Friday, November 18, 2005

WISDOM AND FOLLY

“The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.”

(Proverbs 14:24)

QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

“If fifty million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”

(Anatole France)

“It is not wise to test the depth of the water with both feet.”

(African Proverb)

FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCATION
OF MAINE TEAMS UP WITH
AL FRANKEN TO CELEBRATE
DEFEAT OF ABSTINENCE-ONLY PROGRAM

When Maine became only the third state in the nation to turn down abstinence only sex education, The Family Planning Association of Maine celebrated by immediately sending its Executive Director, Nicole Clegg, to appear on the Al Franken show on Air America. Clegg boasted that Maine has one of the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the nation because of comprehensive sex education. Clegg told Franken that gay and lesbian youth were “denied” a safe environment when abstinence-only sex education is taught. During the interview Franken commented that Governor Baldacci is “very much a health care governor.”

Clegg contacted Franken because of his high-profile criticism of abstinence-only sex education. During the show, Franken mocked President Bush and conservatives such as Bill Bennett as hypocrites for advocating abstinence. Clegg warned Franken that the group Heritage of Maine was advocating abstinence-only sex education, and poked fun at the group for advocating modest clothing for young women. Clegg also criticized Heritage of Maine for saying that the standard for sexuality should be a monogamous marriage. Franken agreed that the government shouldn’t hold up marriage as a standard.

The website of the Family Planning Association of Maine is asking people to thank Governor Baldacci and Health Commissioner Dora Ann Mills for defeating the abstinence-only program.

You can hear the show at http://shows.airamericaradio.com/alfrankenshow/maine

NEW AGE NUTTINESS

No, it’s not a rock garden...

Bizarre rock formations are showing up in various places around the state. Currently they are found at more than a dozen locations, including two in Brunswick and one in Lewiston. The rocks are laid out in a geometrical pattern resembling a crop circle.

The rock formations are called “labyrinths” and are closely associated with so-called “Pagan” religions. As such they are a sad commentary on the confusion and hopelessness of those trapped in New Age religions and the occult.

The ceremony associated with the pile of rocks is called “walking the labyrinth.” As the person enters the maze he is asked to begin meditating and ask himself a question he needs an answer to. By walking slowly through the pile of rocks, one becomes “enlightened” as one reaches the center. Practitioners are advised to keep their eyes open as they walk through the rocks for fear of stumbling. Unlike magic crystals, which are said to have certain properties according to their color and shape, any sort of rock will do, provided they are heavy, large, and of a regular size. The pesky rocks can be done away with completely by printing the labyrinth on an indoor mat, allowing people to close their eyes, as long as they stay within the printed lines.  After repeated walks through the maze one is said to be become “strengthened” and “empowered.”

Click here to see the indoor labyrinth at the First Parish United Church of Christ in Brunswick.  

http://www.firstparish.net/proglabyrinth.html 

GOOD AND BAD MUSIC

“There is no difficulty in seeing that grace or the absence of grace is the effect of good or bad rhythm. If our youth are to do their work in life they must make these graces and harmonies their perpetual aim.

Therefore, musical training is a more potent instrument than any other because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him, who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful; and also because he who has received this true education of the inner being will most shrewdly perceive omissions or faults in art and nature, and with a true taste, while he praises and rejoices over and receives into his soul the good, and becomes noble and good, he will justly blame the bad, now in the days of his youth, even before he is able to know the reason why; and when reason comes, he will recognize and salute the friend with whom education has made him long familiar. I quite agree with you in thinking that our youth should be trained in music and on the grounds which you mention.”

(Socrates)