Foot in mouth syndrome

I must say the past year has been very entertaining. As countries in the world are becoming more and more aware of being a part of the global community, there are still some separatists that operate with impunity spewing hatred and vitriol. None is more popular and moronic as Glenn Beck. Each night he consistently puts his foot in his mouth with unresearched “facts” and “suppositions” that have bubbled up in his ADHD mind. His paranoia and lack of sound judgment has gone beyond being funny. He has managed to feed a base of people who vicariously release their inner frustrations through this man’s nightly dance.

It seems that poor judgment and lack of education is the hallmark of this base. Even David Frum, W’s former economic speechwriter, says “People become less Republican as they become better educated.” Hmmm. It seems that this base needs to sign up at the local community college to learn about Political Science, Philosophy and History. Something that seems to be remiss in their diatribe. Even when Jay Leno asked a recent college graduate where the pilgrims landed they responded “Buick Rock.” ??? It’s not just the lack of education it’s the lack of focus. Too much information and too many distractions can cause confusion and instability. Something that GB lives and counts on.

My question to the spiritual people out there is this: Does the behavior of Glenn Beck, in any way, emulate the behavior of Jesus? Hardly. His conversion from Catholicism to Mormonism removed some of his earlier self-imposed restrictions and gave him the strength of the periphery that drives him nightly. If you ask any theologian worth his salt, he will tell you that Mormonism is based on a “vision”, or should we say “delusion” of Joseph Smith. If you spend some time at the library you will find the history about this man and it isn’t very pretty. Like Martin Luther, Joseph Smith was a man with his own agenda. If you follow any man and his teachings that separates and segregates you from your fellow man, that should be a red flag to you that something is wrong. Jesus ate with “sinners.” He associated with the down trodden and the lesser people in his society. He rejected people like Glenn Beck (the Pharisees) and embraced the blind and sick. Yet, many quote the Bible in defense of GB. What a joke! His behavior is the fruit that he bears and that should be enough for anyone with half a brain to discern that his message is one of fear and incitement.

His take on the school children singing about Obama was answered quickly with a video of the same thing happening with George W. Bush. He wasn’t aware of that, according to his team, or was he? If he wasn’t, then he simply is a moron. If he was, then he is the worst form of manipulator and he will surely reap what he has sown. The bottom line is that he doesn’t care what fear and vitriol he spews; he is only concerned about himself and his family. If he was sincere, then why didn’t he show up at his own 9/12 rally? You see, the facts are right in your face. If you choose not to believe them, you must deal with the consequences. May God have mercy on your soul if you continue to believe such a liar.

The message that Jesus taught was simple. Love God and love your neighbor. Is this what Glenn Beck does every night? Hardly. Make the time to edify yourself and study about the truth. Go to the library and research the facts and don’t believe in the skewed opinions of delusional people. They will lead you down the road to fear, loss and a felling of lack and depression. The universe that Gods has created is boundless and abundant. Through faith in God and diligent research you can come to an understanding of the fact that we are all children of God. We are His most prized creation. He created us with a mouth to speak and feet to walk and run. Don’t end up living your life with foot in mouth syndrome. Check out the facts, make the time to educate yourself, and stop listening to morons who don’t give a damn about you or your families. Grab the reigns and take charge of your life. May God bless you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Foolbook: Should stupidity be killed?

Recently, a Facebook poll asked respondents "Should Obama be killed?" The choices were “No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care.” As with any forum that allows people the freedom to operate under an unwritten moral code, there are sometimes going to be people who display moronic behavior and make stupid and treasonous choices. Such is the case here and the Secret Service will undoubtedly find this person and bring them to justice. The question is, “what was going through their mind when posting this poll? Was it an innocent question? Hardly. Was it a sincere quest for knowledge? Don’t think so. Or, was it meant to incite an unstable base into action? Now we’re getting warm. Ultimately, we don’t know what was going on in the mind of such an individual, but as Jesus demonstrated with the fig tree, we will know them by the fruit they bear. I nominate this person for the new site “Foolbook.” Their blatant form of stupidity should be rewarded with humiliation and serious jail time. Time to reflect on their aberrant behavior and the responsibility associated with access to swaying public opinion.

Every day my fiancé and I comment to each other about the lack of focus, respect for adults and common stupidity associated with younger people we encounter. Is it that the schools have failed them? Has the government failed them? Have the failed themselves? Or, is that we, as parents and grandparents have failed to raise them with discipline and compassion? Have we ignored them and relegated their learning to electronic babysitters? Only each one of us truly knows our individual experiences in regard to the raising of our children. Is this current younger generation totally remiss in an understanding of common sense and reason, or are they simply just trying to come to grips with information overload and a daily battle in handling it. Generally, schools haven’t adequately prepared people for college or life. They teach information and ways to obtain knowledge, but fail to give students techniques in developing wisdom. Understanding is the key in converting information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. But how does one develop understanding? Through experience? Through impartation? Through osmosis? Understanding comes from a willingness to learn and a diligent search for the truth.

A fool is generally a stupid person who lacks the ability to exercise common sense and effective judgment based on the facts. As I have said many times in my articles, “Who is more foolish, the fool, or the fool who follows him?” Yesterday my fiancé and I drove by Route 202 and Route 1 in Concordville, PA. and saw three younger people on one corner with anti-Obama health care placards and one older gentleman with an anti-abortion placard on the opposite corner. My only thought was for them to get a life. I admired their strength and belief in themselves to stand there in the rain and wave their beliefs to the passersby, but ultimately, what they were saying was NOT based on fact but on the skew and spin of their heroes and/or parties. Not to mention the fact that someone driving by might have paid too much attention to the arm waving and reading of the signs that it might have caused an accident. I know; it was just less than a mile from this spot where a drunk hit and run driver hit me last May.

My vote is that we kill stupidity. Let’s all make a concerted effort to examine the FACTS and not blindly believe the OPINIONS of others who have an agenda that we might not be aware of. Let’s make the time every day to investigate the truth and pro-act the results. Let’s move away from reacting to the opinions of others and act on the solutions that we can all help each other attain. Be willing to learn the truth and take the diligent steps to acquire it. All of us will benefit from the truth and we will not be fooled by the opinions of those who try to use us for manifesting their agendas.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

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Right wing Obamanation: worthy to read, but not believe

Well, here goes the right wing cries again. Using tidbits to reinforce and obviously weak and loser position, it is interesting that some right wingers uncover one video utilizing “Hussein” and emphasize it in the title of their agenda setting beliefs. Since I am forbidden to make any references to who this is, I will just respond in kind to the obvious agenda setting taking place. This article is in reference to the article here. Following is my OPINION based on the “facts” contained in the article; not an OPINION based on an OPINION as derived from someone else’s “research”:

My retort to Paragraph 2: In reference to Keith Olbermann, he would have said something about W.; after all, his team of researchers scours out the facts and not opinions like Glenn Beck “researchers” do night after night. I am called a “Leftist”, just like the writer infers the term I have used (Racist). And I am accused of being a name caller? As for Joe Scarborough, isn’t he a Republican? Or did the writer forget to check that one out? There he goes again. Is the writer the source for determining what he calls bad behavior? As for hypocrisy, the writer takes the cake. Some people swallow whatever someone says hook, line and sinker. Well, hopefully the writer will get over it before he influences too many people and steers them down the path to hell. It’s amazing what some people do when they are afraid of the facts!

My retort to Paragraph 3: If anyone knows brainwashing it’s those who are out to set an agenda. Some writers present their illogical arguments based on right wing religious hooey and package it in a palatable form for morons who don’t have the inclination to investigate their erroneous claims. This writer take stabs at me for my “leftist” position and cries foul when I call him and his commenters “racists”. This is the worst form of hypocrisy because they can’t smell their own stench. As for earning the respect, Obama has. Who the hell does the writer think he is to be the determiner of what constitutes earning respect? After all, his discovery of the Word has led him down a path of misinterpretation and false support for views he has only recently learned. Compare that to a lifetime of research and living the word. There is no comparison. Yet he poses the question and puts it in the laps of his readers with a pronounced skew in his presentation. Again, trying to manipulate the outcome

My retort to Paragraph 4: Subtly presenting his “character” skew and using children to gain access to his readers’ soft spots, the writer demonstrates he is the worst form of manipulator. And Obama is correct for apologizing for America. Republican war policies and reprehensible behavior toward the global community is based on lies and manipulation. Has the writer forgotten about Iraq, Afghanistan and torture perpetrated by Bush and Cheney? Conveniently not for his argument.

My retort to Paragraph 5: Mind control tactics are this writer’s obvious weapons. Presenting a skewed video to back up his obviously weak position adds icing to the cake. His methodology is to take the available and skew it to fit his right wing Republican religious agenda. Seek enlightenment, sir, and the understanding that Christ provides and your cloak of right wing righteousness will fall to ground where it belongs.

As for his commenter who wants Jesus back in the schools, what makes her think that this country is just Judeo-Christian? If you want religions in school than why not all of them? We could all learn temperance and tolerance for others by embracing all forms of belief and not judging each other. Something modern day Christians use as a flag to wave. Why not wave a flag of respect and unity instead of maliciousness and derision? If you want a more poignant version of this article then click here.

As always, your comments and conclusions are welcomed. As I have stated in a previous article, I no longer read them, but you are welcome to debate my position amongst yourselves. May God bless all of you, whether you agree with me or not.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Republican Rhetoric Revealed: What the Beck?

It’s tough being a Republican watchdog. Every day new spiritually professed alliterations are spewed on the American public under the guise of what’s good for America. But what NEW ideas do the Republicans have to offer? None. Since their hero Raygun and his trickle-down policies, deregulation has caused the financial problems we are currently facing now. They keep trying to re-package the same old rhetoric and perpetrate it on the American public. The definition of insanity is to keep trying to do something the same way and expecting different results. Their obvious delay tactics in Congress are more ego centered than God centered and people centered.

Since most of the Republican representatives (and some Democrats) receive “campaign” donations and “incentives” from corporations, it is no wonder that they do whatever they can to stop health care reform. Looking out for number one. Why isn’t anybody complaining about the obvious crookedness of lobbying and buying off our representatives? This, in itself, should be illegal. It reminds me of the Catholic Church’s alignment with various governmental leaders over the course of history and the way they “suggested” certain actions that benefitted their church.

A person who is an expert at rhetoric uses exaggeration as their tool to convince others of their viewpoint. In my writings I have been accused of using rhetoric simply because my viewpoint was drastically different from that of the accusers. That, in itself, does NOT constitute rhetoric. I call it as I see it. As I have said many times, truth is relative. We all observe facts differently and arrive at different evaluations and ultimately, different judgments. If we base our evaluations and judgments on FACTS and not OPINIONS, we stand a better chance of offering a convincing argument. We all see the ‘truth” differently and reveal it in our own way. Some people have misinterpreted what I have said in my articles as putting down other people’s truths. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Only an opinion-educated mind and rhetoric addict would make that conclusion. You know who you are.

I have discovered a fantastic site that helps bring clarity to the cesspool of Republican Rhetoric. It removes the purported “spiritual” connection to their backwards policies and reveals their rhetoric in the true light of REALITY. It is theFBM.com. Led by Kerry Martin and his team of writers, they expose Republican Right Wing Rhetoric right out of the heart of Texas yahoo country. What guts! To speak the truth from the source of the RW stench (Bush Country) and backwards thinking makes their truths even more palatable. Kerry and his fellow writers are dedicated to researching facts, watching and listening to what politicians actually say and watch dogging censorship. If you want to sift through the layers of RW B.S. this is the place to go.

I sure hope they address Mr. Beck. After Beck’s fiasco if misreading the Constitution and its fees for slavery, the people in the town of Mt. Vernon, Washington (where Beck was born) have signed a petition to stop the Mayor from giving Beck the key to the city. The mayor has refused and in so doing has secured not being elected next term. I say, why not give Beck the key to the city. Perhaps he can use it to unlock the truth instead of promulgating his ADHD rhetoric and rantings on the American public. One thing I can say about Mr. Beck, he has modeled his approach after Howard Stern. When listeners were asked why they listened to Howard Stern they replied, “We listen because we don’t know what he is going to say next.” This came from both people who liked him and hated him. This type of appeal is based on sensationalism. Ordinary people seeking extraordinary events by vicarious participation. Exactly the goal of Republican Right Wing Rhetoric. I think Wii outta pay attention! If they sold a Republican Right Wing Rhetoric game they would make a fortune!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

What if the Bible didn’t exist? (Part 1)

Recently, I conducted an interview with Dr. Witless Blather from D.C. Dr. Blather is well-known for his horrendous lack of talent and insight concerning the Bible. Following is a transcript of this interview:

DAB: Good Morning, Dr. Blather. You have been accused of not making any sense about Biblical prophecy, an inability to make a cogent argument and a complete arrogance about your opinion. Yet you claim to be a voice of reason concerning Biblical interpretation. What do you have to say about these judgments?

DWB: I have read the Bible many times and I study it much deeper than most. My arguments are based on the facts in the Bible and yes, I can get arrogant over my opinion. Thank you for the compliment.

DAB: I have a question I have asked several people lately and I wish to ask this question of you. What if the Bible didn’t exist?

DWB: Interesting question. I suppose that many people in this world would be lost. They wouldn’t have anything to base their lives on and the world would decay into chaos.

DAB: Why?

DWB: There would be no testament to the lives of the Biblical heroes and we would have no way to measure our lives against them. We would have to rely on other historical documents that don’t take into account the message that the Bible conveys.

DAB: And what message would that be?

DWB: That Jesus Christ is Lord.

DAB: Is that the only message the Bible conveys?

DWB: No, it conveys the lives, situations and problems that the Biblical heroes overcame by trusting in God.

DAB: I would like to ask you about particular aspects of the Bible. The Bible had originally been communicated mouth to mouth and then written down by man. It survived several translations that didn’t take geographic idioms, language nuances and agenda settings into account. How do respond to that?

DWB: That’s true. However, the Bible’s message is defined by Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. Basically, the Bible in its entirety is directly from the mouth of God and that one attains eternal life through faith in God and not by one’s works. It is indisputable.

DAB: Why is it indisputable?

DWB: Because of Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. No one has the right to dispute the holy word of God.

DAB: Says who?

DWB: God.

DAB: But man wrote down the supposed word of God. Don’t you take into account that man is notorious for amending concepts and ideas to suit his needs?

DWB: Yes, man did write down the word of God but God inspired him to write it down. Yes, I suppose it is possible for anyone who received inspiration from God to change its message, but the message has survived for several millennia.

DAB: Who decided that Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide were valid?

DWB: Martin Luther came to the awareness that the interpretation of the individual believer, and not the Catholic Church, was the only true religious authority. This was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. He also said that one who appears to have faith and does not do good works never had faith at all!

DAB: That appears to be a circular argument. Wasn’t Martin Luther a person that hated the Jews for killing Christ? This seems contradictory to the message that Jesus taught.

DWB: Yes, he believed that the Jews should be relegated to having their properties and assets seized and should be treated as the least in the community. This was taken to the extreme by the Nazis.

DAB: So, let’s get this straight. Many Protestants believe two doctrines that were originated by a man with hatred in his heart; a man who decided that the Bible is the sole authority of God’s word and that faith in God is the sole way to eternal life. Something doesn’t seem right here. More to come…

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

What’s your favorite whine?

All of us have something that happens every day that we don’t like. We might not like the way someone looked or reacted to us, the politics or religion of someone else or the results we have obtained at the end of the day. We have choices in regards to whether we react, do nothing or pro-act. If we react, we either run away from the problem or we attack it head on. If we do nothing, we either give ourselves the time necessary to evaluate or we tread water. If we pro-act, we evaluate the situation and find the best solution to the problem that is beneficial for everyone. Reaction comes in many forms. If we are the type of person who is aggressive we might choose immediately to fight a particular viewpoint or circumstance. If we are more passive, we might choose to remove ourselves from a person whose viewpoint we feel is erroneous. Doing nothing allows us the time to evaluate a situation and delay the necessary action we eventually need to take. For example, making the time for effective research about a particular subject to learn the FACTS and not just the OPINIONS of others. However, if we tread water long enough our spiritual “arms” and “legs” become tired. Procrastination in making an evaluation and delivering the subsequent actions can cause internal stress and physical maladies. Pro-acting affords us the best solution in that we take the time to evaluate a situation and not judge those involved in the situation.

Facts are observed or sensed things that actually exist or that have happened in the real world. Opinions are personal views, beliefs or judgments that provide certainty in conclusions for an individual as a result of observing facts. A person’s perspective and pre-conceived notions have a great deal to do with how they will arrive at their opinions. If they are at all confused about their opinions of the facts, they might procrastinate making a decision either hoping to achieve more clarity about the situation, or wishing that it would just go away. The latter is definitely fooling oneself. Situations and problems occur in our lives in order for us to grow and expand. It challenges our comfort zone and affords an opportunity for us to gain a greater perspective.

Evaluation of the facts requires us to utilize our senses in an organized fashion in order to see the balanced picture. In other words, a snapshot of reality. Judgment involves us to take the evaluations we have perceived and to create an opinion. Only through judgment can we see the validity or invalidity of the facts as we perceive them. If you feel powerless to act on your judgments you might retreat into your inner sanctum or start to whine about how things are. Whiners cry loud enough to force their opinions on those who don’t agree and seek those who agree with them in order to validate their opinions. Whining comes from uneasiness, discontentment and self-pity. In other words, a loser mentality.

What is your favorite whine? Is it because you think that our government is turning socialist and your opinion is based on others’ opinions and not the facts? Is it because you are lily white and you cannot take the fact that an African-American is president? Is it because you have read the Bible and it tells you we are coming to the end times and we need to be ready? Or is it because you just didn’t get your way? Was your ego so dominant that you couldn’t handle the FACT that most of the people in this country are tired of wars, hunger and corporate lies about health care reform and they want a positive change? It isn’t all about you, ya know. It’s about all of us. To the whiners out there, quit your whining. If you feel we need to go in a different direction then present a plan that involves incentives for people MORE than for corporate rape. Be a part of the solution instead of whining about it. Stop listening to morons who make up “facts” and see conspiracies in just about everything. Use the brain God has given you and be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Glenn Beck’s day of atonement

Yom Kippur. The most important of Jewish holidays with emphasis on repentance and atonement for one’s sins against man and God. Fasting begins the night before (sundown is the beginning of the Jewish day) and carries on for a 25 hour period (September 27, 2009). After God determines the fate of each person for the coming year on Rosh Hashanah (last Friday, September 18, 2009), He seals his decision on Yom Kippur. As you can imagine, a most holy day for practicing Jews. No to be undone, Loose Lips Beck decided, in his miniscule brain, that he would declare a day of fasting and atonement for our country. Declaring the 9/12 March a must do he didn’t even show up at the event. He must have missed his dose of Prozac and Aderral for his ADHD condition. His neurons began firing at such a rapid rate that he must have felt the guilt for blatantly lying to the American people and felt that he needed to atone. But hey, why not make everyone atone and get great press in the process. What a sensationalist! Even Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe, says that Glenn Beck’s statements about race are generating hate amongst us and the Republicans need to distance themselves from him as fast as they can. Mike Barnicle of Morning Joe said GB is heading downward fast! Cut him loose!

So, let’s give GB the benefit of the doubt. He feels that he needs to help people understand what is truly going on. That, in itself, is admirable. I can imagine what he feels after lifting himself out of alcoholism and trying to manage his time with other activities. Activities that make him a great deal of money. But at what expense? As Keith Olbermann and now Joe Scarborough have said, that if GB incites his unstable followers to do anything, he is ultimately responsible. Wouldn’t therapy be a better outlet than inciting an unstable base to do things like camp out with cameras and automatic weapons at as military base and look for FEMA camps? Oh, I guess not. Just like Rupert Murdoch would say, “Argh.” Enough is enough people. When will you begin really looking at the issues and stop listening to sensationalists and morons! In Beck’s case, he has brought a new definition to the term moron.

Megalomaniac- obsessed with doing extravagant things and marked by delusions of greatness.

Ostentatious- tendencies to pretentious and conspicuous displays to impress others.

Reprehensible- all too deserving of rebuke and blame.

Oligarchous- or should we say OLIGARHY? A form of government where the dominant clique rules (Fixed Noise’s unfair and unbiased view of the news? LOL!)

Numbskull- a stupid person; a person who knows better but still insists that he’s right when he knows he isn’t.

Basically a moron who is a person who lacks good judgment. One who clearly sees the fact that if he takes the step forward the rake will hit him in the face? He knows this, but takes the step anyway. Boy that accurately describes Mr. Beck. Don’t you think it’s about time for Mr. Beck to atone for HIS sins? How dare he interrupt a high holy day of the Jews for his own agenda! Is it because he is a Mormon and there is an inherent lack of respect for the Jews within that church? Is it because he down deep inside wants to atone for his lies that he nightly perpetrates on the uninformed? Is it the medication or lack thereof that fires his neurons in a convoluted manner? Or is it the fact that he sees the rake and steps on it anyway? You decide. Pray for the enlightenment of GB and maybe, just maybe, God will answer our prayers.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.