how would that play out? This didn’t even make sense to the apostles, and they were with Jesus!

The reality is church has become a business. Jesus is a fashion sense and a wearable catchphrase. Is christianity even relavant anymore, and should it be when you actually read its words? Are church attendees even aware that for contemporary Christianity Paul is Lord and Jesus is Christ?

Churches that so frequently ask and are so open about constantly wanting money are dangerous. Often these churches seem to think Jesus handed them a business model and not a way to heaven, which I guess is the only way.