The Old Black Church

"The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." My friend call me the other day and said that her husband of 20 years raped her. I could not believe he would/could do such a horrible thing. That's why I decided to ask that question here. Can Marital Rape In Any Way Be Justified? My answer is no it can not. Other religions or cultures may see women as property, but not our God. He calls us heirs. When we marry, we are not the property of our husband, but we are one with our husband. We give ourselves to our husbands just as they give to us. It's just beautiful. The believing husband is commanded to love his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. He is commanded to love his wife as his own body because "no one ever hate

So, if it is the Lord who has made some to be poor and some to be rich, why then should we try to change our financial state? Shouldn't we say that this is the Lord's will for me to be rich/poor? Why should we help those who are poor since it's the Lord who made them that way? The more I think about rich/poor the more complex it becomes. I say that because we have some people using that Scripture to justify not helping the less among us, There are negatives and positives on both sides. You cannot say that rich is good and poor is evil, or visa versa. There is good and bad in both. Question : How do you see this passages? Does poor mean in spirit or materialism? What do you think.... do the Bible justify not helping the poor?

2 Timothy 3:1-4 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” According to Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators, Brandy Romero told cops that Donna Greenwell contacted her and said that while she could not afford the cockatoo’s price tag, she did have children to trade (in a bid to sell the bird. It appears as if the children, whose mother is a criminal fugitive, have resided with various families over the past several years, and have spent the past year in the custody of Greenwell, a convicted pedophile with a lengthy rap sheet. article here.

Watson and Sons Funeral Home embalmed the remains of Edna Kathleen Woods, 52, after she died of natural causes in November 2007, said Gadsden police Sgt. Jeff Wright. Relatives wanted the body cremated but failed to sign the necessary paperwork or pay owner Harold Watson Sr., he said. After storing the corpse at his funeral home for more than a year, Wright said, the 76-year-old Watson decided to move it because he couldn't reach the woman's family. Someone complained about a foul smell near downtown Gadsden, about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham, and officers on Tuesday found the woman's remains in a cardboard box that was inside a locked hearse parked on a piece of property that Watson owns. Watson was arrested after officers tracked the hearse to him. The body apparently was in the hearse for about two months, and the battery had been removed so no one could move the vehicle, Wright said. Funeral directors with unclaimed bodies can file a petition to have countie

We think of the heart as the center of our emotions. But it's more; it's the origin of our desires, imaginations, motives and intentions. That's why God says, "Above all... guard your heart...it is the well-spring of life. Just like bad fuel makes our car perform badly, Jesus says, "The things that come from the heart makes a man unclean...evil thoughts, murder, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." ( Mt 15:18-19 ). A person produces good deeds from a good heart and evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say and do. ( Lk 6:45 ) This is my thoughtful take on a difficult subject. I agree that putting any 11 year old CHILD in an adult prison is never a good idea. This approach has no benefit at all to our society. Any hope of redemption will be destroyed by putting any child into the destructive atmosphere of adult jail. I believe as long as we can inhale and exhale there's hope. Our "tough on cr

For more than a week, all major publications, including online sites were oozing with praise that Jindal is the GOP's Obama, he is the star, the hope of the Republican party.... and last night was supposed to be his big night as he gave the GOP's rebuttal to Obama's Address to the Congress..... you can see the entire speech on YouTube just google it. I would like to say the pundits reaction were not favorable at all for Jindal. This included some cutting remarks from the right wing, conservative Fox News where pundits who were talking adoringly of Jindal, suddenly realized that Jindal does not have the charm, the skills and the personality to make it on national and international level. Again the Republicans have offered nothing but the usual "tax cuts," "tax cuts," "tax cuts." So, when Gov. Jindal spoke, he repeated the same old GOP talking points. I was not impressed by Jindal or his worn out message. Last night when President Obama

What? Isn't this the image we in Black Americans have been trying to get our kids away from--i.e., that their only hope is to become an athlete or entertainer? Well! is all that work down the drain? Well! is it? If not then how come Wall Street Journal reporter Lee Hawkins is hosting this story about this "world of opportunity." In which he reports on: a generation of self-made, young, black multimillionaires emerging from sports, media and entertainment to live the American dream. . . . It's a world of opportunity. Blacks making it in sports and entertainment is not new. CNBC is heavily advertising this Thursday Night special, called, " NEWBOs: The Rise of America's New Black Overclass ." The ads, featuring pictures of rappers Sean "Diddy" Combs, 'Lil Wayne, and Wyclef Jean, LeBron James, and assorted other pro athletes, tout these men as "THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM." Anyway, Mr. Hawkins has developed a new term for th

Brain Stuff . . . From Cambridge University. O lny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !! lave a coimeit.

What if, you're surfing one of does social networking sites and you happen to stumble upon your boss' page. You open it up and find out he/she is kinda kinky or has different political views, religious beliefs or a different sexual orientation than what you have or think they should have. How do you think you would respond or act once you return to work? Would you mention it or just let it go? What if they were into something that was offensive to you? Or illegal? What would you do? Just asking!

Why has It been taught for many years in the Black Church that holiness and poverty go hand in hand? The apostle Paul said, " I know how to be abased, and I know how to be abound." Then he added. " I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me" ( Phil. 4:12,13 ). I truly believe you can be just as holy when you are financially comfortable as you can be when you are poor. Perhaps it is easier to cry out to God for help when you are in need. If we Christians put God in our hearts ahead of material things we should be able to live above our circumstances whether that involves prosperity or poverty. Poverty is a curse, not a blessing. It is certainly not equated with righteousness. It comes sometimes because of the horrors of war, sometimes because of unjust or unwise government, sometimes because of oppression by the greedy and ruthless, sometimes because of disobedience to God's commandments, and sometimes because of lack of knowledge of God'

Young Frederick Price Jr. was ordained on February 9, 2003. In tune with his generation, he created a special Sunday service called Hip-Hop Sunday to attract younger church-goers. Believed to be the first church to fuse Hip-Hop with Faith, the service is now called The BluePrint. The young Pastor Price, Jr. would regularly minister on Sundays when the elder Dr. Price was away on speaking trips. Well the younger Price is slated to take over the business in March. Question : If you start a church is the church consider yours because you started it? What about the older members who don't understand nor like Holy-Hip-Hop like myself? How do you stop the older generation from leaving? Don't get me wrong I have heard Jr. teach and he's not for me.When did the Black Church adopted the idea of the church as a business? The church have become a business that can be pass down in the family.

I'm a big John Mayer fan, and I'm feeling' this song. It has one of the most powerful messages in a song that I have heard in some time. As the saying goes, "Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything." I'm fighting for a better world for my children to inherit and their children to inherit. What do you stand for? Are you waiting for the world to change?

TMZ's photo of Rihanna beaten up was leaked online Thursday night. The TMZ photo of a very beat up and bruised Rihanna has created a storm of controversy about media ethics. The image of Rihanna's injured face is very disturbing. Personally, I believe TMZ did not need to publish the image. Do you think publishing the photo of a battered Rihanna is news? I believe it probably IS a violation of her privacy, however, when one is a "celebrity", there are no longer any "expectations of privacy", apparently. It's disturbing to me that ANY woman should have to endure such abuse from a partner or loved one, it MAY be the picture that will help some young wife whose husband regularly beats her, realize that she's not alone, and if someone as rich, famous and fabulous as this woman can get beat up, then maybe it's NOT "her fault". And then she gets the courage to call the police, or contact a shelter for help in getting herself out of the

Did you know some schools don't allow flip-flops? Well it look like Crocs will be next. Crocs, are those cute little clogs like shoe. Swiss-cheese-like, which are so comfortable. More public schools are instituting a stricter style dress codes, and Crocs, along with generic sandals and flip-flops, aren't fitting the closed-toe, closed-heel criteria. Another trend, Hollywood's obsession with hats, is also proving scarce: Many schools don't allow headgear, including hoodies and even headbands, to be worn indoors. In some elementary schools, Crocs are a safety question. Though most schools are escalator-free — in the past year, the Croc-escalator cocktail has been blamed for injuring the toes of a few children — administrators say monkey bars and Crocs, as well as sandals and flip-flops, don't mix. My two and a half year old grand-baby and every single one of her little friends live in their Crocs. We all think they’re so cute decorated with their little J

Alright, I saw this story in the news yesterday. I really became speechless. I know people get tired of blogs on racism, but come on. It always makes me wonder what the perception people have about me. Me, in the sense of being an African American woman, and the stereotypes that people have. Of course the cartoon is racist and directed towards President Obama. That being the case, racism is never funny. Even if it were the case that it was a reference to the woman who was attacked by her pet monkey, the cartoon would still be in poor taste. If there is any reality in the cartoon it is the way the police were depicted shooting someone who did not deserve to be shot. The cartoon displays extraordinarily bad taste and bad judgment. Everyone I've talked to immediately thought it was about Obama, not a subtle satire on Congress. The former is the most obvious interpretation. To not realize and admit that displays at the very least -- if not overt racism -- racial insensitivity of bre

When Jose Juan Hernandez was worshiping at a friend's church last Fall, a fellow worshiper tapped him on the shoulder and arrested him. Mr. Hernandez was arrested by and ICE agent who attended chruch there. My question was the ICE agent's actions justified?. I no some times on occasion, a person will need to be arrested on a church's property. But most incidents usually involve belligerent or confrontational behavior where church officials are concerned for others' safety. Had Hernandez been behaving in a similar manner or had a habit of violence but he didn't. Seems Mr, Hernandez was in the country illegally, a crime. He had been deported on other occasions, but returned to the country illegally. Again, this is a crime. Yet, to disrupt a service to arrest a man of such a nonviolent crime is both rude and ridiculous. Why not arrest him in the parking lot after services? Agree or Disagree?

I can respect and love what Ludacris did the other day. The rapper apologize to former presidential hopeful John McCain over this past weekend, after making some disparaging remarks about the Republican Arizona senator on record last year. I am mentioning this because people of my generation has paint all rappers with the same broad brush and that's not right. The rapper/actor reportedly apologized to McCain and his wife Cindy during last Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game according to E! Online . Luda made headlines last year when his track, “Politics (Obama is Here)” was publicly panned by President Barack Obama for using such lines as “McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed.”

In the book of 1st Samuel chapter 18 we read about a man named Saul who was the first king of Israel. God had decided to take the kingdom away from Saul and give it to David. God was doing this because of Saul's continual disobedience. Because Saul wasn't getting his own way, it drove him to a point of madness against David. Saul was so tormented by the thought of loosing his position as king., that he became David's continual enemy. Take southern republicans from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas,and South Carolina they will never cooperate with Obama administration. Because their problem with Obama goes deeper than bi-partinsanship it's a skin thing. Any way I see this same kind of madness in the life of most Republicans. Because they are not getting their way it's driving them to not think about whats best for their states. Take Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana he has one of

Like it or not...those babies are here. This lady maybe wasn't in her right mind with the decision she made...and for that matter neither was the doctor that performed the procedure. We as tax payers are put in a predicament of do we ignore the situation and deny her the money she obviously will be asking for? If we do that , the only ones that will suffer are the children. Nadya Suleman's octuplets are shown in these undated images. From top left, the octuplets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah, Makai, Maliyah, Nariyah, and Noah. The babies with shielded eyes are being treated with light for jaundice. The picture below is a dog that is shown as representing the mother and babies. I saw this picture on a couple of web sites. This is a sad day when we can portray a mother and her kids as a dog. I believe the real problem is the Godless hearts in this world, who don't know Christ as their Savior. I'm saddened every day by this country's hatefulness to

According to a new study from Yale University, weight discrimination is a widespread problem in this country, and it's only getting worse. The researchers found that weight discrimination occurs both on the job and in social setting almost as frequently as racism. What's more, overweight women are twice as likely to be discriminated against as overweight men. The study also argues that American culture sends the message that weight discrimination is acceptable. Do you agree ? Have you seen weight discrimination in your community or office? Has it happened to you? I like watching the Discovery Channel's Brookhaven Obesity Clinic. That show has really open my eyes to some of the hurt that obesity people deal with.

The Bible says my King is a seven-way king....He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king....He's the King of Israel; that's a national King....He's the King of Righteousness....He's the King of the Ages.....He's the King of Heaven....He's the King of Glory....He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. Well....I wonder, do you know Him?.... David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He's enduringly strong....He's entirely sincere....He's eternally steadfast....He's immortally graceful....He's imperially powerful....He's impartially merciful....... Do you know Him? He's the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the

Why reading about the Long Island woman who admitted drowning her three young children last year, saying she believed they were victims of a voodoo attack. Made me think about my mother and her dealing with "Hoodoo/Roots".This young woman Leatrice Brewer , 28, pleaded "not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect" in the deaths on Feb. 24 last year of daughter Jewell and the girl's half-brothers, 5-year-old Michael Demesyeux and 18-month-old Innocent Demesyeux. I don't necessary believe in the voodoo part as much as I believe the young lady has a mental problem. No, one in their right mind would drown their own kids. With that been said! Let me tell you something about growing up in the deep South of Alabama were cotton was King and Voodoo/Hoodoo was practice and not as a religion . An amulet characteristic of hoodoo is the mojo, often called a mojo bag, mojo hand, conjure bag, trick bag, or Toby; this is a small sack filled with he

I got to say something about those republicans/ conservatives and their attempt to label the stimulus bill, “The Generational Theft Act of 2009.”If any group of people are guilty of generational theft that would be republicans/conservatives. Seriously! How about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy — that would be generational theft. The Iraq war and its trillion dollar liability, including hundreds of billions of dollars in Veteran’s costs for decades to come, all “paid for” with money borrowed from our children — that would be generational theft. And, of course, the Bush administration’s successful effort to block work on global warming the steadfast opposition of conservative politicians to climate action, and indeed, the effort by the entire republicans/ conservative to ridicule scientists and spread disinformation aimed at delaying action — that would be generational theft. And the biggest generational theft is denying reparation to a group of people for force labor and back

A longtime Pentagon policy bars the media from covering the arrival of coffins carrying the military's dead. But that may change under the Obama administration. I too believe without seeing the toll of this war it leaves us disconnected from the reality of it. It's a matter of national grieving and not just for the families. How do you look at this? For me I see many things like a fallen American who lost their life in a senseless war. I see what the true cost, consequence, of war really is. How do we handle this? I would say that we live in a country in which we have freedom of the press and the press should has the freedom to cover what is happening to the people of our country. It is a sad thing, yes very horrible sad. I believe the photo help tell the story of the war and I hope President Obama do lift the ban.

That's Juan Williams description of first lady Michelle Obama last month on The Bill O'Reily show. Because of his comment and some listeners complaints NPR is speaking out about Mr. Williams. Thank you NPR! This is my opinion of Juan Williams he's a typical self-hating black Republican and I am so tired of black Republicans being warriors against the black race for their white counterparts. Too many black Republicans are choosing to use their voices as a tool to stroke the egos of white America. First Lady Michelle is not just a mother, but she has her Juries Doctorate which really pisses your typical Fox Viewer off who believed that somehow America is rightfully theirs simply because they are white. Michelle Obama has shown nothing but class for the past year and deserves better than what the press and media are portraying her as. She is a well educated person which is threatening to most of the establishment because she speaks her mind and is able

Who's at Fault? The good intentions, bad managers and greed behind the meltdown. And while sitting around blaming people for getting us to this point probably isn't the most productive use of our time but it feels good to blame someone. Hop over to Time and cast your vote. Since we have found someone to blame shouldn't some one be going to jail? How about #16 and #18!

I ask because people are wondering is Black History Month still important. I believe the dialogue is important and we should keep it moving. Who no's one day something great might come out of these symposium. Anyway, for the 2009 symposium , Tavis Smiley Presents has woven the past and present by inviting panelists from the original symposium which was held on the campus of USC. Those panelists include Danny Glover, Nikki Giovanni, Na′im Akbar, Michael Eric Dyson, Lani Guinier, Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Danny Bakewell, Sr., Jawanza Kunjufu, Les Brown, Charles Ogletree, Randall Robinson, Al Sharpton, Iyanla Vanzant, Julianne Malveaux, Maxine Waters, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Cornel West.

The Black National Anthem ("Lift Every Voice and Sing") which is one of my very favorite hymns. If you ever taken part in a black church you have sing/sang or sung this song. I love the way Kim Weston is singing the Black National Anthem. It's just beautiful people! Listen! I believe it's fitting for black history month. This is Dr. Joseph Lowery Inauguration prayer. God of our weary years, god of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our god, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land. We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day. We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States,

"The mother of a baby 'born alive' and hidden on the roof of a Hialeah clinic tells her side of the story." Eighteen and pregnant, Sycloria Williams went to an abortion clinic outside Miami and paid $1,200 for Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique to terminate her 23-week pregnancy. Three days later, she sat in a reclining chair, medicated to dilate her cervix and otherwise get her ready for the procedure. Only Renelique didn’t arrive in time. According to Williams and the Florida Department of Health, she went into labor and delivered a live baby girl. What Williams and the Health Department say happened next has shocked people on both sides of the abortion debate: One of the clinic’s owners, who has no medical license, cut the infant’s umbilical cord. Williams says the woman placed the baby in a plastic biohazard bag and threw it out. The baby was 23 weeks old, an age where most babies don’t survive, but some do. An autopsy showed that the baby’s lungs had filled w

It's official: Michelle Obama will be the first First Lady since Hillary to be on Vogue ; photographed by Annie Leibovitz , Ms. Obama will appear on the March issue, which will be on stands shortly. According to the Washington Post , Ms. Obama wears a magenta gown by Jason Wu, the same designer who did her inaugural ball gown. In the photo on the magazine's cover, taken by Leibovitz (who photographed her last year for Paris Match - see image at left): Inside the magazine, Obama wears a Narciso Rodriguez dress and holding an old-fashioned phone. ("She is not talking. She is either listening or on hold.") What does it mean??? Obama tells writer Andre Leon Talley that she is still trying to find a church for the family to attend and that she's focused on her girls. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour says, "Change was the clarion call of Barack Obama's election campaign, though I don't think any of us at Vogue initially realized that would

If I am going to call any one a hero in this 21st century it would be Captain Chelsey Sullenberger. I find myself welling up with emotion and almost in tears whenever I see a news report about that US Air flight and Captain Sullenberger. And hearing an seeing the poise and calm exhibited in those cockpit recordings has solidify my reactions. The Captain was on 60 minutes Sunday and I had to fight back tears the man is so humble. I don't know the captain but from what I've learned and seen since watching that US Air jet floating perfectly and safely in the Hudson River is that this is a man who deserves every accolade he's receiving and many more -- and those accolades still don't seem to adequately reward the depth of his quiet heroism. For me it's not about that perfect landing it's more about the humble part. The Captain performed his job perfectly and precisely, with grace, modesty and discipline. Even in the aftermath, he's

Yahoo business analyst Rick Newman posted predictions of 15 major companies he believes may go out of business in 2009 . The 15 companies are: * Rite-Aid * Claire's Stores * Chrysler * Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group * Realogy Corp (Coldwell Banker, ERA, Sotheby's real estate franchises) * Station Casinos * Loehmann's Capital Corp. * Sbarro * Six Flags * Blockbuster *Krispy Kreme * Landry's Restaurants * Sirius Satellite Radio * Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings * BearingPoint

After reading and hearing about young Chris Brown this morning it got me to thinking. Why? I don't no what took place and that's not what this post about. After,reading a blog in which the author stated that Mr.Brown has street cred now. Whatever, that supposedly mean I don't no. Any way, Why is it for many Black and Hispanic youth’s living in some communities, going to jail has become a badge of honor? Why is this such a very puzzling phenomenon? Why is it the stigma of going to “juvenile” used to be shameful, it is now a sign of being “hard” or being “down”? Why is it that so many “minority” youth have become so willing to bide with “doing a bid?” I know many blame hip-hop culture for this phenomenon, because of its glorification of violence, criminal behavior and glorification of the “thug” lifestyle. However I don't see that as been entirely true. If you think about it young Black and Hispanic men have been incarcerated in America long before there was any

Since Obama has become our new president people are looking at the issue of IQ. I looked at the researched article by Dean Simonton who seems to do a pretty careful job. He uses multiple ratings by multiple experts with multiple methods to estimate the IQs and the leadership performance of 42 Presidents. Bush II was a failure because he wasn't smart and didn't really have a well thought out philosophy. He mostly thought and spoke in slogans. I don't know what to say about Bush 43 Yet. They are saying that within the range of IQs that we've seen among presidents, differences in IQ are not that critical. From the lowest estimate of 107.8 (Harding) to the highest of 175.0 (J.Q. Adams), the range is high enough for other factors to become important. What really matters in a leader is not being smart, but being right. In my judgment, Obama is smart as hell. Therefore I wonder what his IQ is? While we're at it, the study puts G.W. Bush's IQ somewhere between

The most God-fearing Americans live in Mississippi, and those least so in Vermont. Those are the results of a 2008 Gallup poll in which more than 350,000 adults were interviewed on the importance of religion to their daily lives. So the good old South is your traditional religious zealot conservatives. Eighty five per cent of those in Mississippi said religion had a big role in their day-to-day living, as opposed to a 42 per cent of those asked the same question. Now I found the list very interesting because by the same list you can say these states are the most hateful in America. Again you can take the top of the list flip it over and guess what? Now the top of the list is on the bottom in virtually every national ranking…education, health care, economic development, etc.... It all depends on How you want a list to read. Click here for state-by-state ranking.

After reading this story I agree with Kanye West : Bush don't like black people. As a longstanding disaster rent subsidy ends this month, thousands of families might be unable to pay their March rent. Among them is a nursing assistant from Algiers who just got laid off. The federal Disaster Housing Assistance Program, known as DHAP, will no longer pay rent for nearly 15,000 New Orleans-area households and thousands of other families displaced by Katrina, including more than 5,000 in the Houston area. On the Bush administration’s last day, federal housing officials refused to continue the program. The Louisiana Recovery Authority and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., are pushing for a one-year extension, arguing that New Orleans still faces an acute affordable-housing shortage and that thousands of Louisiana homeowners still await Road Home money.