The Advantages of Heaven and Hell

This entry is part 14 of 36 in the series Deep Thoughts

We started our series on Smart Thoughts with Mark Twain, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I love many of his writings, and have lots of his sayings on this site. On of my favorite writings by Twain is his “The War Prayer.” It’s a short essay, and if you have never read it, you should.

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Lutheran Church Denies Services To Transgendered Person

A report from Associated Press says Anoka County officials are refusing to send any more clients to a church that denied day care to a trans-sexual client. The county’s social services department has been sending disabled senior citizens and other vulnerable adults who need care during the day to Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Francis. But the conservative Missouri Synod church turned away a client who had undergone surgery to be changed from a man into a woman. Associate pastor John Maxfield says the man’s decision is “contrary to God’s revealed will”.

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KY University Kicks Gay Student to the Curb

The University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky., has kicked out a sophomore because he revealed he was gay on his MySpace.com page, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The university has a policy that says, “Any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles (including sex outside marriage and homosexuality) may be suspended or asked to withdraw from the University of the Cumberlands.”

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The Brokeback Mountain Battle in the War on Christians

The past year, a “War on Christianity” has been suggested by those imbedded in the rear guard. Just two weeks ago, a conference titled, “War on Christians” was held in Washington, D.C., of course only 300 participants showed up. (Just like Washington…to hold a war without enough troops.) Obviously, there’s a possible difference of opinion on whether or not such a war really exists. But a little focus is never a bad thing when it comes to understanding.

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Which Kids Grow Up to Be Liberals and Which Become Conservative

University of California at Berkley professor Jack Block and his late wife, Jeanne Bock, tracked almost one hundred children for two decades. From nursery school on, the kids were studied and interviewed–without any sense of political bias. The whiniest, least confident kids were those who grew up to be uncomfortable with ambiguity, who toed a rigid line on social issues, and who were, for the most part, right wingers. The kids who were loose, interesting, and willing to challenge authority ended up being liberals.

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