Absurd Headline: Atheists tend to be more Intelligent than Religious People

Comedian Bill Maher said, "I think religion is a neurological disorder." Christopher Hitchins said, "the person who is certain and claims divine warranty for his certainty belongs now to the infancy of the species.' And of course, Frederick Nietzsche, the consummate atheist says, "In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point."  Oh yeah, he also said, "God is dead." WHEW!!

I guess these famous atheists (actually, Bill Maher says he believes in God--not religion) have been validated because the U.K. online paper, "The Mail Online", bellowed a headline that began with the following, "Atheists tend to be more intelligent than religious people" (according to a U.S. study done at the University of Rochester). Researchers found that those with high IQs had greater self-control and were able to do more for themselves. They also have better self-esteem and build more supportive relationships."

Look, I am just a blue-collar guy and sparring with this cerebral, high-browed, intellectual stuff is a bit intimidating for me. But PUH-LEASE. How did they ever come up with such "facts"? As far as IQ tests are concerned I know some folks that, based on IQ scores, have brilliant minds sans much commons sense. Some of them seem to have a bit of a problem as they navigate the pathways of life itself. My hybrid observations have shown me that those folks are easily offended and, as a defense mechanism,mask their true feelings and become downright obnoxious when all they really want is to be like everyone else. As for myself, I hated taking IQ tests and received lousy scores which explains my simple perception of the geniuses around me.

I hate to disagree with these uppity University findings but it seems to me that many of those who believe in God and  a religion to worship Him have no problem with self-esteem even though the findings show differently. Hey, University of Rochester folks--did you factor in humility? Yeah--religion can instill  a sense of humility in people which would negate the self-pomposity caused by pride and not be self-esteem at all. Did you ever hear of the word Ego? These findings need to be re-evaluated immediately.

We live in a seemingly secular world. The combined media of print, broadcast, cyber, and instantaneous, promotes self-gratification, self-indulgence and swats away like a pesky fly the idea of self-control and self-denial. We are in the Age of Relativism. If it "feels good" it is okay. I say that is nonsense. I say that there are  millions and millions of people, all over the world who believe in God or a Divine Entity they might call a different name. I say that most of these people worship God guided by some kind of religion. The pseudo intellectuals who are "intelligent" enough to have rationalized away the existence of a Creator have waltzed themselves right into a barren field empty of Hope. They have used their smarts to outsmart themselves. It is actually sad. At this point in time they seem to be getting their way with the anti-God, no-God propaganda but their narrative has been built on sand and will fail. That is what I  call "natural selection" when God is in the equation.

As a Catholic man I shall ask God to give them the necessary grace so they might take an objective look at the perfection in the natural world around them. A rising  sun every 24 hours, not 23 or 25. The change in seasons, the new birth of a springtime, day and night, sunshine and moonshine, baby ducks following their mom.

The most sophisticated iPhone did not build itself. The folks who did were able to do so only because of the perfection in the world around them. Without that perfection we could not have the certainty of mathematics or the laws of physics. That iPhone could never have been. As for me, I choose  to admire with awe those baby ducks.

On the anniversary of his martyrdom we remember St. Maximilian Kolbe

 On this date in 1941, Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest and a prisoner of the Nazi's incarcerated at the Auschwitz death camp, traded his life to save the life a man who had a family. They starved him for ten days and then finished him off with an injection of carbolic acid. He was 47 years old. He was canonized a saint on Oct 10, 1982 by JPII and is the patron of drug addicts and the imprisoned. The man he saved was reunited with his family after the war and was present at St. Maximilian's canonization. St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.


St. Maximilian Kolbe
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  





   

It Makes Sense to Me: The "Tipping Point" is Approaching and God has Ou...

It Makes Sense to Me: The "Tipping Point" is Approaching and God has Ou...: What are the "Good Old Days"? I heard that cliche when I was growing up and I can remember thinking when I heard it , Oh no, not a...

The "Tipping Point" is Approaching and God has Our Backs

by Larry Peterson

What are the "Good Old Days"? I heard that cliche when I was growing up and I can remember thinking when I heard it , Oh no, not another speech about when "I was in school or when I was growing up or when this was this way or that cost this much and that was when people had respect for a dollar" and so on and so on. I always hated that and I am sure that my eyes did not get stuck in a rolled up position because I always lowered them quickly when I heard, "Don't you be rolling those eyes at me young man!" 

Then I grew up, got married, we had kids and my wife and I said the same things to our kids and they rolled their eyes up inside their foreheads and now I hear  them doing that to their kids. So the beat goes on and the world keeps turning and the generations come and go and some things change and some things never change. Things like technology and medical advancements have given us amazing things and expanded our life expectancy dramatically. Heck, I still cannot figure out how you can pause a live television program and play it later. That doesn't even make sense to my geriatric brain. These are good things.

What about our Nation? Have the changes we have seen over the past half century become so permanently instilled into the younger folks that there is no turning back? I am talking about  attitudes, common decency, morality, honor and integrity, love of God, family and country. 'That's what I'm talking about' (which is a new age cliche). Well, I'll tell you why we not only can, I will tell you why we will.

The 1960's began with the end of the Eisenhower presidency and the transition to the Kennedy Presidency, aka "Camelot". Well,  Camelot was shattered  with President Kennedy's assassination. The war in Vietnam was in its early stages and President Johnson expanded our role. The draft was still the law of the land and all young men were required to register when they turned 18 years old. As the war expanded protests erupted on college campuses all over the country.  "Hell no, we won't go" was a popular slogan of the day.

President Johnson declined to run again and in January, 1969, Richard Nixon was sworn in as president. Troop deployment in Vietnam soon surpassed 500,000. Needless to say, one of the defining moments of the decade of the 60's was the unexpected and spontaneous Woodstock Festival that took place in upstate New York in August of 1969. Over 400, 000 young people descended on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY for this event. (The concert was NOT in Woodstock. Rather, it was 45 miles southwest. The organizers could not get a permit to have it in Woodstock.)  Anyway, in pouring rain and without sanitation facilities, the young folks partied hard for three days and turned "Woodstock" into a symbol of a new age. The age of "meism" was officially upon us.

So why, in a ten year period, did so many of the liberal minded in this Woodstock generation who were  flexing the muscles of "meism" turn to Ronald Reagan and his conservative mantra and cast "meism" to the curb? I believe it was religion. There was a revival of sort throughout the 70's and millions of baby-boomers were "born again". Now, in 2013, it seems that we have turned totally secular. The past five years have witnessed an actual attack against God being part of Country. The leftist liberal press and  the executive branch  of our government have been on a quest to separate the two. It cannot be done and the attempt to do so will ultimately fail. Many do believe it is too late? Many believe that we have passed the point of no-return. I say, "nonsense". Please, do not roll your eyes at me.

Look, there are millions and millions of Americans who believe in God and Family and Country. Just like when Ronald Reagan came along and was swept into office in a landslide, I think we are getting close to that point again. Maybe it is a bit further down the road than I think it is. But it is there. The 'tipping point" will be reached soon and the power structure will be changed. God has our backs--no problem.




                                    copyright©2013 Larry Peterson All Rights Reserved

Meet Fr. Richard Ho-Lung; Is He the 21st Century Version of Mother Theresa?

CANDLES IN THE DARK: the Authorized Biography of Father Richard Ho-Lung and The Missionaries of the Poor

Posted on August 3, 2013 by LarryPeterson

CANDLES IN THE DARK: the Authorized Biography of Father Richard Ho-Lungand The Missionaries of the Poor

Written by: Joseph Pearce

Published by St. Benedict Press, 2013,   Charlotte, NC 28241   259 pages

“Thank You, Joseph Pearce”. In an age where the priesthood is constantly under attack, you have given us the story of a present-day priest who is so filled with an unconditional love for the poorest of the poor, the handicapped, the mentally challenged and the unborn that this love has already changed the world in the darkest of places. When I finished reading this book I closed it and simply stared at the picture of the man on the book jacket. I had never heard of him and here I was, suddenly transfixed by the gentle, Christ filled face looking back at me.

Father Ho-Lung and his missionaries work in the most disgusting, filthy, squalid and unclean places imaginable, caring for weakest and most vulnerable of God’s creations. Father Ho-Lung and his followers have given away all their personal belongings, taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience,  put smiles on their faces and followed  their motto, “Joyful Service with Christ on the Cross”.

Richard Ho-Lung’s parents came to Jamaica from China in the mid 1930s. Richard was born in 1939. His parents were Buddhists, and, in his formative years, Richard was raised Buddhist. His mother taught him to respect the earth and all of the wonders of nature. His father had an affinity  for the poor and taught Richard to “never forget the poor people of Jamaica, no matter what”. That sense of caring by his father has stayed with Father Richard his entire life.

If “less is more” I must pull in the reins on this review. There is so much in this book that will inspire you. For example, Father Ho-Lung is called the “reggae priest” because he wrote hit songs that topped the music charts and even rivaled the greatest “reggae” musician of all time, Bob Marley. Father Ho-Lung developed the “Caribbean Mass” with his cultural music and to this day writes music that is used to raise money for his order, the Missionaries of the Poor.

I would love to see this book read, or at least referenced, in all Catholic High-schools. I would love all young people to know of this man, whom some have dubbed “The 21st Century Mother Theresa”.  Father Richard Ho-Lung has been called the ‘reggae priest”, the “renegade priest”, the “dancing priest” and the “fiery priest”. However, Father’s favorite title is that of “ghetto priest”. That is where he works, where he lives and where he will die.

Please consider getting this book. It chronicles the life of a simple man, his conversion from Buddhism to Catholicism, his improbable ordination as a Jesuit priest, his hand-in-hand walk with Pope John Paul II to the sanctuary when the Holy Father visited Jamaica in 1993, his founding of the Missionaries of the Poor who today number over 500 members from 13 countries. (In 2011 the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters were formed.)

Father Richard Ho-Lung: lover of the downtrodden, the ill and the handicapped; lover of the beggars and  peasants and a bellowing voice for the unborn; Father Richard Ho-Lung, who has fought the crime, poverty and injustice that permeates the filthy ghettos of Jamaica; Father Richard Ho-Lung who sat on the floor with Mother Theresa, just talking, when she visited Jamaica. Both she and Pope John Paul II have been declared “BLESSED” by the church. One day I believe that Father Ho-Lung will join their ranks.  Seeing how Christ’s love is amongst us through his priesthood bolsters our faith and reinforces our resolve to fight and defend this faith we have been gifted with.

To the author, Joseph Pearce, once again—Thank you, nicely done.

Hey Atheists, Guess What? We are a Judeo-Christian Nation, Like it or Not.

by Larry Peterson

I consider myself a tolerant man. I have always tried to understand, to the best of my ability, the other side. You know the old cliche, "there are two sides to every story"? Well, guess what. Not this time.

So, here it is. When it comes to one topic it seems the tolerance I always prided myself on has somehow evaporated.  I am so over the atheists, these non-God people, who are trying their utmost to have the name of God removed from everything possible in the country. And I am also sick to death of all the ignorant judges who acquiesce to their foolish demands and to school administrators who cater to the slightest little non-God rant by even one person.Our children deserve better (I digress). Anyway, here is what I do not  understand: since the existence of God and freedom of religion are two separate things how do they get away with all their nonsense?

I guess my tipping point came when the "American Atheist" movement sued Bradford County, FL because it had a monument to the Ten Commandments outside the court house. The County "agreed" (such wooses) to take it down but the people who donated it refused to remove it. So the county compromised and allowed the atheists to erect their own non-God monument next to the Ten Commandment monument. Isn't this absolutely ludicrous. Remember--the existence of God and freedom of religion are two different things.

The beginnings of  the United States had rooted long before the eighteenth century. By 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed,  the words "we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights" were included in that document. The acceptance of a Creator, aka God, was unquestioned.  The Constitution of the United States was ratified on September 17, 1787 and the Bill of Rights on September 25, 1789. The very first Amendment was that which we know as freedom of religion, speech and press.  There was never a question of whether or not God existed. The question was how were we to worship Him. The answer was; any way you choose. The government would make no law establishing or prohibiting any religion. How beautiful is that.

Here is the unvarnished truth: The Constitution of the United States of America was established  based on Judeo-Christian principles. The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing. The very foundation for the Constitution was "Natural Law". What is that? Natural law  is God's law. Ever hear of the Ten Commandments? The Jewish law began with Abraham, moved to Isaac and then to Jacob.  Simply said, Jewish law recognized the individual family as the nucleus of their society. This nucleus developed and grew  into the 12 tribes of Israel and by the time of Moses these 12  tribes had numbered over 600, 000. Then Christianity, rooted in Judaism, merged together and Anglo-Saxon law followed. Along came the Magna Carta in 1215 and 572 years after that our Founding Fathers rooted our Constitution into that unbelievably fertile soil. The tree that grew from that soil was the greatest nation ever seen, the United States of America. Sometime the fruit was not perfect. Sometimes it was downright rotten. But for the most part, the tree grew and flourished. Interestingly, it is rooted in Natural law. I know that this is a simplistic explanation of the Judeo-Christian principle but this information is available to anyone who wants to check it out. 

Our Founders believed in God. They KNEW HE existed. There was no doubt. And these were pretty smart guys. Natural Law, which is included in the Ten Commandments, was the very foundation for our Constitutional republic. That is why the Commandments are in so many court houses around the country including the Supreme Court. They do not tell us what religion to belong to. They do not tell us how to worship God. They just tell us what comes Naturally to all of us. You should not kill, you should not steal, you should not lie, etc. We know these things without being told. How we worship the God who gives us Natural Law is up to us. 

For people to fight against the existence of God as unconstitutional or for judges to agree with that premise is absurd.  I for one am sick of it. I do not care if a person does not believe in God. I do not care if a person worships a rock. Knock yourself out--but leave me alone. I am not bothering you, am I? If  I am, get over it. We are a Judeo-Christian nation, like it or not. We must always remember that a magnificent tree cannot survive if you rip out its roots. Rather, it will wither and die.

Time to UNTEACH Racism--Our Children deserve It

by Larry Peterson

When the verdict was read at the Zimmerman trial the words, "not guilty", reverberated across the entire country. Following  those words a dark and ominous cloud of racial pollution drifted out of that courtroom in Sanford, FL and managed to blanket the entire nation.

Why? The American system of justice had worked, had it not? An impartial jury had weighed all of the evidence and, following the law as instructed by the court, rendered a fair and impartial verdict. Whatever is going on? Isn't that what we wanted? Why all the vitriol? Why all the hatred? Here's why--politics.  Politics has become anathema to the very fabric of our  nation because, for those in  power, their politics trumps God, family and country.

I truly believe that the vast majority of the American people, white, black, brown, red, yellow or whomever, are NOT racists.  The true racists are the ones who foment anarchy using race as the bait. You all know who I mean so no sense going into a litany of names. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, remember? These people are making a mockery of his legacy and turning his "dream" into a nightmare.

See this picture above? The caption is TRUE. Want proof, read on.

The day after the "not guilty" verdict in Sanford, the 49 year-old manager of a Family Dollar store in Tampa was shot to death during a robbery. Horsley Shorter Jr., a 26-year Army veteran, was coming to the aid of the clerk who was being held up.  The clerk he was defending was white. The perpetrator of the crime was a black man. So was Horsley Shorter.

Mr. Horsley cared about helping his fellow man, not the man's skin color. He gave his life so this man might live. I have not heard anything about Horsley Shorter Jr. on any TV or radio programs. Why not? Horsley Shorter is an unsung American hero.  But I guess his story provides no political advantage to anyone? Isn't that a sad thing?

The picture above demonstrates the innocence of children. They do not care about skin color. They just care about each other. Racism enters their lives when mature, narrow-minded people, uneducated and educated alike, teach them to "HATE". It is disgusting and the people who are promulgating and playing this "race card" have perverted the enormous gains that have been made between whites and blacks over the last century.

From the bully-pulpit commanded by the President, to the Attorney General, to the former Secretary of State and U.S.Senator, to the Sharptons, and Jacksons and Hollywood know-nothing elitists; it is time for all of you to start preaching brotherhood. Our children deserve that. All of us do.

                      ©Larry Peterson  2013 All Rights Reserved

For Kids (Adults too) Overcoming Differences: You Can Do It !!

Review Redux:  Slippery Willies Stupid, Ugly Shoes

5.0 out of 5 stars Overcoming Differences: You Can Too! 

By 

Sweet'n Treats - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes (Hardcover)

I had the opportunity to review a children's book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes by Larry Peterson. It is an easy read for school-aged children where they can relate to the message. Peterson depicts an excellent message that is it okay to be different than everyone else and sometimes your own fear is the biggest hurdle. Many children face bullying in school by their peers and this story gives children courage to be themselves.

I wanted to read this to my daughter but it is a little too mature for her age right now but I would love to purchase the book for her to have when she is older to read and understand the message of accepting differences. Everyone is not the same and you should not put a person down or make fun of them because they are not like you.
                                          **********************

Scroll down on right to a Story Cub presentation of Slippery Willie and to view the book trailer

 

Faith Can Move Mountains, if You Believe: An Amazing Book

Review Redux:  The Priest & The Peaches  from 2012

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book!, 

By 

N. Medina "LizzieBeth" (WTBY, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Priest and the Peaches (Kindle Edition)

Often times, faith is something almost all of us have a hard time in having. Believing in something you can't see is testing, most especially for those of us who have strayed from the Lord's path. Believing in his goodness, in the fact that he'll lead us along the righteous path, well, it can honestly be trying. The reason for this is because for some, the trials and tribulations they face along the way hard from them to place their trust in a being they're really not sure exists.

For the Peaches, both young and old, their lives haven't been that easy. The children lost their mother and grandmother at a very young age and have dealt with the consequences of their deaths ever since then. When their father falls ill, the children realize it's another blow of disappointment they've been dealt with - a disappointment none of them wish to deal with just yet. Despite this, they're determined to band together in hopes of helping their father through his ordeal.

The task of keeping the family afloat falls upon Joanie and Teddy's hands, the oldest of the Peach children. Beeker, Dancer, and Joey don't quite understand what's going on, but for their father's sake, they're willing to pretend that everything is fine and dandy. Unbeknownst to the Peach children, their problems are just beginning.

When their father takes a turn for the worse and dies unexpectedly, Joanie, Teddy, and the children must find the strength within themselves to face the adversity that has now been lain at their feet. Their faith has been shattered and each one of them begin to wonder as to whether they'll be able to bounce back from the brink of a darkness that seems intent on engulfing each and every one of them. Determined to pick up the pieces of a life they'd once known, Joanie and Teddy do their best to keep their family together.

The children's unexpected saving grace arrives in the form of Father Sullivan, a man who believes completely in the blessings and virtues extoled by God himself. His faith is firmly cemented in the fact that God will provide for his flock no matter what happens along the way. Father Sullivan has tried to make this fact known to all those he meets wherever his feet have taken him. While there are a good many that shun the message he tries to deliver, he knows that there are a good many who will take the Lord's words into their hearts and do the best they can with what they've been given - a certainty that becomes apparent when the safety and well-being of the Peach children inadvertently lands in his hands.

This was such a beautiful story. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to anyone for reading. It's meaning, and the lessons found throughout the story, will touch a soul to its very core. While this is a Catholic fiction story, I think it's one that will leave the person reading with a better understanding of God, of faith, of death, and even of life, be it whether they're a religious person or not.

We're able to feel the Peach family's pain, their laughter, their fears, and their triumphs as they seek to make the most of a situation that is way out of their control. We're able to watch a family grow within a period of seven days while faced with an adversity that, at times, seems to want to topple the family altogether. The fact that they're able to bounce back and find strength and meaning within the very world they live in goes to show us that anything is possible only if you believe.

It's like a Christian song that was taught to me when I was little, if your faith is like that of a small mustard seed, you can move mountains. The book made me realize that it's very much true. Anything is possible, but only if you believe. More so, if you believe that God will be there with you no matter what comes your way.

"The Book is a Winner and has a Message for all Ages"

Review Redux:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Ten of 2012

By 

susan mahoney - 

This review is from: The Priest and the Peaches (Kindle Edition)

Is an amazing heart wrenching story about a family and their bond with each other, the unseen forces and the people in their lives. The family consists of a father and five children living together under one roof. They lost their mother to illness and their dad became lose in the world of alcohol and grief. He loves his family and does the best he can consider the circumstances.

When a tragedy hits the Peaches Family they have to fend for themselves and became a close knit family. More calamities occur and they are lost in a personal tumult storm and experience events that were detrimental yet they are courageous, miraculous and the trails transform them all. Their father was as I was seeing my own father when alive; a man who would give his own shirt off his back to help his neighbor and kept his deeds quiet. His mantra of L.Y.N. is such a powerful tonic of unconditional love and teaches others to share. The theme of paying forward had this reader reaching for the tissue box.

The hidden poetry of the story was so familiar to this reader's life I felt as I was reliving some of my childhood experiences and was being pulled into a whirling pool of emotions, from love, anger, hatred and finally forgiveness. The writer has the gift of a master in explaining the secret of how pride, anger and hatred blocks the wondrous gifts that were meant to be cherish, and are lost in the rush of daily life of all business and some strangers and loved ones unleashing their selfish ego attitudes it is not to be spiteful but to hide behind the defenses so they do not have to unveil their broken hearts and shame secrets. I think this author is trying to tell the readers to keep their priorities in order and live life as it was meant to be and let the petty things go.

Everyone in this story is like a family member and it is easy to connect with each one. It was like my uncle and aunt was whispering to me and sharing wisdom with this reader. It is filled with knowledge, love, hope and faith and mysteries we all ponder about.

This author broke down all those barriers by writing a touching soul wrenching story about trials in life and shows with faith anything is possible. The twists and life rituals of this wonderful family and their personal journey through heart ache to victory is very inspiration and has this reader thinking about returning back to her former faith and strive harder to release the human qualities of pride and ego; to connect more with a higher force which may be the answer to live on this planet and we should live as in Let It Be as in the Beatles song.

This book is a winner and has a message for all ages. I was joyfully taken hostage by the story and sad to be release. This reader definitely looks forward to read more enlightening stories from this writer. This choice will probably stay as my number one choice for 2012.