Sports Card Forum - Sports Cards Community - Politics and Religion http://www.sportscardforum.com/ Topics related to politics and religion en Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:04:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sportscardforum.com/images/misc/rss.png Sports Card Forum - Sports Cards Community - Politics and Religion http://www.sportscardforum.com/ <![CDATA[The never ending debate that isn't a debate...Creationism rears it's ugly head again.]]> http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1954203-The-never-ending-debate-that-isn-t-a-debate-Creationism-rears-it-s-ugly-head-again?goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:27:40 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6HfTKiWYh0 When will it end? In 1987 SCOTUS took up this issue and clearly said that the teaching of creationism was religious in nature and therefore NOT...

When will it end?

In 1987 SCOTUS took up this issue and clearly said that the teaching of creationism was religious in nature and therefore NOT science.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwards_v._Aguillard

It is unconstitutional.

But here we are in 2013 and we still get these types of stories all over the country?

WHY?

Should we also teach Alchemy in Chemistry class?

Should we teach Astrology in Astronomy class?

Should we teach Geocentric theory in Geology class?

Should we teach Stork theory in Health class? ]]> Politics and Religion JustAlex http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1954203-The-never-ending-debate-that-isn-t-a-debate-Creationism-rears-it-s-ugly-head-again SCOTUS strikes down Arizona law forcing people to show proof of citizenship to vote. http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953784-SCOTUS-strikes-down-Arizona-law-forcing-people-to-show-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote?goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:37:44 GMT http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52234625/#52234625 Good. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly...4625/#52234625

Good. ]]> Politics and Religion JustAlex http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953784-SCOTUS-strikes-down-Arizona-law-forcing-people-to-show-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote POLITICal correctness http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953718-POLITICal-correctness?goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:17:41 GMT I think I rigged the title so that this flies (or at least make some sort of impotent point).

Anyway...

I'm here to talk about POLITICal correctness (okay, that's twice, I'll stop). I don't like PC and never have, but that doesn't mean I don't see the need for it.

Now, I'm sure some people here already know I love discussions about racial issues. I'm a white guy living in a town of white guys and natives, who previously lived in a town with 3 (count them THREE) black people, 2 (count them TWO) natives and 2 (coun...sorry) asians...I think there was an Indian there too. Anyway, really white. I grew up watching racism on TV in all the "very special episodes" that weren't about drinking/drugs, but I never lived it. Those seven people faced zero discrimination I ever saw (case in point, one of the black kids mugged a friend of mine and it took 45 minutes of describing him to get to "oh, and he was black" which probably doesn't say much for my friend's respect for time, but does for her view of different races. Anyway...). It interests me. I moved (back...long story) to a town with a large Native population and started to see some racism. I saw what can be perceived as racism in all age groups, but the only "real" racism was in the older crowd. The younger made the jokes and whatnot, but the older crowd lived it (though not to the point of violence). That's how I saw it then. I didn't make the connect that joking around when younger turns into living the attitude of those jokes later on, if focused on. Which brings me to my main point and my unique angle (because everyone has one) on political correctness.

For the first 27 years of my life, the only thing I had to look forward to was becoming politically incorrect by simple definition the moment I turned 30. Why? I'm a white male. A female is supposed to feel empowered by her gender. Now, I don't disagree with that at all, but if I was to say the same thing about males, I'd be lynched (metaphorically, I'm sure I can outrun a bunch of dames HEY-YO!...sorry ladies, I'll get back on point and I didn't mean it). Another example is that a black man saying "Black Power" is applauded. I wonder what would happen if I went out in public and shouted "White Power"...funny how the same basic sentence can mean two completely different things.

Anyway, I had nothing to look forward to but that until my 27th birthday. That day I experienced the first of a series of symptoms that would, 10 days later, be found to be a Multiple Sclerosis attack. Just to assure everyone, I've seen the MRI with my own eyes, it wasn't a misdiagnosis at all. When I was first told, I felt sick. Then, when the initial shock wore off, I felt fine. I still couldn't see properly or walk or talk properly, but now that I knew it was basically faulty wiring inside me that was causing it, I felt otherwise fine. No real changes.

Fast forward to an incident on these very boards. A few months back, someone (who most likely did not know, but may have, about my condition) called me retarded. I've been called retarded, but this time something hit me. It didn't bother me at all. I felt like it should have bothered me, I mean, you don't call a retard a retard, right? That's what I thought up to that point.

(I'm just going to make a sidenote here and show that I am human and with fault. I hated it before and was against it on principle alone, but now that I have reason to, I have to tell all my white friends that being able to say, "You can't use that word! That's OUR word!" is kind of fun. Not to say I do it for fun, that would be reta...er, stupid. Just that when it bugs me and I do say it, it's nice to not be hearing it after 27 years. My apologies and I hope that doesn't lose me any credibility but, let's be honest, I had none to begin with. Okay, back to the show...)

But this didn't bug me. I've been called much worse than a retard by much better than anyone who would call someone a retard. I figured out that, anyone, knowing or not, who is going to call me a retard, probably isn't the best authority on the subject along with multitudes of others. I don't care what he (was that sexist?) thinks. I actually thought I'd proven to myself the word holds no power. How wrong I was.

A few days later, I was talking to my wife about something or other that I thought was stupid and I said "it's completely retarded." Imagine my surprise when my own remark offended me! The conversation ended right on that word and I suddenly had something very personal to think about. My entire viewpoint of a word, and words are my favourite things on this earth or any other, flipped completely.

You see, I, Like most others, was of the mind that something really stupid is "retarded". I thought the word meant "really, really stupid", despite the fact of knowing the root origins of the word along with its past use and true dictionary meaning. In fact, let's look at that right now.

-Looking at "retarded" it is the past tense of "retard" and also a descriptive word as in "he is retarded", with the exact same root and meaning. It's a French word meaning "slow down" so "retarded" literally means "slowed down".-

Read that again. Is stupid anywhere in there?

So then, is the "you don't call a retard retarded" idea true? To a degree, yes. The same way you don't call a child born out of wedlock a ba...(oops, that's not allowed here...) anyway, you get the picture. The thing is, in both cases, using those words may make you a jerk. It may make you a lot of things but the one thing it won't make you is incorrect.

I have MS. I am, by definition of the word, retarded. My condition slows me down physically and mentally. It hasn't stolen my intillect, rather, my ability to get it out at times, as well as my ability to carry it around, at times.

Call me a retard. Seriously, I do not care one bit. If I already know you, my reaction will depend on our existing relationship. If I don't know you, I'll assume you have a very small vocabulary with a mind to match until proven otherwise. Please do not, however, look at something stupid and call it retarded. It means you think it's as stupid as me, and I'm as stupid as it, for a reason I have no control over.

Now it's at this point that I have to apologize to alex a bit. You see, I'm still, to this day, as guilty as anyone of using that word in that context. The term was actually meant to be clinical, but so was spastic mongoloid. But I, knowingly, use it. I do my best not to, and I'm darn sure not to use it around anyone I don't know, but I use it. I use it because I've always used it and, well, old habits die hard. Alex, I did make a bit of an example of you for a point and I'm sorry for that, it wasn't fair (and had nothing to do with it being you). With that said, I stand by my point as more than valid (I was genuinely offended, though probably not as much as everyone thinks) and I hope you can see the point for what it is past who is saying it. Again, I apologize.

Now, I'm not stupid (though I am ret...nevermind). I know people are always going to use that word in that context in their own homes and in private, etc, etc. It doesn't bother me. I'll be perfectly honest, while I don't throw it around willy-nilly and I don't use it in a derogatory manner, I say the N word more than I probably should (which would be never) in my own home. I'm just not afraid to use the word if that's the word I want to use. You'll have to trust me that I don't use it in a derogatory manner because I'm not going to go into some kind of "Oh, I have black friends so I'm not racist!" kind of non-apology. I use the word in the privacy of my own home and I'm not too good to be honest about it. I will also, in my car with the windows rolled up, not censor myself during an OutKast song. Sue me.

For the record I don't have any black friends. Some native, but none black. I used to be friends with one of the three black kids when I was growing up, but I haven't seen him in years. The black kid I knew best after moving here (and there are not many here either remember) was a dbag and a thief, but that had nothing to do with black. His dad was a helluva nice guy to me for years.

Anyway, my point is don't go nuts. If you're joking around with friends and someone, or you, says "Are you retarded?!" don't go bananas. No one cares what you say then, least of all me. When you're saying something with a point though, something you have put thought into and believe. Even if it's something as simple as a bad TV show, please don't equate me with the stupidity of a show about dinosaurs running around Vancouver (Primeval. Check it out. So bad it's this close to being good). At the same time, you don't have to strike the word from your vocabulary completely, just officially.

It is just a word, let's not be retarded about it.

Now, to turn this into a little more of a discussion, I've admitted to, occasionally, using the N word in the privacy of my own home. I see nothing wrong with it myself. It's not directed at anyone and it is usually in a "hey look at me I'm a stupid racist" satirical kind of way, but I do understand how this confession could make someone, likely African-American, but possibly not, look at me a little differently. I understand how it might be respectable to actually admit this fact instead of hide it like so many "racially sensitive" individuals do. I also understand how it may make some look at me as a closet racist. I get it, but at the same time I don't. I don't understand how using it in a positive or benign (read: non-negative) way is offensive. How could I? So without singling anyone out, I'm hoping maybe an African American can shed some light on this. At the same time, if you want to talk about how POLITICal correctness (just a reminder) relates to you either as a member or non member of any of "these" groups who have "these" words associated with them, please feel free to share. I'm hoping by using words, we can maybe take the power out of them.

I'd sure like to not feel stupid every time something is "retarded" because really, when you think about it...

...it's retarded...oops. ]]> Politics and Religion Wickabee http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953718-POLITICal-correctness What did you learn at church over the weekend? http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953511-What-did-you-learn-at-church-over-the-weekend?goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:42:34 GMT For those of us who went to church/mosque/synagouge this weekend, what did you learn? I went to church yesterday and my bishop talked about the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale from the... For those of us who went to church/mosque/synagouge this weekend, what did you learn? I went to church yesterday and my bishop talked about the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale from the book of Johah. What happened is God told Jonah to do something that he did not want to do. So Jonah bought a ticket out of town thinking he could run from God. While Jonah was on the boat there was a real nasty storm and everyone on the boat panicked except for Jonah who was sleeping. When he finally woke up he realized that the storm was the result of God's anger towards him and he told the crew to throw him overboard. They eventually did where Jonah was swallowed by a whale and was there for 3 days. The whale eventually spit Johna up and he decided to do what God wanted him to do. The moral of the story was that we may not do what God wants us to do but he will teach us a lesson about not listening to him but he is also a God of mutiple chances. ]]> Politics and Religion mrveggieman http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953511-What-did-you-learn-at-church-over-the-weekend Lesbian student kicked out of University for....you guessed it....being a Lesbian. http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953264-Lesbian-student-kicked-out-of-University-for-you-guessed-it-being-a-Lesbian?goto=newpost Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:57:00 GMT http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/danielle-powell-grace-university_n_3428514.html ^OK, the school is a private university, so they can legally do this. But it just points out that... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3428514.html

^OK, the school is a private university, so they can legally do this.

But it just points out that obsession that fundamentalist christians hold with sexual activity.

The worst part of this story is that the University is refusing to transfer the credits this student earned until she pays back the SCHOLARSHIP she earned to help pay for her classes.

This is seriously very messed up.

And it's stories like this that make christianity look very bad.

It's a shame fundamentalists can't be sensible.


EDIT: BTW, the School said she could stay but she would have to enter a "restoration" program where she had to STOP BEING GAY and attend church.

In other words, they tried to brainwash her away from being a lesbian.

She couldn't do it....not surprising.


EDIT #2: The school supposedly holds a position that ANY sexual "immorality" is subject to judiciary review.

Let me get this straight....

They are telling 18 - 24 year olds not to be "Sexually immoral".....that is hilarious.

And I bet they don't expel straight students for fornicating (Which I'm guessing the majority of them DO fornicate, because almost EVERY American has had sex before marriage).

This university is a Joke and I hope this bad publicity will grow and they lose many potential students, because it is seriously moronic to try to control the lives of your students. ]]> Politics and Religion JustAlex http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1953264-Lesbian-student-kicked-out-of-University-for-you-guessed-it-being-a-Lesbian The Story of Jephthah http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952741-The-Story-of-Jephthah?goto=newpost Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:28:51 GMT You know, I never knew about this story throughout the whole time I was a christian (dead honest truth) no one ever told me about this story.... However, I eventually came to know about this story... You know, I never knew about this story throughout the whole time I was a christian (dead honest truth) no one ever told me about this story....

However, I eventually came to know about this story a few years after I abandoned my religious faith.....to say the very least, it is horrifying.



^If you don't want to watch the video, it's fine, basically this is a story told in the book of Judges in the OT.

About a man named Jephthah and how he sacrificed his daughter to god.

Yes, you heard me right....and BTW, when I told this story to my christian friends they didn't believe me.....because they too had never been told of this story. ]]> Politics and Religion JustAlex http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952741-The-Story-of-Jephthah ‘We’re Tapped Out’: Detroit Emergency Manager Proposes Plan To Creditors http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952482-‘We’re-Tapped-Out’-Detroit-Emergency-Manager-Proposes-Plan-To-Creditors?goto=newpost Sat, 15 Jun 2013 04:46:18 GMT *June 14, 2013 4:01 PM* *DETROIT (WWJ) – *There’s still a 50-50 chance Detroit will file for bankruptcy. That’s according to Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, who has detailed a plan for... June 14, 2013 4:01 PM


DETROIT (WWJ) – There’s still a 50-50 chance Detroit will file for bankruptcy.
That’s according to Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, who has detailed a plan for the city’s financial future in a 134-page proposal to creditors.

Orr on Friday sat down in a closed-door meeting with about 150 creditors, bond holders and unions to discuss the city’s fiscal situation, seeking concessions that would save Detroit millions of dollars in payments.
Perhaps the most dramatic aspect of his plan: Orr said, starting now, there will be a moratorium on debt payments for all unsecured funded debt. Creditors are being asked to take about 10 cents on the dollar of what’s owed them. Underfunded pension claims would get less.

This latest comes as Detroit continues to spend more money than it takes in as revenue. The city’s budget deficit could top $380 million by July 1, and Orr now estimates the city’s long-term debt at $20 billion.
“This is not a jaded effort just to get to a bankruptcy filing,” said Orr, addressing reporters following Friday’s meeting. ”I sincerely want people to behave rationally and take this opportunity to work together.”
As part of the proposal, Orr said he wants to invest $1.25 billion in the city for police and fire; and $500 million to fight blight.

The plan also includes sweeping changes to pension and health care benefits, which Orr said he’ll discuss at a meeting with unions and pension leaders next Thursday.
“What the average Detroiter needs to understand is that where we are right now is a culmination of years and years and years of kicking the can down the road,” said Orr, adding that his proposal should not be seen as a “hostile act” but as a step in the right direction.

“We’re tapped out,” Orr said. ”We need to come up with a plan to restructure our debt obligations and our legacy obligations going forward — that is: pension, other employee benefits, health care, so on and so forth.”
Orr said there are about 10,000 current city workers, roughly 20,000 city retirees, and 700,000 Detroit residents.
“We have to strike a balance between our legacy obligations to our creditors, our employees and our retirees, and the duty we have as a city to 700,000 residents to give them lights, police, fire, emergency management, clean streets,” Orr said.

As part of his report, Orr details what led the city to this point. “During the past several decades, the City of Detroit (the “City”) has experienced changes that have adversely affected the economic circumstances of the City and its residents,” the report states — citing, among other thing, the city’s declining population, high unemployment rate, eroding tax base, high crime rate, and plummeting credit rating.
What Orr’s proposal does not include is the much-discussed possibility that Detroit should sell Belle Isle, or the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection.
Orr, a Washington-based bankruptcy attorney, was hired by the state in March after a financial emergency was declared in Detroit.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/06/...-to-creditors/ ]]> Politics and Religion Zimbow http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952482-‘We’re-Tapped-Out’-Detroit-Emergency-Manager-Proposes-Plan-To-Creditors Interesting question http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952213-Interesting-question?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:55:07 GMT Duane bought this up in another thread and I say why not make it into it's own thread. This question is mainly geared to people who are in favor of abortion but like always anyone with an opinion is welcome to chime in. The question is would you be ok with abortion being outlawed except for cases or sexual abuse/incest/a medical need in exchange for legalized gay marriage all throughout the United sStates. ]]> Politics and Religion mrveggieman http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952213-Interesting-question Nazi commander in SS-led unit found living in Minnesota http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952191-Nazi-commander-in-SS-led-unit-found-living-in-Minnesota?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:17:19 GMT What do you think should be done to these guys when they are caught? http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/06/14/nazi_commander_in_ssled_unit_found_living_in_minnesota.html What do you think should be done to these guys when they are caught?

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/20...minnesota.html ]]> Politics and Religion mrveggieman http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952191-Nazi-commander-in-SS-led-unit-found-living-in-Minnesota Gregg Popovich Blasts Racists Against 11-Year-Old National Anthem Singer http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952185-Gregg-Popovich-Blasts-Racists-Against-11-Year-Old-National-Anthem-Singer?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:09:38 GMT http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2013/06/gregg-popovich-blasts-racists-against-11-year-old-national-anthem-singer/ http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba...anthem-singer/ ]]> Politics and Religion mrveggieman http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952185-Gregg-Popovich-Blasts-Racists-Against-11-Year-Old-National-Anthem-Singer <![CDATA[Texas Gov. Perry signs 'Merry Christmas' bill into law.]]> http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952180-Texas-Gov-Perry-signs-Merry-Christmas-bill-into-law?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:46:07 GMT ---Quote--- Surrounded by sleigh bell-ringing Santa Claus impersonators, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a law protecting Christmas and other holiday celebrations in Texas public schools from...
Quote:
Surrounded by sleigh bell-ringing Santa Claus impersonators, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a law protecting Christmas and other holiday celebrations in Texas public schools from legal challenges - but also stressed that freedom of religion is not the same thing as freedom from religion.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...est=latestnews


 ]]> Politics and Religion notes2us http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952180-Texas-Gov-Perry-signs-Merry-Christmas-bill-into-law Rubio: ‘I’m done’ if immigration bill includes gay couple amendment http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952093-Rubio-‘I’m-done’-if-immigration-bill-includes-gay-couple-amendment?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:25:18 GMT Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a co-author and key proponent of the Senate immigration bill, said he will revoke his support if an amendment is added that allows gay Americans to petition for... Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a co-author and key proponent of the Senate immigration bill, said he will revoke his support if an amendment is added that allows gay Americans to petition for same-sex spouses living abroad to secure a green card.

"If this bill has in it something that gives gay couples immigration rights and so forth, it kills the bill. I'm done," Rubio said Thursday during an interview on the Andrea Tantaros Show. "I'm off it, and I've said that repeatedly. I don't think that's going to happen and it shouldn't happen. This is already a difficult enough issue as it is."

The amendment, introduced by Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, would grant green cards to foreign partners of gay Americans. Leahy originally introduced the measure during the Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the bill, but he withdrew it under pressure from Republican lawmakers who said it would reduce the chance of the bill passing.

The effort underway in Congress to overhaul the nation's immigration system is a bipartisan one, and its success hinges on a fragile coalition of political, business and religious groups that span the ideological spectrum. Opponents of Leahy's amendment have said repeatedly that his proposal would cause some key groups to withdraw their support and kill the bill. Rubio's exit would be especially devastating to its survival.
The Senate is expected to vote on Leahy's amendment soon.


In the interview, Rubio also said that as the bill is currently written, it has "no chance" of passing.
"If the border situation is not improved in this bill, this bill won't pass," he said. "It won't pass the Senate and it has no chance in the House. It won't become a law and we're wasting our time."

This article has been updated to more accurately define Sen. Leahy's amendment.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/r...160223193.html ]]> Politics and Religion Zimbow http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952093-Rubio-‘I’m-done’-if-immigration-bill-includes-gay-couple-amendment <![CDATA[U.S.: Syria used chemical weapons, crossing "red line"]]> http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952089-U-S-Syria-used-chemical-weapons-crossing-quot-red-line-quot?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:18:33 GMT Updated at 6:38 p.m. ET

The Obama administration has concluded that Syrian President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons against the rebels seeking to overthrow him and, in a major policy shift, President Obama has decided to supply military support to the rebels, the White House announced Thursday.
"The president has made a decision about providing more support to the opposition that will involve providing direct support to the [Supreme Military Council]. That includes military support," Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes told reporters.

President Obama has repeatedly said that the use of chemical weapons is a "red line" that, if crossed, would be a "game changer" for more U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war.
"The President has been clear that the use of chemical weapons - or the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist groups - is a red line for the United States," said Rhodes in a separate written statement.

"The President has said that the use of chemical weapons would change his calculus, and it has," he continued.
In terms of further response, Rhodes said, "we will make decisions on our own timeline" and that Congress and the international community would be consulted. Mr. Obama is heading to Northern Ireland Sunday for a meeting of the G8 group of nations; Rhodes indicated the president will consult with leaders of those countries.

"Any future action we take will be consistent with our national interest, and must advance our objectives, which include achieving a negotiated political settlement to establish an authority that can provide basic stability and administer state institutions; protecting the rights of all Syrians; securing unconventional and advanced conventional weapons; and countering terrorist activity," Rhodes said.
To date, the U.S. policy on Syria has primarily focused on offering the rebels nonlethal assistance and humanitarian aid.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who met with the rebels last month and has been a vocal critic of the president's Syria policy said in a joint statement with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.: "We appreciate the President's finding that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on several occasions. We also agree with the President that this fact must affect U.S. policy toward Syria. The President's red line has been crossed. U.S. credibility is on the line. Now is not the time to merely take the next incremental step. Now is the time for more decisive actions."

"A decision to provide lethal assistance, especially ammunition and heavy weapons, to opposition forces in Syria is long overdue, and we hope the President will take this urgently needed step" they added. Former President Bill Clinton this week, at a private event with McCain, also ratcheted up pressure for the White House to increase its support to the rebels.

However, Rhodes would not detail the type of military support the administration intends on providing. He said helping the opposition improve their effectiveness as a fighting force means helping with "nonlethal assistance" such as communications equipment and transportation. "These are things that allow them to cohere as a unit," he said.
He added, meanwhile, that no decision has been made about enforcing a no-fly zone over Syria. "A no-fly zone... would carry with it open-ended costs for the international community," Rhodes said. "Furthermore, there's not even a clear guarantee that it would dramatically improve the situation on the ground."

Rhodes laid out the intelligence assessment that led to the president's decision saying the U.S. intelligence community determined "that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year."

Rhodes added that "the intelligence community estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date; however, casualty data is likely incomplete."

Although that is a small fraction of the more than 90,000 who have died in the civil war, Rhodes said "the use of chemical weapons violates international norms and crosses clear red lines that have existed within the international community for decades."

"We believe that the Assad regime maintains control of these weapons," Rhodes continued. "We have no reliable, corroborated reporting to indicate that the opposition in Syria has acquired or used chemical weapons."

The conflict in Syria has raged on since March 2011 when Assad began cracking down on protesters inspired by the Arab Spring. The war has fallen along ethnic lines, between the Sunni rebels and Assad's Alawite-dominated regime. Rhodes said today that the use of chemical weapons adds an element of urgency to the situation, as does the influx of foreign pro-Assad fighters from Hezbollah and Iran.

While Mr. Obama has said unequivocally that Assad must go, the administration has said it's still aiming for his regime to engage with the opposition to reach a political settlement. In the absence of a political settlement, Rhodes said Syria would be left with "for all intents and purposes, a civil war" that Hezbollah and Iran would jump into. Syria's position in the heart of the Middle East makes the scenario particularly unpredictable.

Rhodes further added that the end of the Assad regime should not have to necessitate the disillusionment in all elements of the state. "There is a future for those in the Assad regime who are willing to accept the end of Bashar Assad's reign but are willing to work for a better future for Syria," he said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-...sing-red-line/ ]]> Politics and Religion Zimbow http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952089-U-S-Syria-used-chemical-weapons-crossing-quot-red-line-quot Religious Experience http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952030-Religious-Experience?goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:17:14 GMT My professor, Dr Young, quoted his book in our lecture, these two sentences are quite brilliantly written, so I thought I would share. The class is, the introduction to the study of religion, which... My professor, Dr Young, quoted his book in our lecture, these two sentences are quite brilliantly written, so I thought I would share.
The class is, the introduction to the study of religion, which is about studying religion from various disciplines and approaches, not scrutinizing them or looking for truths or lies.

here is the quote;

Quote:
religious experience involves an immediate awareness of something that transcends the realm of ordinary experience and ordinary ways of comprehending experience. This does not necessarily mean that the experience does not involve the events and things of ordinary experience, but rather that a new dimension is added to our perception of them.

Youn Woon ko, Introduction to the Study of Religion, 2012, zip publishing ]]> Politics and Religion shrewsbury http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1952030-Religious-Experience <![CDATA[NSA Leaker - Says "The US Hacks China"]]> http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1951420-NSA-Leaker-Says-quot-The-US-Hacks-China-quot?goto=newpost Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:48:53 GMT Oh boy this is about to get really good ... (Rubs hands, and reaches for the Popcorn) http://www.cnn.com/?hpt=sitenav Can of Worms, and a Can of Whoop-Bottom, opened at the same time Oh boy this is about to get really good ... (Rubs hands, and reaches for the Popcorn)

http://www.cnn.com/?hpt=sitenav



Can of Worms, and a Can of Whoop-Bottom, opened at the same time ]]> Politics and Religion centrehice http://www.sportscardforum.com/threads/1951420-NSA-Leaker-Says-quot-The-US-Hacks-China-quot