IL Padrino

I thought it was very thought provoking. Usually I don't foward this stuff, but I thought this one deserved to get fowarded. If you want, copy and paste it and foward it to your friends.

Dear loved ones,

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .... and I wanted to be with them and share their table.

In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" .. as if the party were in his honor!

At 12 Midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and ... do you know ... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me.

What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party.

I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside.

Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.

As a Christian, I am apalled at some of the most horrible teachings coming from the most popular TV evangelists (Phelps, Clefto Dollar, Benny Hinn)

Why do you think that the falsest of prophets have the biggest audiences and means of giving their message?

while not saying anything to the heterosexual who is not married and fornicating?

I know not everyone is like that, but it seems that some of us really preach against homosexuals but say nothing to the straight fornicator.

My bible tells me that both sins are equally evil in the eyes of God. Along with lying, cheating, stealing, murder, etc. (James 2:10-11)

So why do some of us hold one sin more evil than the other?

Are we being prejudiced to certain sins while tolerating a degree of others?

Your thoughts...?

Like Hussein, Bin Laden, and all communist governments do not allow Christianity in their countries?

Are you secure in your belief, whether it be atheism, Islam or Christianity?

Is God more to you than a cross on your neck or a picture on your wall? Is He more than a symbol or is He just something you like to talk about every now and then, but not take too seriously?

Please, no stupid answers. I'm looking for mature, rational thought, not some juvenile debate.

> Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday

> to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to

> head off potential terror attacks.

>

> A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to

> Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John

> Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a

> crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard,

> hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if

> they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were

> made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country

> which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for

> you", he said on national television.

>

> "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws

> governing people in Australia : one the Australian law and another the

> Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law,

> independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the

> opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then,

> that's a better option", Costello said.

>

> Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said

> those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other

> country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that

> Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off.

> Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want to

> live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can

> basically clear off", he said.

>

> Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying

> he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques Quote: "

> IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT . Take It Or Leave it. I am tired

> of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or

> their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a

> surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

>

> "However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the

> 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that

> our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do

> I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to

> Australia "

>

> "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our

> country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of

> Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our

> sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own

> culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle." "This

> culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and

> victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom" "We speak

> mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian,

> or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our

> society, Learn the language!"

>

> "Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right; wing,

> political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian

> principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is

> certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God

> offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your

> new home, because God is part of our culture ."

>

> "We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is

> that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

> "If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair Go", then

> you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We

> are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really

> don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your

> culture, but do not force it on others.

>

> "This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you

> every opportunity to enjoy all this . But once you are done complaining,

> whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or

> Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great

> Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

>

> "If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here.

> You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

I was thinking about what the world would be like if there weren't criminals...

You wouldn't need police, locks, security systems, etc, and all the numberless careers that go into crime fighting and prevention. But, what would those people be able to do for work? Would there be sufficient jobs in other careers to compensate?

Since they can't see us or understand us, do you think they believe they got their circuits from an explosion in an electronics factory?

How can we build on the positives and supress the negatives?

What do evolutionists say that, if discovered, would prove evolution to be false?

The only one I know of is if we can prove the earth is not billions of years old, then evolution has to be false.

What are some others?

Take a look at this question, the answers and the comments. I think that this is a disgusting display of narrowmindedness and bigotry. These same people who are attacking Christians in this manner would call someone who said the same things about black people a racist. Do they not see the hypocracy in their actions?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060808130...

If so, how? and support your opinion with examples.

I see many questions and answers claiming that inbreeding would cause too many deformed people from incest in the case of Adam and Eve.

Never mind the fact that they don't know if there were any genetic deformities (which there weren't according to the bible), they seem to overlook a very simple point...

Evolution would also need inbreeding to work. In the improbable scenario that a human did evolve from something, a male and female would have to evolve at the same time (doubling the odds by the way). Then they would have to evolve within the same proximity to find each other (significantly increasing the odds).

Then you have an "evolved Adam and Eve".

Not only that, you would have to apply this to every living species.

Either way, you have an inbreeding situation. So, please tell me how it is that evolutionists try to use this argument against creationists?

It seems like just another argument posed in which science doesn't apply to their theory.

Just from this site alone, who would you say is being more offensive, beligirent, and/or judgmental towards others? By judgmental I mean criticizing the individual for their beliefs. Not pointing out specifics in the particular belief itself.

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

If evolution is true, and your thought process is a result of random electrical pulses in your brain, and your brain is a result of random chemicals being formed haphazardly, then how can you trust your own thoughts, reasoning and logic?

How would an athiest determine moral standards? What basis of morality would you use to create laws if you were the leader of a country?