Tindog posted a thought-provoking article about the motivation of the “Pilgrims” on his blog. And, yes, it provoked my thoughts. “Hey, you thoughts! You’re momma dresses you funny!” No… No, not like that. Sorry.

He asked (edited for brevity):

Would I have the courage and faith to put my family onto a ship … leave everything I have, everything I know to start over completely from scratch … and do it all, not for the chance to strike it rich, but because it was what God was instructing me to do. Honestly, … I don’t know if I could let go of my house, my car, my stuff, my safe and comfortable life and trade it for an uncertain and potentially disastrous future. And not just me, but choose that path for my wife and daughters, too.

I certainly understand his sentiment, but might I posit the following:

To really compare your faith and grit to that of the Puritan Pilgrims, you have to submerge yourself into their time and predicament. Tindog correctly recalls that the reason they left the comforts of home was that they “believed that the Church of England had become so tainted by politics and man-made doctrine that it was beyond reform.” In fact, the Church of England, and it’s chief (the King) didn’t take kindly to criticism and severely persecuted the Puritans. (ref: Wikipedia)

So the real question becomes: Would you be able to risk your comfort, health and safety (and that of your family) if the State (and by that I mean governing body with the power to take all of those things away from you anyway) insisted that your religion was not only false, but an affront to said State, and that same State had every intention of doing all in it’s power to stamp out your religion even if it meant jailing or killing you or your family?

I think the answer just got a lot more elementary.

And all this brings me to one (of the many) major news item I missed during my absence last week, the Manhattan Declaration (click the image for the official website).

Please, no matter what your religious belief or affiliation, read the declaration. It will only take a few minutes. If, after you’ve read it, you find that you agree, sign it, then live it.

In short, the Manhattan Declaration is a historical, unprecedented statement of unity among the various Christian faiths in the U.S. It establishes that, regardless of our differences, Christians must stand up against government and cultural pressure and stand for 1) the sanctity of all human life, 2) the sanctity of marriage, and 3) the right of religious expression. It also recognizes that, at times, non-violent civil disobedience may be required in order to maintain our religious beliefs. I don’t mean to sound like a doom-and-gloom conspiracy theorist, but there may yet come a day where we Christians must make that Puritanical decision to turn our back on comfort, health and safety in obedience to God. God help us if it comes to that. (But don’t worry. He will.)

Why does all the great blog-worthy new happen when I’m out of town. I’m typing this from my phone so I must be brief.

Please take some time to google The Manhattan Declaration.

Also the global qarming hoax exposed by leaked emails. If this gets the press it deserves, the GW scam is dead at last.

This is just too awesome to not post. (Sorry, I had to make it fit. Click the image for full size.)

What makes this a little bit sweeter is that I could totally see this happening in my neighborhood!

Well, it’s about time! I finally got a new Work From Home Friday video put together. Please excuse the truly awful quality. The video is grainy, the lighting is bad, the audio, the editing… I could go on. But, hey! At least it’s better than nothing!!

If she accomplishes nothing else (unlikely), Sarah Palin has made this valuable contribution to the American lexicon. I, for one, am going to incorporate this new term immediately and often.

Speaking on Sean Hannity’s radio show, Palin said that “Some on the left, that lamestream media, they’re contradicting what I wrote in the book.”

Hannity jumped in to ask, “Did you say lamestream media?”

“Yeah, lamestream,” Palin responded.

This is a must see for every American, especially every American who voted for the Bronco Bomber. The Golden Child’s Golden Lawyer, Attorney General Eric Holder gets thoroughly and soundly spanked by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). In six minutes, the administrations terrorist pampering policy is exposed for the pile of monkey hurlage it is. What I really like is the first 15 seconds when Holder’s smug mug is slapped off his face by a very simple, but telling question.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, Holder has decided that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (a.k.a. KSM), the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, should not be tried in a military court, but rather a U.S. federal court, were all the privileges of our legal system, and all the rights granted to you and me by the U.S. Constitution will be applied to this monster who hates those very rights with every fiber of his being.

In other words, we’re going to take the guy who has confessed to hatching the plan that killed 3000 Americans, and we’re going to give him a lawyer who will get every shred of evidence we have dismissed because of various legal technicalities and he’ll end up walking free. What’s worse, this will set a legal president that every other terrorist we capture will be able to claim in order to get the same treatment.

I don’t know about you, but that seems to be the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard and the moron who conceived it needs to be throttled. Let the throttling commence:

Poor poor Larry. What that guy really needs is another 12 pack of beer.

Seriously, chi’ren. Learn from Larry. Just say no.

I got a healthy chuckle from this bumper sticker on my way to work today.

 I’ll bet Jesus would use his blinker.

This week’s white board quip is “one of those.” You know, the ones that just make you go, “huh?”

This tastes like grandma.

See? I told you.

It’s November 10th.

On this day in 1483, Martin Luther was born.

On this day in 1775, The United States Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philidelphia by Samuel Nicholas.

On this date in 1924, Russell Johnson (A.K.A. Gilligan’s Island’s Professor) was born.

On this day in 1954, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery.

On this day in 1956, Sinbad, the actor and comic, was born.

On this day in 1969, the first episode of Sesame Street aired, sponsored by the letters W, S, and E, and the numbers 2 and 3.

In honor of this last one, I’m wearing this shirt today.

Tammy got me this shirt for my birthday. OH! That reminds me. I almost forgot.

On this day in 1973, I was unleashed on an unsuspecting world!

Thanks to everyone for all the well-wishes. It feels good to hear from so many friends. Then again, it reminds me what a rotten cad I am for not doing the same for all of you. I need to work on that!

P.S. If you’d like to send a belated gift (I don’t mind!) you’ll find my T-Shirt Wish List at the top of the sidebar.