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Obama silent on Defense of Marriage Act
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Published on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 6:48 p.m.
During the campaign, President Barack Obama said he would work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that gay rights groups oppose. But we've seen little action to show a repeal is in the works. And last week, the Justice Department filed a brief defending the law. Read more details about why we rated this promise Stalled .
See individual item for sources.
Researchers: Angie Drobnic Holan
Names in this article: Barack Obama
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<snip> Read as much for free on the Internet and also buy some books, Brian petersons "understanding exposure" is ubiquitous. <snip>
I would like to second this heartily!!!
That book is one of the first I got...I'm still re-reading it to get the concepts down, but I'm now rarely on anything but "manual" on my camera...I still throw a lot out, but I'm learning by leaps and bounds how to shoot and expose for how I want things to look.
Not just capturing moments, but capturing moments in the fashion that I wish it to be preserved.
Also, research, research, research. Youtube, IMHO, is a great place to start. I do better by people showing real world examples how to do things. Sure, you have to sort through some cruft to find the 'gems'....but they are there and aren't hard to find.
I have spoken to the OP on another thread...he has a mac...I recommended starting with iPhoto..since it comes with the mac.
I did this (and with iMovie)....I read and watched a metric TON of YouTube video tutorials and just shot and started trying to use the tools. It works.
I wanted a bit more...and got Aperture, for $80, the price is certainly right.
After messing with video, I wanted more..now, I'm futzing around with FCPX for editing and even trying to learn color grading with Resolve 9 Lite (free).
In closing...again, gotta echo getting the Understanding Exposure book, it is cheap on amazon. After that, explore the tools you have on the mac...research a bit, tons of info on the internet and youtube these days...can be one of your biggest starting resources.
Everyone and their goat is demo'ing stuff on YT. It is a good spring board to learning...

subset: commoncrawl


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Finding long sleeve dresses is not exactly easy. This one is made from a pretty sheer jersey fabric. You need to wear something under it - very obvious. Will be nice when the hot weather hits, tho - it hits above the knee about 3 inches on me (5'9").
W#hen the dress arived in the mail, it was just in a little package. I said to myself, this cannot be the dress I ordered, but to my surprise the dress was perfect. Very nice material and no wrinkles. I would recommend highly.
My favorite dress I own! It's very flattering, comfortable, and I had no issues with it being somewhat see-through as other reviews noted. I just ordered another one in a different color! I highly recommend this dress.
The dress material is incredibly thin, and there was a rip in the seam in one shoulder -- right out of the package. Unbelievable. And here I was so pleased to finally purchase an item that was made in the U.S.A. I wouldn't recommend this dress.
Overall I like the dress--it fits beautifully. I usually have issues with dresses that require tailoring (sleeves too long, waist usually needs to be taken in, etc.) but it fits great in all the right places. It's long enough to be worn to the office but short enough to wear boots with and still show a little leg. However you can't tell by looking at the picture how thin the material is. While it doesn't wrinkle, it reminds me of the cheap material that will develop holes in it easily even if you wash it by hand. I hope this doesn't happen, at least not any time soon.
This dress is great for work or just hanging out! It is very comfortable and ready to dress up. The only slightly negative thing I would say is that the sleeves are a bit short but it looks fine
I unfortunately purchased this dress in two colors, the fabric is very light and see-through. Too light for winter and I don't want to wear long sleeves in summer.
I absolutely love this dress. It fits perfectly for my petite frame. And it's so comfortable I could wear it all day long.
Very disappointed in the quality of the fabric of this dress. It's a very flimsy, almost sheer type polyester fabric, that reveals, ahem, more than a lady should. It also wrinkles horribly. If I'd seen it in a store, I wouldn't have paid XX bucks for it. It's going back, and my search for a Valentine's dress continues.
I wear this all the time!! It is SO comfy and fits so well. It looks good with long or capri leggings, or casual baggy pants. ( mine are black with little cheerful skeletons on them!) Looks good too all by itself with booties flats, or heels. Whatever shoes you are in the mood for! I highly recommend this dress!!! I am thinking of looking for more colors!!! gbg
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Expired Property Listing
This property is disabled.
Waikiki Four Bedroom House in Waikiki
- bedrooms 4
- baths 2
- sleeps 10
- pool no
- hot tub no
- pets allowed no
- type House
- community Kapahulu
rates (USD)
/ week
vacation rental description
Four bedroom, two bathroom, fully furnished 1800 square foot house. Sleeps 10. Full kitchen,
dining table for twelve, living room, laundry room with washer and dryer, and detached three car
parking garage. Large fenced front and side yards. Each bedroom is large enough to accomadate one
or two portable cribs.
This is a non-smoking home. Smoking is permitted on the front porch or in the front and side yards.
Located near the intersection of Kapahulu Avenue and Ala Wai Boulevard.
house rental amenities
Beach and bath towels provided for ten people. Dining place settings for twelve people.
Cocktail and wine glasses for twelve people. 24-bottle wine refrigerator. Five beds in four bedrooms. Three queen size beds and two full size beds. Laundy room with washer and dryer.
activities and attractions in Waikiki Oahu
One block to Honolulu zoo. Three blocks to Waikiki beach. Three
blocks to Kapiolani park. Two blocks to Waikiki hotels. Two blocks
to local's restaurant row. Across the street from Ala Wai public
golf course. Across the street from Waikiki Library. Two blocks to
Paki park for children. Five blocks to San Sousi beach for children.
Five blocks to Waikiki Aquarium. Five blocks to Kapiolani public tennis courts.
Six blocks to Diamond Head public tennis courts. Seven blocks to Diamond
Head public archery range. Seven blocks to grocery store. One and a half miles to Convention Center. Two miles to Ala Moana shopping center.
vacation rental rates
$3950 per week. Minimum rate is one week. Extra nights welcomed. $550 per additional night. The rate for less than seven nights is the one week rate.
Christmas/New Year season 12/15 - 1/15, $4950 per week. $700 per additional night. Rates include all taxes and fees.
100% of rent due upon approval of signed rental agreement.
VISA & MasterCard accepted. Executed rental application and rental agreement required. No refunds for cancellations.
Until confirmed, rates subject to change without notice.


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Should WWE end The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania? The answer may be found in the history of "The Granddaddy Of Them All," thanks to The Ultimate Warrior and his dropping of the torch.
Hulk Holland states his case for the end of The Undertaker's perfect record at WrestleMania, as there may never be a better time (thanks to Paul Bearer's posthumous booking) to capitalize on this...
As WWE's biggest show of the year approaches, Hulk Holland wonders aloud if The Undertaker has been buried alive by his own streak. Would there still be a place for him at "The Granddaddy of Them...
Jose Bautista had a stretch of 16 games in 2011 where he had a positive win probability added (WPA), which is tied for 3rd longest streak of all time among batters in the Major Leagues.
Goldberg would finally lose a match in WCW when Kevin Nash pinned him at Starrcade. But what role did Scott Hall play in the finish?
As many fans know, Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow gave up his first ground ball double play of his season in the 5th inning of last Friday's game. In a story first reported in a game thread r...
Once wasn't enough for UConn fans. They tore into me a few weeks back after I gently yawned at their basketball team's winning streak. But like I said, once wasn't enough. They came back this week, and they came back harder. They told me I hate women. That I hate my own mother. All because I yawned at a bullying basketball team's winning streak. Idiots. I don't hate women. Or my mom. I just hate you, UConn fans. This ain't called Not Really Hate Mail, you know.From Hate Mail: Some have moved beyond UConn column -- but not many - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com. Hate mail doesn't work folks. So new game plan: instead of sending guys like this hate mail, how about sending positive notes to media members who support the game?
The White Sox have won 7 in a row on the strength of great starting pitching. Friday was no different.
Mark Buehrle cruised for 8 innings Thursday night, leading the White Sox to their high-water mark on the year, 3 games over .500.
Jose Contreras is back, but are the White Sox? They're now riding a season-high 5-game win streak.
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At OldBikeBarn.com we believe that any motorcycle can be turned into a Café Racer. If you need Fittings for any motorcycle your turning into a Café Racer then this is the site for you! GL1000 Café Racer, Sportster Café Racer, or more common choices like CB750, CB450, CB350 or Triumph Café Racers, no problem. We support them all!
Offering, Fittings and more than just a handful of universal Café Racer parts OldBikeBarn.com has the Fittings you need for your Café Racer build. OBB is truly a one shop to support your project and whatever type of Fittings you need. We support every aspect of the "Do it yourself" lifestyle and bike building so don't forget to check out our tools, builder supplies and Chemicals sections.
Your Cafe Racer parts should be easy to find at OldBikeBarn.com but if you need help don't hesitate to use our live chat or submit a support ticket on the contact us page and a friendly staffer will get back to you with 1 business day or sooner. If you need parts other than Fittings be sure to use our "Search by Model" tools above to see model specific results.


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Written by Nicole Levins | October 26th, 2011(0)
Would you trade meat for bugs if it could save the planet?
We're green. We're nature-lovers. We are Conservancy Talk. Hear Nature Conservancy staff and invited experts share their voices on today's conservation issues — in our uniquely rigorous, science-based way. Learn more


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Registration and Activiation templates not working with BP Template Pack
I've installed the BP Template Pack, and I can edit every template fine except for the registration and activation templates. I make changes and nothing takes into effect. There are no server or user cache issues either.
Does anyone have any idea on whats going on? Also, is there a BP core file I could modify as a temp fix, client needs this up today.
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Available Projects
Not sure which board, if any this fits into, but I thought you might enjoy it. The link will take you to Scouting Magazine's "Bryan on Scouting" Blog and a video by Dirty Job's host Mike Rowe an Eagle Scout and supporter of the BSA.
In the video Mike talks about working smart AND hard and has a real appreciation for people that work with their hands for a living.
My own father was an electrician, but could do just about anything building trades wise. He built the house I grew up in and worked for the telephone company, US Steel, American Can and a few other companies as an industrial electrician. I studied to be an electrician but decided for a variety of reasons to go into the USAF and became a telecom tech. I learned a lot from dad and can do many things in the trades. I've tried to instill this into my 18 year old son with limited success. "How do you know all this stuff dad?"
Anyway, if you have a half hour to spare Mike's talk to the 2013 National Jamboree audience is informative and entertaining. Enjoy
http://blog.scoutingmagazine.o...work-smart-and-hard/This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sparky617,
General Disclaimer
Any advice given here is general in nature and is not necessarily valid for your given area. If in doubt check with your local codes enforcement department for what is required when doing electrical, plumbing or structural work on your house. Permits may or may not be required in your area and home owners may not be able to DIY some tasks. I have no way of knowing if you have the skills needed to complete the tasks you are asking about, when in doubt seek professional assistance.
My advice may be worth exactly what you pay me for it. :-) For the record I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
This is somewhat of a sore topic with me so I'll chime in with my $.02 worth. I think the talent and ability for someone to create, repair, and or otherwise work with his (or her!) hands is one which is highly undervalued. Tradespeople are as necessary as medical professionals, and often aren't given enough credit for the role they play in society.
The tradition of creating, repairing and working with one's hands (and tools) is one which helped our ancestors cope with and find a way to survive brutal conditions. It also contributed to basically primitive as well as exquisitely beautiful works of art throughout the history of humankind.
This type of creation applies to both tradespeople and artists. Many of the traditional needlecrafts have declined in use and respect with the increasing mass production of generic and poorly made alternatives.
If there's not a national tradesperson day, there should be!
(Stepping down off the soapbox to continue...)
As to instilling that work ethic and multiple hand work skills in your son, sometimes it helps if you let others do it. (I'm sure you've discovered that children sometimes listen more to others even when the advice is the same as from a parent.)
I appreciated my father's talents even more after two of the neighborhood men told me about their fireside chats. They would sit around a bonfire in the evening and Dad would tell stories about his USAAC and CCC work history, and they would tell me how much he knew and how much they enjoyed listening to him.
If you can arrange some Scouting fireside chats with tradespeople, especially older ones who've been through some hard times, your son might have an opportunity to appreciate these skills more. But I do think that it's hard to get youngsters to focus on working with their hands beyond fingering when there's so much obsession with electronic gadgets.This message has been edited. Last edited by: GardenSprite,
I like what GardenSprite suggested about letting others help instill knowledge and values. My 21 year old has never been interested in my DIY activities. Thinking back, I could have learned a whole lot more from my dad, but I was more interested in being different from him.
SN, I think this might be inherent in parental relationships, sadly. I too find myself in that position, even at my age.
What some of us women do is tell our friends or relatives what we would recommend in certain situations, then they discreetly raise the issue with the intended recipient and it's accepted more than it would be if it came from us directly.This message has been edited. Last edited by: GardenSprite,
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Buffalo Belgian Stout - Brouwerij Van den Bossche
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 175 | Reviews: 117 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by Jredner:
2.3/5 rDev -36.1%
750 ml bottle from Liquid Solutions. A 9% stout eh? Only in Belgium. Aroma is sweet and sugary with some stewed dark fruits and a heavy cola accent. It pours brown and settles red-brown to black. The body supports an amazingly fast fading head that starts two fingers thick (and very bubbly) but fades almost immediately to a patchy brown slick of a head.
Fore is quasi-roasty with lots of tongue tickling carbonation. Very slightly tart. The alcohol isnt noticeable at first, but then you realize that almost tart whiskey like flavor is the alcohol, as it starts to warm you cheeks. The carbonation is way too high and the mouthfeel is way too thin. There are none of the classic stout hallmarks and to top it off what is there doesnt taste all that good.
01-24-2007 13:44:29 | More by Jredner
More User Reviews:
3.65/5 rDev +1.4%
Appearance - This is a very dark ale in color, almost pure black, with a blackish-white head that rose up handsomely on an easy pour and left a pool of film in the center of the liquid.
Smell - This BSDA has a lot of roasted malt in the nose along with some baker's chocolate and maybe black coffee. It is very very dark with little to sweeten the aroma and quite pleasing to whiff.
Taste - Yes, this is very dark. The malts are roasted, almost burnt, and the black coffee buries most of the chocolate from the nose.
Mouthfeel - This is on the lighter side of medium-bodied with some rather fizzy carbonation. This was probably the only aspect of the beer that I didn't care for.
Drinkability - This is not a typical BSDA jumping with sugary complexity and yeasty undertones, but it is actually billed on the label as a "Belgian Stout". I enjoyed it overall but, again, thought the mouthfeel was lacking.
03-16-2008 03:18:02 | More by RoyalT
3.43/5 rDev -4.7%
Pours a dark brown with ruby red highlights. A small eggshell head appears and becomes a ring around the glass. A bit light in color. Aromas start with slightly roasted malts and a touch of coffee. Earthy yeast tones underneath. A bit of cocoa but overall the aroma isn't very pronounced.
First sip brings mellow roasted malts upfront with a hint of cocoa and coffee that moves into earthy, estery Belgian yeast flavors. A bit of an odd fruity tone midway through the sip. It flows down with a touch of alcohol and some peppery licorice on the end. Interesting brew.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and light for a stout, but pretty much spot on for the Belgian stout category. Goes down smooth with good carbonation. This beer didn't really grab me and I doubt I'd grab it again, just not my style.
09-01-2009 00:31:22 | More by orbitalr0x
3.93/5 rDev +9.2%
A 750ml bottle poured into a tulip glass. It had been in my cellar for six months. There was an illegible date stamped on the label. The beer was dark brown with red highlights and a medium-sized tan head. A dark fruit aroma, with root beer and a little chocolate. Sweet fruity taste, still some root beer apparent in the taste. Did not think the alcohol was too noticeable. Very smooth, but I don't think I could drink too much of it at a time. It's a little too sweet.
10-03-2007 16:04:11 | More by lordofthewiens
New York
3.83/5 rDev +6.4%
Enjoyable to see this one on tap at the Blind Tiger in NYC. Not sure whats up with this seemingly emerging "Belgian Stout " style, but this one was pretty tasty. Also it was quite low carbonation in opposition to several of the bottled version reviews. Darkest shades of mahogany, next to no head and no lacing,fruity, slightly earthy nose. Dark malts and medium roasty. Ripe fruits, raisins, figs, decent complexity and interest here. Perhaps a wee bit thin in the body department. Nice on tap, if you can find it....Nice going Alan and the BTAH crew;.
03-01-2008 16:30:20 | More by Billolick
3.5/5 rDev -2.8%
11-11-2012 15:54:32 | More by Marius
British Columbia (Canada)
3.75/5 rDev +4.2%
11-06-2013 03:01:29 | More by chickenm
West Virginia
3.5/5 rDev -2.8%
06-29-2014 18:53:18 | More by williamjbauer
2.6/5 rDev -27.8%
Large corked bottle, clearly marked as 9% ABV...
Dark brown, lets some light through. Lots of tan puffy head, over an inch of it in height. Laces, however, are pretty scant. Slightly plummy aroma, oddly perfumed and fruity. Thin mouthfeel, very gassy and carbonated. Flavor doesn't work well at all for a Stout, bright and detergent sharp, green chlorophyll qualities with a strange tinny fruit taste and way under-powered in body. A little papery in the aftertaste as well. I am definitely not a fan of this rendition of a Stout idea, not a lot of positives in any category in my opinion.
09-28-2006 00:34:38 | More by ADR
New Jersey
3.75/5 rDev +4.2%
08-30-2013 16:50:33 | More by chefpeet
3.03/5 rDev -15.8%
Served on tap into a flute.
First off the restaurant was decent (The Back Abby in Claremont CA)
They had a great selection of Belgian's but a few I wanted on tap were not available =/
As for this belgian-stout, I was expecting a lot more than what I got, judging by their excellent belgian collection I would think that any different style of beer would be just as tasty.
A- By far the "best" characteristic was the color in my opinion. A darkened hazeled almost deep brown hue. The head was almost dissipated by the time it arrived to my table, but from what I caught, it was a light LIGHT, very milk chocolate head. NO lacing at all out of my glass.
S- Light fruits, a fair yeast and a caress of lightly balanced alcohol in it. Not a strong point in this "stout."
T- Again, sweet light fruits, not as malty as I would want from a stout... A sweet/sour finish with a tad bit of alcohol spice in it. Not too impressive for the style, but decent.
MF- Light body with a medium-light carbonation. Yet again nothing interesting here. Even the alcohol finish bottomed out quickly from my palate.
O- For the price I paid on this I expected a just above average beer. This could be described as an average attempt on a belgian-stout to a just below average taste that I would DEFINITELY not spend 8 bucks on a flute for again. This may be a beer you would like to try for a reasonable price. And considering the history on it I was very intrigued, but again, for an affordable price it is considerable, not even a must. Even if you are a fan of belgians and stouts... Still... Just considerable.
09-04-2012 07:10:40 | More by Blackwolf
3.25/5 rDev -9.7%
11-04-2013 03:24:47 | More by ste5venla
New Mexico
3/5 rDev -16.7%
03-24-2014 03:23:47 | More by ONovoMexicano
New York
3.83/5 rDev +6.4%
On tap in a tulip glass at the Old Toad.
Appearance - barely any head, clear mahogany in color. Some lace.
Aroma - slight lactic sourness mixed with caramel and raisin notes.
Taste - I'm not getting the nutty roasted flavors I'd expect in a stout. There is some maltiness, but what stands out is a mild lactic sourness, surrounded by dark fruit flavors. Not as sour as a Flanders sour red, but sour enough to pucker the mouth a little.
Mouthfeel - thin body (again, not what I'd expect in a stout), finishes pleasantly crisp.
This beer is a bit more like a Baltic porter than like any kind of stout I've had. It feels more like the 6.5% abv stated on the brewery's website than the 9% mentioned in some of the other reviews. I imagine if I had more than 11 ounces of this I'd be able to determine how strong it is, but it does not feel strong. I could drink another one of these. An odd, but pleasant, brew.
04-16-2007 12:32:33 | More by Calico
North Carolina
2.65/5 rDev -26.4%
A tremendously powerful "pop!" as the cork is pulled, and no surprise about the wealth of bubbles and resulting thick head. It's beige on top and glassy black below, which is not the darkest black I've seen on a beer, but it is impressive.
It might look alive in appearance, but there's almost nothing happening in the aroma. Faint toffee and dark berries hide behind a mellow metallic sheen. It doesn't even try to smell like anything. Not so much bad as boring. Hopefully there's more happening in the flavor.
Err...not much. Faint dark fruits (fig, plum, berry) work their way into the incredibly mild flavor. Insanely minuscule flashes of milk chocolate/smoke blow by without much presence. Slight tartness shows up in the finish. None of this is helped by the over-carbonated texture, which would've been okay on a beer with any flavor, but it doesn't do anything for this bland offering.
Subtle flavors and stealthy complexities are very much appreciated in a wide variety of beers. This one has neither. It limps past the tastebuds and takes up space in the gut. It's not that it's awful, it just doesn't even try. Best Before date on the label is Jun. 27 '08, so it's not expired. Stout enthusiasts should stay away, as it's anything but a stout, and Belgian beer fanatics in general will probably come away disappointed. One of the least remarkable brews from Belgium that I know of.
01-06-2008 20:21:46 | More by Metalmonk
2.63/5 rDev -26.9%
A - A clear brown beer with a light beige head that starts out strong an good, but retracts to a thin layer. The is some carbonation visible that races up.
S - A fresh and fruity smell with some yeast tones. I am missing the stout smell, there is some chocolate tone however.
T - Different! Almost a crossing between an light stout and a double ale with some chocolate, spices and fruit. Not enough sweetness and a light bitter finish.
M - To much carbonation in consideration with the taste. Therefore the taste is to thin. In the end the beer is light sticky and bitter.
O - It is not a dirty beer, but it doesn't fit the style. The high carbonation presence kills this beer.
11-21-2011 20:09:56 | More by Mar02x
United Kingdom (England)
2.5/5 rDev -30.6%
08-27-2014 08:53:20 | More by mattfancett
Ontario (Canada)
3.63/5 rDev +0.8%
Very dark brown with a white bubbly head. Lacey. Aroma some roast, and very mild yeast. The taste does not live up,but it is complex. Medium mouthfeel. Some sugar, roast, yeast in the taste. A shwartzbier with some Belgian yeast and sugar. A little sourness in finish.
12-16-2009 03:59:33 | More by Sammy
2.5/5 rDev -30.6%
11-28-2013 03:43:16 | More by NorthCoastPranqster
3.73/5 rDev +3.6%
on tap at the malt house.
cell phone notes
appearance: served in a buffalo tulip, dark mahongany body, light tan cap with decent retention
smell: smoky, dark fruit, light notes of chocolate
taste: this one cant decide if its a stout or a belgian strong...falls a little flat in both categories. smoky with nice roasted malt notes, dull chocolate, plum and other dark fruit. just not very well rounded and lacking any showcase flavors
mouthfeel: smoky and thinner
drinkability: fine
04-26-2009 18:09:59 | More by dirtylou
3.5/5 rDev -2.8%
05-09-2013 12:24:48 | More by Ciocanelu
2.4/5 rDev -33.3%
Corked and caged 750ml bottle poured into a tulip glass. Pours a dark black color with a large light tan head with really good retention and lacing. The aroma is pretty underwhelming that is fruity and malty with just a touch of roastiness as well. The taste much like the aroma for the most part is a disappointment. The taste is in need of more malt and more roasted characteristics for me to even consider it a "stout". The mouthfeel is light and highly carbonated. Overall, I am disappointed with this offering, I was expecting a little more. It is not horrible, but I would not purchase it again.
02-17-2008 04:12:45 | More by cjgator3
3.75/5 rDev +4.2%
12-20-2011 07:29:37 | More by jmccraney
3.4/5 rDev -5.6%
Poured a dark brown, but could see through towards the edges so it appeared fairly clear in its highlights. Not much of a head except some off white suds laced on top. Smell was a little roasty along with a belgian yeast sort of metallic note. The taste had some sharp alcohol and roasted malts- much more so than I've noticed for other belgian dark ales that come across a little more subtle in their dark malt character. There also seemed to be a bit of a hop character at the end, in bitterness and taste, to go along with the roastiness. Moutfeel is ok, a little lighter and less chewy than most belgian dark ales.
04-14-2007 03:14:40 | More by MiScusi
3.3/5 rDev -8.3%
Indiscernible dating code on bottle.
Pours chestnut/mahogany with 4+ fingers of tan bubbly head. Sticky lacing that clings to half the glass ( La'chouffe snifter) & below average head retention
S: Sourness & not much else.
T: Chocolate, oaky dryness & hint of vanilla up front. Some leafy hops, chocolate, & little more sourness (some brett) as this warms. Finishes dry, sour & with some raisin & chocolate (rasinettety?)
MF: Medium-bodied with damn near zero carbonation &slight creaminess
Drinks alright for the abv, but not put together that well. Way better Belgian beers for the buck out there IMO, by far. Only for the desperate or curious
10-19-2007 05:05:54 | More by russpowell
Buffalo Belgian Stout from Brouwerij Van den Bossche
82 out of 100 based on 175 ratings.


text:
Eroarticism differs from animal sexuality in that human sexuality is limited by taboos and the domain of eroticism is that of the transgression of these taboos. Desire in eroticism is the desire that triumphs over the taboo. It presupposes man in conflict with himself.
Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.
"A man of such obvious and exemplary charm must be a liar."


text: Baptist Press Stories for Dec. 6 2013 --------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: Burmese immigrants find 'living water' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41625 WEEK OF PRAYER: Prayer intertwines Ark. church & South Asia http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41626 WEEK OF PRAYER: Our journey to the Bedia http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41627 Mandela's grace prevailed in 'tireless struggle' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41628 Will South Africa keep Mandela's ideals? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41619 The HHS mandate: What's at stake? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41629 Nettles: Spurgeon fully embraced Scripture http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41613 CALL TO PRAYER: Love, the more excellent way http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41630 FIRST-PERSON: The erosion of trust http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41631 EDITORIAL: El mayor mal http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41632 --------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: Burmese immigrants find 'living water' By Susan O'Hara & Evelyn Adamson Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41625 EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 1-8 with the theme of "Totally His heart, hands, voice" from Matthew 22:36-39. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in tandem with Cooperative Program gifts from Southern Baptist churches support nearly 5,000 international missionaries in seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at [URL=http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp?cid=lmcop]imb.org/offering[/URL], where there are resources to promote the offering. This year's goal is $175 million. RANONG, Thailand (BP) -- It rains eight months out of the year in the Thai province Scott and Alyssa Branding* call home. For many of the country's 2.5 million Burmese living in the southern part of Thailand, monsoon rain is their only dependable water source. But drinking the rainwater can make them sick.So, the Brandings give them small clay water pots lined with rice husks to filter impurities from the rainwater. Then, they tell them about Jesus, the source of "living water:" "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14). The Brandings, from Calvary Baptist Church in Maysville, Ky., have been sharing the Gospel with Burmese migrant workers for more than 10 years. Many of these migrant workers live in remote areas without electricity or running water. They work on rubber and palm oil plantations or are undocumented immigrants living in the jungle to avoid detection by local immigration police. Living in fear Families there build spirit houses in their yards, setting out food every day to appease spirits -- even when there is not enough food left to feed their families. Fear of angering spirits is so deep-seated that new Christians often do not immediately throw out their idols. "When we go into a home and we see their altar being totally clean, we just praise God because we know they've made that final step, they have totally committed their whole selves to the Lord," Alyssa says. When a small group of believers formed among the plantation workers, one of the first things they prayed for was time each week to meet together, the congregation's pastor Ye Htoelt said. With no means of transportation, walking 10 kilometers (six-plus miles) or more to another plantation can take more than an hour each way. Htoelt's hands are cracked and calloused from years of working on palm oil plantations. On the first plantation Htoelt worked in Thailand, there had been running water and electricity, but the landowner was "wicked" and overworked his employees, Htoelt recalls. He and his wife eventually found work at a different plantation. It didn't have running water or electricity, but the landowner was a believer. Not only did he give the couple Sundays off from work, he sent Htoelt home every Saturday afternoon so he could prepare to teach his small congregation the following day. Htoelt was unsure he had the ability to lead the congregation, so Scott mentored and trained him in discipleship for two years. "[It is] such a joy now to see him be able to share the Gospel and have confidence," Scott says. "When he starts speaking about the Bible, it's just like he comes alive and he just explodes with power. ... It's because the power of Jesus Christ [is] in him." Living in joy The Brandings, who live in an area surrounded by fish processing plants, also have helped start Bible studies among factory workers. Aung Kyaw,* a fish buyer whose work affords him the opportunity to interact with both Thais and Burmese, now relies on God instead of trying to appease spirits when business is bad. "I have learned to have one thing in mind: Trust and believe in Christ alone," he says. For WinWin Ma, a young woman who works in a squid processing plant, times of worship allow her to claim joy in life through Christ. She is the only Christian in her workroom of 30 laborers. "I work 10 hours a day and sometimes face problems at work," she says, "but when I worship, the worry and stress fall away. I feel joy." She also has learned the joy of giving what she can to help others in need. For the past two years, the small migrant congregation has hosted a Christmas program for AIDS patients in the community, says its pastor Simon David, a Burmese immigrant Scott has mentored. "We go and distribute everything from food, medicine and clothes. We also pray and have fellowship with them," David says. "I love that whenever there is someone in need of counseling or money, they want to give. They don't have much, but they love to give." Migrant work by its nature is transitory. David tries to stay in contact with relocated workers, telling them, "Do not be afraid. Trust God all the time." He often calls ahead to help the family locate a new congregation. If there isn't one, he stresses the importance of the believers staying grounded in God's Word and sharing it with others. Living by faith But it can be especially difficult when family members don't share their faith. Alyssa tells about a pregnant woman whose husband wouldn't allow her to pray to God when she was sick. "When my husband saw me reading the Bible, it didn't please him at all," the woman told Alyssa. "He kicked me ..., and then took and burned my Bible. ... Yet I decide to cling to God." Others are eager to hear God's Word. One day while walking along the docks to distribute rice and share the Gospel, Alyssa was invited into a small home. There, she was shown a newborn baby. "Will you name the baby?" the strangers asked -- much to Alyssa's surprise. Alyssa prayed for wisdom, looked at the infant and named him after the Bible's Joshua -- a great warrior for the Lord. She prayed that this child, too, would be strong and courageous. The family began attending church. This year, 7-year-old Joshua sang a Bible verse to the congregation. Watch a video about the Brandings at [URL=http://vimeo.com/69091113]vimeo.com/69091113[/URL]. --30-- *Name changed Susan O'Hara worked as an International Mission Board editorial intern and Evelyn Adamson as a writer in Southeast Asia. -- End of story -- WEEK OF PRAYER: Prayer intertwines Ark. church & South Asia By Jenifer Martin Siemens Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41626 EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 1-8 with the theme of "Totally His heart, hands, voice" from Matthew 22:36-39. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in tandem with Cooperative Program gifts from Southern Baptist churches support nearly 5,000 international missionaries in seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at [URL=http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp?cid=lmcop]imb.org/offering[/URL], where there are resources to promote the offering. This year's goal is $175 million. CENTERTON, Ark. (BP) -- Shanti* was the only believer in her village. The Bedia woman prayed in secret every day for one year. The persecution from her friends and family was unbearable. Day after day, she cried out to God in a private prayer room built by her nonbelieving husband, Ashish.* He wanted to keep her safe. "Lord, how long will I have to pray alone?" She cried. "Help me!" But Shanti was not praying alone. First Baptist Church Centeron in northwest Arkansas had been praying for five years that there would be at least one believer from this unengaged, unreached people group who could be the starting point for a church. Church member Robin Gill was among those who started praying for the Bedia in 2007. Gill suffers from cerebral palsy, yet faithfully hosts a weekly prayer time in her home. "I knew God would answer," Gill said. "We just needed to be obedient and pray." Their prayers prepared the way for Shanti. She became bolder in her witness and shared with her husband about God. Ashish had already heard about this Savior from his brother and sister, who were also believers. Soon, he accepted Christ and Shanti's private prayer room became the "meeting place" for Bedia believers from five different villages. First Baptist Centerton did not know all of this, but they continued praying blindly, believing God would prevail. Then, the silence was broken when Pastor Stuart Bell connected with Southern Baptist worker Clifton Melek,* who shared that he had five Bedia -- Shanti, Ashish and Ashish's three siblings -- in his discipleship classes, training to be Christian leaders. A mission team from the Arkansas church journeyed to South Asia to see it firsthand and partner with Melek. They worshipped and cried with the people they connected with through prayer. They witnessed eight baptisms and went to the first Bedia church -- all exactly five years after the church's commitment to prayer. "It was like we were living out the Book of Acts," Bell said, describing the baptisms and joy of worshipping with an unreached people group. When the team returned, videos and pictures documented names and faces of the Bedia believers for members of First Baptist Church Centerton. The "silent years," when they prayed blindly, were finally filled in with stories and testimonies of God revealing Himself. Poster-sized photos of the Bedia now hang throughout the church as testimony to what God has done, what He is doing and what He will continue to do as other Southern Baptist churches simply answer the call to prayer for those who have never heard. To date, IMB personnel report that there have been more than 750 Bedia baptisms, with more taking place each month. A centrally located community center has been constructed where Bedia pastors will receive training. Through IMB's Embrace initiative, you and your church can take the Gospel to one of these groups. To learn more about the International Mission Board's Embrace initiative, go to [URL=http://www.call2embrace.org]call2embrace.org[/URL]. --30-- *Names changed Jenifer Martin Siemens is a member of First Baptist Church Centerton in Arkansas. -- End of story -- WEEK OF PRAYER: Our journey to the Bedia By Stuart Bell Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41627 EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 1-8 with the theme of "Totally His heart, hands, voice" from Matthew 22:36-39. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in tandem with Cooperative Program gifts from Southern Baptist churches support nearly 5,000 international missionaries in seeking to fulfill the Great Commission. Gifts to the Lottie Moon offering are received through local Southern Baptist churches or online at [URL=http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp?cid=lmcop]imb.org/offering[/URL], where there are resources to promote the offering. This year's goal is $175 million. CENTERTON, Ark. (BP) -- He was so small, so quiet and so humble. He didn't even come up to my shoulder. And yet to me, Sahaji* was larger than life. "Here he is!" IMB representative Clifton Melek* exclaimed, patting Sahaji on the back. "Here is the first baptized believer since you began praying for the Bedia five years ago." Tears flowed down the faces of our missions team from First Baptist Church Centerton in Arkansas. This young 20-something Indian man from an unengaged, unreached people group represented so much to us ... God prevailed and the Spirit broke through the Bedia's resistance to the Gospel in South Asia. When our church adopted the Bedia in 2007, there were no known believers. Now, I stand watching eight Bedia being baptized. Amazing! The road to get here has been long. Avery Willis, an Arkansas native who had served as a missionary in Southeast Asia and a senior vice president with IMB, told our church in 2006 that 639 people groups with a population of at least 100,000 are considered "unreached" (less than two percent Christian) and "unengaged" (no ongoing evangelical effort underway to reach them with the Gospel). I had no idea what adopting or embracing unengaged, unreached people groups entailed at the time, but I knew our church would never be the same. The beginning years (2006-2007) Picking a geographic area of the world to engage was easy for us. A family from our congregation served in South Asia. Selecting a people group, though, was much harder. How do you choose when so many need to hear? Willis recommended the Bedia, so I immediately began researching this people group numbering more than 100,000. I learned that the Bedia people kept small farms. I knew our Arkansas church would relate to this, but from there, the similarities ended. The Bedia practice a form of religion that mixes Hinduism with ancestor and demon worship. I learned there were no known baptized believers, no church, no Bible in their language and no one trying to lead them to Christ. Then, we prayed as a church for the Bedia. I felt God at work. He knit our hearts to these people before we ever met them. In 2007, I went to India on a vision trip. I met with an Indian pastor who also wanted to reach the Bedia. I discovered that he met his first Bedia within weeks of when our church started praying for them. The Indian pastor mapped out 70 Bedia villages in the surrounding jungles. We went to meet some of his co-workers living among this people. The travel to get there was grueling -- bumpy roads and then hiking jungle paths. It was on one of these paths that I met my first Bedia. I was so excited that I took his picture; he became the "face" of the Bedia for our church. I'll never forget that first night sharing the Gospel there. The entire village of 80 came to hear the Good News. It was overwhelming to stand there and know that they were hearing the name of Jesus for the very first time. We left that village and hiked back out to our car. And there, stretched out across the road, was a large, black snake. Our driver was terrified. The dead snake was a warning -- some did not appreciate our presence. It was a real reminder that the Bedia are among the last people groups on earth to hear the Gospel for a reason. When I returned to our church, I recounted the joy of sharing Christ and explained that we were up against demonic oppression and persecution. On March 4, 2007, 250 people committed to pray daily for the Bedia until the first baptism and first church was planted. We had no idea how long it would take, 20 or 25 years. All we knew was that no other group in the world was focusing on the Bedia of South Asia. It was our responsibility to do whatever it takes to reach them. So, FBC Centerton began praying for a people group on the other side of the world. The lean years (2008-2011) Correspondence with our ministry partner, the Indian pastor, proved to be frustrating at times. There were long periods of no communication. There was little word of encouragement on the advancement of the Gospel there, yet our church continued to pray. It's all we could do. One time, we learned of two Bedia families contemplating baptism. We prayed but it never happened. The village elders exerted pressure, saying that if these couples converted to Christianity, they would not be allowed to marry off their children or benefit from the community rice fields. One couple completely backed out. The husband of the second family insisted that he would follow Christ in baptism, until his wife scooped up their children and threatened to jump into the community well. It was a discouraging time. We prayed but did not really know what was happening, so I decided it was important to go back. Our church needed first-hand accounts to spur their prayer efforts. There was an ever-present sense of spiritual bondage during this 2009 visit. We heard story after story about demons, and no one seemed open to the Gospel. Two years after we adopted the Bedia, there were still no professions of faith, no baptisms and no churches. We returned home, not sure what to do. It did not appear we were moving forward. There was a lot of persecution in 2010, causing our ministry partners to leave the Bedia villages. The church continued praying. We committed to this and we trusted God, even if we didn't know where to go from here. I consulted with an IMB administrator from South Asia about our stalemate. He said a new missionary family had begun serving in the same geographic area. What a blessing and an answer to our prayers. We could partner with some of our own missionaries supported by our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Celebration years (2011-2012) There was very little Bedia news from January 2010 until September 2011. And then God moved in mighty ways -- or at least, that's when our church saw God moving. When I connected with Melek, an IMB representative, we heard a side of this story we didn't know. He told his discipleship training students about our church praying for the Bedia for five years. Immediately, everyone pointed to other students and said, "He's Bedia! He's Bedia! He's Bedia!" We found out that not only were there five baptized Bedia believers in Melek's class, they were training to become pastors and missionaries. We were stunned! God had been working this entire time. We prayed for years that the Gospel would reach our people and it did. We had to go back to India and see this for ourselves. That's when we met Sahaji and a host of other Bedia believers. Sahaji took us to his village to attend church. Around 100 people crowded into a small 10-by-20 room, while more spilled out the door and peeked in the window. We worshipped with OUR people for the first time. As we heard the first Bedia praise and worship song, we cried. I preached and when Melek offered an invitation, eight Bedia professed a new faith in Jesus. I was given the honor of naming the very first Bedia church, "Bedia Victory Baptist Church." This service was on March 4, 2012 -- exactly five years from our church's commitment to pray for the Bedia. While we see the unmistakable hand of the Lord in this celebration, we know there's still a lot of work to be done. There is no Bible or even Scripture in their language. Only a handful of the Bedia population, just over 750 or less than 1 percent, have come to Christ. They are still considered unreached and live in one of the top 40 persecuted countries in the world. The road for embracing an unengaged, unreached people group is a long and rocky one, but one that is worth taking. FBC Centerton must diligently continue our prayers and minister alongside the Bedia believers so that 100 percent of our people come to know Him. Our journey continues. Will your church join us by embracing a different unengaged, unreached people group? There are more than 3,000 people groups still waiting to hear His name. Through the International Mission Board's Embrace initiative, you and your church can take the Gospel to one of these groups. To learn more, go to [URL=http://www.imb.org/main/lead/embracedefault.asp?StoryID=9651&LanguageID=1709]call2embrace.org[/URL]. See [URL=http://vimeo.com/70780101]related video[/URL]. --30-- *Name changed Stuart Bell is pastor of First Baptist Church Centerton in Arkansas. -- End of story -- Mandela's grace prevailed in 'tireless struggle' By Diana Chandler Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41628 PRETORIA, South Africa (BP) -- "Our nation has lost its greatest son," South African President Jacob Zuma said in announcing the loss of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the nation's former president who died at home Thursday (Dec. 5) at age 95 after months of declining health. "Our people have lost a father. Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss," Zuma said. Mandela's "tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world," Zuma said. "His humility, his compassion and his humanity earned him their love." Among world leaders, President Barack Obama voiced similar sentiments. "Nelson Mandela achieved more than could be expected of any man," Obama said. "His own struggle inspired others to believe in the promise of a better world, and the rightness of reconciliation. Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, he transformed South Africa �- and moved the entire world." In the U.S. and South Africa, respective national flags are being flown at half-staff in honor of Mandela. Obama ordered the recognition to continue through sunset Dec. 9 at the White House and other public and military facilities in the U.S. Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, noted the heroism of the leader who rose from 27 years of incarceration to become the first black South African president as well as a hallmark of freedom and a leader of worldwide acclaim. "Nelson Mandela's heroism will outlast him throughout untold generations. Mandela will be remembered for standing up to a racist regime, for persevering under persecution, and for leading his country toward democracy," Moore told Baptist Press. Mandela's move from prison cell to president's office was a living parable of the power of freedom over apartheid. "Even those who don't agree with all of Mandela's political or religious views ought to give thanks for the many good things that came from his life and work," Moore said. "As we remember Nelson Mandela, let's pray for a South Africa that experiences the freedom not only of the voting booth but also of widespread Gospel reconciliation to God and to one another." Mandela rarely discussed religion outside the arena of religious freedom, but a transcript on NelsonMandela.org quotes his comments on religion in a 2000 Christian Science Monitor interview. "Religion has had a tremendous influence on my own life. You must remember that during our time -- right from Grade 1 up to university -- our education was provided by religious institutions. I was in [Christian] missionary schools," the transcript records Mandela as saying. "The government [of the day] had no interest whatsoever in our education and, therefore, religion became a force which was responsible for our development. "I appreciate the importance of religion," Mandela said. "You have to have been in a South African jail under apartheid where you could see the cruelty of human beings to each other in its naked form. Again, religious institutions and their leaders gave us hope that one day we would return." Nigeria native Adeniya Ojutiku, a Southern Baptist in the U.S. who fights for Christians and their livelihood in his homeland, described Mandela as "an epitome of forgiveness, kindness and love" who had "a dogged resolve for the pursuit of peace and justice." "His extraordinary life story, witty sense of humor and lack of bitterness toward his former oppressors has ensured global appeal for his type of charismatic leadership," Ojutiku told Baptist Press. "Mandela has no antecedence, parallel or equal in the contemporary history of harmonious race relations. "He rekindled hope in the humaneness and greatness of the black, colored and white races, as he soared above the petty confines of party politics and prejudice," Ojutiku said. Former international missionary Gordon Fort, the International Mission Board senior vice president for prayer mobilization and training, said Mandela's leadership allowed churches to flourish in South Africa. "While tackling the daunting task of dismantling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality, [Mandela] gave a clarion call to national unity and religious freedom," Fort said in an email to IMB staff. "This atmosphere led to a season of opportunity for the church and its missionary representatives to advance the Gospel, engage new people groups, and play a part in the healing of the deep rifts within the nation. "President Mandela was among the first to invite and welcome the role of the church in the new nation he was seeking to build," Fort wrote. "After retirement from the presidency, he continued to provide leadership and an example of statesmanship that allowed the church to flourish." Mandela was inaugurated in May 1994 as president of South Africa, the first black and the first leader democratically elected to the post, stepping down after one term as he had vowed. Mandela chronicled his life in his 1994 autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," published in several languages. He was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, into the Madiba clan in the small village of Mvezo in Transkei, South Africa. His teacher at the primary school Mandela attended in Qunu named him "Nelson" in accordance with custom to give all school children Christian names. Mandela heard stories of his ancestors' valor during the wars of resistance and dreamed of helping South Africans secure freedom. His comments to the court in 1964 that sentenced him to life in prison for his work to abolish apartheid have become immortalized. "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities," Mandela told the court. "It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." During his incarceration, Mandela developed a lung infection that would recur at times for the remainder of his life. The United Nations on June 10, 2009, adopted Mandela's birthday, July 18, as "Nelson Mandela International Day." Mandela was recognized with more than 1,100 honors and awards, received more than 100 honorary degrees, and had numerous institutions, awards, schools and streets named in his honor, according to NelsonMandela.org. In addition to the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize he shared with former South African President F.W. deKlerk, who had joined hands with Mandela in defeating apartheid, Mandela's honors include Time's Person of the Year, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Sakharov Prize, the Gandhi Peace Prize, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, the UNESCO Peace Prize, the Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony and the Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights. Survivors include his third wife, Gra�a Machel, whom he married in 1998 on his 80th birthday; his former wife Winnie Mandela, three biological children and three children Machel brought into their union. He was preceded in death by three children and his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, from whom he was divorced in 1958. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Will South Africa keep Mandela's ideals? By Toni Braddix Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41619 Originally posted Dec. 5, 2013 LONDON (BP) -- Growing up in the Deep South in the 1960s and early 1970s, a middle-class white girl with a burgeoning interest in sociology and political science, I was aware of racial inequities in my world and the world in general. Struggling to understand civil rights through the lens of my growing faith in Jesus Christ, I was drawn to those who spoke with eloquence and passion as they advocated for racial equality. Now-iconic figures Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela and groups like the NAACP and African National Congress (ANC) were the voices that rose above the rest. King and Madiba, as Mandela is affectionately known, were unrivaled in their passion and eloquence as they called for equality. Both men were advocates for peaceful change, but the situations in the United States and South Africa were very different. King encouraged civil disobedience and legislative change. Madiba eventually felt compelled to adopt a "whatever it takes" position. Many considered Mandela and the ANC as the terrorists of Africa of the 1950s to 1980s. They were involved in the freedom struggles of many African countries, but as they saw nation after nation gain independence, their beloved South Africa continued in the stranglehold of the government-sanctioned oppression of apartheid. Incarcerated from 1962-1990, Mandela used his time in prison to study extensively. I sensed his shift from radical policies to more conciliatory ones as I observed him from nearby Zimbabwe and Mozambique as I served in Africa with the International Mission Board. Mandela expertly navigated the turbulent times that characterized South Africa emerging from apartheid. I was as thrilled as my national friends when Madiba was elected as the first black president of South Africa in 1994. Living in southern Africa during the events later depicted in the film "Invictus," I was encouraged by seeing Mandela make decisions based on what he thought best for South Africa and all its peoples. I was heartbroken for South Africa when Madiba stepped down as president in 1999 but I was also proud of him for setting an example as an African leader who refused to cling to power. In 2010, I was privileged to view an excellent display of the history of South Africa prominently featuring Mandela, and I was drawn to one quote: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Thinking how well chosen the quote was to sum up Mandela's life, I was stunned to read the notation: Nelson Mandela's statement at the opening of the defense case in the Rivonia Trial (Pretoria Supreme Court, April 20, 1964). As my thoughts flashed back through the years, I was awed by how well Mandela had lived up to the goals he avowed more than 50 years before. The people of South Africa are nervous about what will happen now that Mandela has died. I hope and pray they will honor him with actions that cherish his "ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities." --30-- Toni Braddix served in Africa for 20 years with the International Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- The HHS mandate: What's at stake? By Joe Carter Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41629 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a pair of cases that challenge the HHS mandate requiring most private companies' insurance to provide coverage for contraceptives and abortifacients. The Obama administration asked the high court to review the issue after a federal appeals court in Colorado found in favor of Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based crafts franchise. The court will combine the Hobby Lobby case with lesser-known case involving Conestoga, a Pennsylvania company that lost earlier bids for relief from the mandate. These are among the questions people are asking about the issue: Q: What is this contraception mandate? A: As part of the Affordable Care Act, the universal health insurance reform passed in 2010 (often referred to as "Obamacare"), all group health plans must now provide -- at no cost to the recipient -- certain "preventive services." The list of services mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services includes sterilization, contraceptives and abortifacient drugs. Q: If this mandate is from 2010, why are we talking about it in 2013? A: On Jan. 20, 2012, the Obama administration announced that it would not expand the exemption for this mandate to include religious schools, colleges, hospitals and charitable service organizations. Instead, the administration merely extended the deadline for religious groups who do not already fall within the existing narrow exemption so that they will have one more year to comply or drop health care insurance coverage for their employees altogether and incur a hefty fine. Q: Is there a religious exemption from the mandate? If so, who qualifies for the exemption? A: According to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the SBC's GuideStone Financial Resources in one of the suits, there is a "religious employer" exemption from the mandate but it is extremely narrow and will, in practice, cover very few religious employers. The exemption may cover certain churches and religious orders that inculcate religious values "as [their] purpose" and which primarily employ and serve those who share their faith. Many religious organizations -- including hospitals, charitable service organizations and schools -- cannot meet this definition. They will be forced to choose between covering drugs and services contrary to their religious beliefs or cease to offer health plans to their employees and incur substantial fines. "Not even Jesus' ministry would qualify for this exemption," they note, "because He fed, healed, served and taught non-Christians." Q: Doesn't the mandate only apply to religious organizations that receive federal funding? A: No. The mandate applies to religious employers even if they receive no federal funding. Q: When did the government begin requiring employer insurance programs to pay for contraceptives? A: According to the Becket Fund, the trend toward state-mandated contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance plans began in the mid-1990s and was accelerated by the decision of Congress in 1998 to guarantee contraceptive coverage to employees of the federal government through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). After FEHBP -- the largest employer-insurance benefits program in the country -- set this precedent, the private sector followed suit, and state legislatures began to make such coverage mandatory. Q: Why is the federal government dictating that contraceptives should be covered by insurance? A: In 2000, the EEOC issued an opinion stating that the refusal to cover contraceptives in an employee prescription health plan constituted gender discrimination in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). That law was adopted by Congress in 1978 in response to a Supreme Court decision holding that an employer's selective refusal to cover pregnancy-related disability was not sex discrimination within the meaning of Title VII, the primary federal law addressing employment discrimination. As the Beckett Fund notes, "Although this opinion is not binding on federal courts, it is influential, since the EEOC is the government body charged with enforcing Title VII. This opinion led to many lawsuits against non-religious employers who refused to cover prescription contraceptives." The federal district courts have split over the issue of whether the PDA requires employers to provide contraception. The only federal court of appeals to address the issue held that the PDA did not include a contraceptive mandate. Q: But what about the First Amendment protections? Isn't such a requirement inherently unconstitutional? A: In Employment Division v. Smith, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment's free exercise clause "does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a 'valid and neutral law of general applicability,'" simply because "the law proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion prescribes (or proscribes)." According to the Becket Fund this means that the fact that an act infringes on the religious beliefs or regulates the religiously motivated policies of a religious institution does not necessarily make the law unconstitutional. Q: Doesn't this seem to be primarily a Catholic issue? A: No. Although the Catholic Church has been the most vocal opponent of the mandate, many Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders also oppose the mandate. In fact, several evangelical leaders have called on evangelicals to stand with Catholics in civil disobedience to this law. Additionally, 300 academics and religious leaders signed a statement by the Beckett Fund explaining why the mandate is "unacceptable." Q: I don't oppose contraceptives, so why should I care about this issue? A: There are two reasons that all Christians, regardless of their view on contraceptives, should be concerned about this mandate. The first reason is because it forces Christians to pay for abortion-inducing drugs. The policy currently requires coverage of Ulipristal ("ella"), which is chemically similar to the abortion drug RU-486 (mifepristone) and has the same effect (to prevent embryos from being implanted or, if already implanted, to die from lack of nutrition). Additionally, RU-486 also is being tested for possible use as an "emergency contraceptive." If the FDA approves it for that purpose, it will automatically be included under the mandate. The second reason is that it restricts religious liberty by forcing religious institutions to pay for contraceptives and abortifacients even if the employer has a religious or moral objection to such practices. Q: While it may be a pro-life concern, why is it a religious liberty issue for me since I support the use of contraception? A: If the mandate is allowed to stand it will set a precedent that the government can not only force citizens to violate their most deeply held beliefs but that we can be sanctioned for refusing to do so. As John Leo has noted, today it is contraceptives and abortifacients, but "down the road it will be about suicide pills, genetic engineering, abortion and mandatory abortion training, transgender operations, and a whole new series of morally problematic procedures about to come over the horizon." As Leo has recounted, a Catholic-run California hospital was sued because it refused to perform breast-enlargement surgery on a transgendered patient. The state court ruled the hospital had violated the state's anti-discrimination laws. (Caving under litigation, the hospital paid $200,000 to the transgendered man.) Q: Didn't the Obama administration offer a compromise? A: In response to the concerns of religious organizations, Obama offered a "compromise" in which he proposed that insurance companies, instead of religious institutions, be required to cover procedures and products that they find objectionable at no cost in their insurance policies. In other words, the insurer would be required to provide the services "free of charge" and pay for them out of their own pocket. As economist Steve Landsburg has noted, the proposed compromise does not really change the fact that the religious employers are still being forced to pay for the contraceptives-abortifacients: "[A]ll economists ... understand that transferring the responsibility from employers to insurers amounts to transferring the cost from [insurers] to insurance buyers, which is to say that it's not a change in policy. One of the first and most important lessons we teach our students is well summarized by a slogan: 'The economic burden of a tax is independent of the legal burden.' Ditto for a mandated insurance purchase. It is not the law, but the underlying price-sensitivities of buyers and sellers that determines where the burden ultimately falls. Your president knows this. He's banking that you don't." --30-- Joe Carter is director of communications for the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Nettles: Spurgeon fully embraced Scripture By Matt Damico Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41613 Originally posted Dec. 5, 2013 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) �- Charles Haddon Spurgeon's commitment to live and minister in full accord with Scripture provides a model for all Christians, Baptist historian Tom Nettles says as the author of a new biography on the 19th-century British Baptist preacher. "Spurgeon's ministry grew out of a love for the Scripture and a love for doctrine that everyone should share," said Nettles, professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in an interview about his 700-page book, "Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon." Spurgeon was pastor of New Park Street Chapel, later named Metropolitan Tabernacle, in London, from 1854-92. A love for Scripture akin to Spurgeon's should be especially true for pastors, Nettle said. "It should be everything," Nettles said. "You shouldn't do anything that Scripture doesn't condone. You shouldn't avoid anything that Scripture doesn't condemn. You shouldn't preach anything that you could not verify with Scriptural exposition." Through researching Spurgeon's monthly publication, "Sword and Trowel," Nettles took note of the preacher's commitment to Scripture. "He wrote most of those, and so he explains month by month what's going on in Metropolitan Tabernacle or in other churches," Nettles said. "You get all these little views about how he viewed church life.... I think that adds a depth to Spurgeon's life that sometimes I didn't find in other biographies." Nettles added that Spurgeon's theological ability and consistency has not received its proper due. This, in fact, is what prompted the book's title. "Spurgeon has not been taken seriously enough as a theologian who governed his life and his ministry on the basis of theological principles," Nettles said. "Some historians have not sorted out the fact that he had a very strong theology of evangelism and a strong theology of human responsibility as it related to divine sovereignty," Nettles said. "There were theological reasons for what he did. That's the reason I've titled the book Living by Revealed Truth." Spurgeon's trust in God's sovereignty played an important role in how he reacted to various challenges and difficult times, Nettles said; Spurgeon knew, from passages like Romans 8:28-29, that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, to the end of conforming them to the image of Christ. "He was so committed to the sovereignty of God that he knew that God had a purpose in everything. He did not question God in His dealing with him," Nettles said. "He wasn't afraid to quote Romans 8:28 in hard suffering. God is saying that He is in control, He's fashioning us into the image of His Son. What more could we want in our suffering?" Spurgeon's commitment to ministry in light of Scripture also is evident in his heavy involvement in benevolence ministries, Nettles said. Eventually, Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle housed as many as 66 such ministries. "And all of them, as far as Spurgeon was concerned, had a theological foundation," Nettles said. "All of these things rose out of his love for the Gospel." With all of the ministries that Spurgeon supported, and with his vast output as a preacher, writer and administrator, Nettles concedes that Spurgeon's life could discourage readers who have little hope of such productivity. But there's much from Spurgeon's example that deserves attention and emulation. "There's one sense in which we say, 'Don't try to be Spurgeon, because you can't,'" Nettles said. Regardless, "I think we need to try to love the Gospel the way he did, be insistent on biblical foundations for all we do the way he did; we should be energetic for the Gospel as he was." --30-- Matt Damico writes for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- CALL TO PRAYER: Love, the more excellent way By Roger S. Oldham Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41630 EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is part of the call to prayer issued by Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, to pray for revival and spiritual awakening for our churches, our nation and our world during 2013. Baptist Press is carrying columns during the year encouraging Southern Baptists to pray in specific areas and for specific needs in petitioning the Father for spiritual awakening. NASHVILLE (BP) -- The sin that so easily ensnares us (Hebrews 12:1) is a double-edged sword! It strikes at us. And it strikes through us. Each person falls prey to one particular temptation more easily than any other. And, when we yield to temptation, we often project the basest motives of our own hearts -- those things we despise within ourselves and struggle to submit to the Lordship of Christ -- to the motives of others, judging them by our own weaknesses. Thus, for example, if I battle a critical spirit (sin striking at me), I project that someone else is a critical person (sin striking through me). If I struggle with envy (sin striking at me), I assume a key leader is only in it for the money (sin striking through me). If I have a low self-image (sin striking at me), I perceive a fellow minister of the Gospel looks down on me (sin striking through me). If I battle pride (sin striking at me), I view anyone who disagrees with me on any matter as haughty and arrogant (sin striking through me). It is the natural way of things to be this way. But, it is not the supernatural way of things. The redemptive work of Christ is not confined merely to securing my eternal destiny. The Lord is involved in transforming my life in every respect, beginning at the core of my character and radiating outward. It is His redemptive plan to redeem me from sin, from Satan and ... from self! An intriguing quatrain from the love chapter says, "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7 HCSB, ESV, NASB, NKJV, RSV). Other translations and paraphrases expand the four phrases. The NIV puts it this way: "[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Phillips' translation says, "Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything." The Good News Bible states, "Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail." The Message declares, "[Love] trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end." The most expansive paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:7 comes from the Living Bible: "If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him." I was recently involved in a prayer gathering, entreating the Lord for spiritual awakening and revival in our nation. As we prayed, person after person lamented the apparent lack of love for the brethren within Christian circles. As we prayed, it dawned on me that our apparent lack of love may be traced to our besetting sin. Simply put, we don't believe in each other, especially those who are not in our closest circle of friends. We don't expect the best of one another, especially those in more visible roles of influence. We don't stand our ground in defending one another, especially when a fellow believer takes a strong stand on a crucial issue. We project upon them the motivations we despise within ourselves and determine they are not worthy of our trust. The besetting sins striking at us and through us are destroying our unity in Christ, dismantling cooperation with fellow believers, diminishing our impact in our local communities, and diluting our witness to a watching world. We know Scripture states, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony" (Psalm 133:1). Yet, too often, our relationships are more marked by discord and disharmony than by unity. Christmas is about God's gift -- the gift of His Son, the gift of redemptive mercy and grace, the gift of a transformed life through Christ. He has poured out His Spirit upon us and placed the Spirit of His Son within us. What a marvelous, undeserved gift! As our gift back to the Father, let's make this Christmas a time of genuine repentance. Let us pray that we will love one another with a fervent love. Let us confess the sin which so easily ensnares us, asking the Father to overshadow it with His manifest presence in our lives. Let us pray that we will believe in one another, expect the best of one another, and stand our ground in defending one another. Love is the more excellent way. It truly does cover a multitude of sins. --30-- Roger S. Oldham is vice president for convention communications and relations with the SBC Executive Committee and executive editor of the Executive Committee's journal SBC LIFE (www.sbclife.org). Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The erosion of trust By Kelly Boggs Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41631 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Two-thirds of Americans do not trust their fellow citizens, according to a survey conducted by the Associated Press and GfK Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. GfK, according to its website, is a research company "working to discover new insights into the way people live, think and shop...." A similar survey in 1972 found that half of Americans professed trust in their fellow man. I suppose the AP-GfK survey does raise one question: Did those participating in the project trust the person conducting the survey enough to provide trustworthy answers? With such a preponderance of participants exhibiting such low levels of trust, it makes one wonder. Most of us probably can conjure up enough anecdotal evidence to support the results of the AP/GfK survey. The news is constantly reporting on scams and those who do not honor a contract, must less their word. And who among us has not been on the receiving end of someone lying, cheating or stealing from us? Several surveys in recent years have indicated these behaviors are on the rise in our society. While it seems well-documented that greater numbers of our fellow citizens are behaving in ways that violate trust, social scientists are pondering why it is so prevalent. "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead" by David Callahan, published in 2004, gives numerous illustrations of the ways Americans are conniving and dishonest. Callahan attributed the increase in dishonesty to the economic competitiveness of the past few decades. Various news reports on the AP-GfK trust survey, meanwhile, quote Robert Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community." Putnam has long studied America's erosion of trust and believes it stems from an increase of social isolation. According to Putnam, more and more Americans are opting to stay at home in front of their televisions and computer screens and are no longer interacting with each other. News reports also quoted professor Eric Uslaner who blames economic inequality on the erosion of trust. Uslaner, who teaches government and politics at the University of Maryland, believes that trust rises with wealth. To me, however, the analysis of America's lack of trust seems lacking. I am convinced that the dishonesty and accompanying loss of trust in American society is philosophical and theological. The rise of a postmodern view of truth certainly contributes to a compromised ethic and loss of trust. At best, postmodernism does not believe absolute truth can be known; at worst, it holds that absolute truth does not exist. Thus, every individual is left to construct his or her version of the truth. The old adage "honesty is the best policy" is simply not absolute in a postmodern world. Honesty is the best policy only if it is in your self-interest. If you believe lying can help you, then deception becomes the best policy. Thus, what I call postmodern self-interest is a huge part of the erosion of trust. If most everyone realizes that others view honesty as relative in any given situation, then whom can you trust? When honesty was viewed as absolute and accepted as the best policy by a majority of Americans, trust was high. A man's word was his bond and deals could be sealed with a handshake; not so in a world dominated by postmodern relativism. Postmodern thought has undermined another aspect that long characterized American life -- the fear of God. Put simply, the fear of God is the belief or understanding that a holy God is omnipresent and aware of each individual's thoughts, words and deeds. Further, God will justly deal with a person's behavior accordingly. There are a myriad of verses in the Bible that set forth the "fear of God." Among them are two from the Proverbs: -- "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings" (Proverbs 5:21). -- "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). Postmodern thought neuters the idea of the existence of a supernatural being, a God, to which everyone is ultimately accountable. If you construct your own truth and there is no accountability, unless you get caught, ethics becomes optional. When the concept of the fear of God prevailed in America, people were more apt to be honest and ethical when they believed God was watching and would hold them accountable for their actions. Of course, human nature has been corrupt since the fall of man took place. As a result, Jesus admonished His disciples to be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves." I understand that to mean: Be cautious in dealing with others, but be respectful. Or, in the words of Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verify." --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp]baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: El mayor mal By Gerardo A. Alfaro Dec. 6 2013 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?id=41632 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edici�n de hoy de BP en espa�ol. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Existe un mal cual no otro. Nada se le puede comparar pues todo lo dem�s depende de ello. Si tan solo nos pudi�ramos librar de �l, nada m�s importar�a. Puede compararse a la muerte, y en cierto sentido es igual. Es igual a la ceguera, porque no nos permite ver. Es igual a un c�ncer incurable, porque aun cuando lo superamos en algunas �reas, y a veces pensamos que estamos limpios, resurge en los momento y lugares m�s inesperados. Y ni siquiera lo notamos. S�, puede decirse que es un pecado. Pero no es cualquier pecado. M�s parece ser la ra�z del pecado mismo. Pecado, digo y cuando lo describo as� algunos pensar�n que estoy hablando s�lo de religi�n. Pero no es as�. M�s bien es un mal humano. S� afecta no s�lo la relaci�n con Dios, tambi�n la relaci�n con los dem�s. Que tal si les dijera que vivimos todos en un mundo de ciegos y de sordos. M�s que minusv�lidos, somos inv�lidos totalmente. No tenemos brazos ni pies que nos ayuden. Lo peor es que no lo vemos, ni lo podemos o�r. No hay fuerzas para o�rlo, ni ojos para verlo. Lo vemos de lejos, lo o�mos a o�das. Lo vemos de lejos, lo o�mos apenas, y no lo suficiente. S�, es importante, pero no para nosotros. Si, decimos que es verdad, pero no para cambiarme a m�. S�, puede cambiarme, as� lo decimos, pero nunca llega a hacerlo. En todos nosotros se encuentra ese par�sito que vive mientras vivimos. No conozco a nadie que se haya librado de esa malignidad. Yo la he sentido, muy de cerca, muy profundo. S� qu� est� all�. Pero me es m�s f�cil verla en el rostro, la boca, las actitudes, las acciones de todos los dem�s. Lo veo bien de cerca en aquellos que est�n cerca. Cu�nto dolor se siente saber que tengo esta enfermedad, y que no existe nada que est� entre los seres humanos lo puede borrar. Si me preguntan por su nombre dir� que se le conoce de muchas formas. Algunos lo llaman soberbia, otros ego�smo, egocentrismo, otros orgullo ... yo lo llamo ... "ser humano." Lo amo y lo odio al mismo tiempo. S� lo que necesita pero no lo har� sino hasta que algo superior me lo haga. Otros me dicen qu� debo hacer, y yo lo s�, pero no lo har�, porque se trata de ir contra el mal que est� en m� y que soy yo mismo. Cuando el libro se abre, oigo lo que debo hacer y digo am�n, pero lo hago consciente de que ese elixir no se aplicar� a m�. Ser� bueno para otros. As� mismo lo predico: otros deben hacerlo. Pero por dentro, yo no. Ego no s�lo es humano, tambi�n es hip�crita. Pero no lo hace porque quiera ser malo. Es que no quiere ser malo. Es malo. Pero yo no lo creo. Lo que hago no lo veo, no lo s�, no lo siento. M�s aun no puede ser tan grave. Por lo menos ese es mi diagn�stico. Esta mi enfermedad es tan m�a que a veces no s� si la que habla es ella o soy yo. Pero s� que si no me la quito, no puedo ser totalmente humano. �Pero qui�n quiere quit�rsela? M�s bien yo seguir� haciendo lo que va de acuerdo con ella. Protegerla es protegerme, esa es la ley. Cuanto m�s trato de alejarme de ella m�s triste estoy. Cuanto m�s me alejo de ella m�s contento estoy. Esto me acorta los d�as y me deprime. Me deprime verlo en m�. Y m�s me deprime verlo en aquellos que est�n cerca. Me llena de rabia verlo en mis enemigos, y me "hace sentir bien" cuando la veo en aquellos que creen ing�nue -- o quiz� hip�critamente -- haberse desecho de ella. Digo "bien" porque se confirma otra vez que la ley no nos puede liberar de esto. No importa cuantos requisitos me ponga encima, siempre habr� alguna hendidura por donde esta substancia se saldr� de mi control. El Libro abierto, y miles de veces repetido, cantado, y memorizado s�lo hace que tenga m�s callo. Lo oir� otra vez m�s y aunque por un �nfimo segundo me har� sentir mal, luego se me olvida, y sigo igual. Es un ente de una callosidad infinita. Nada de lo que yo haga puede rebanarlo. A menos que aquel hombre de Tarso lo haya encontrado ... miserable de m� quien me librar� de m� mismo.. Pido de rodillas que se me d� lo mismo que se le dio a �l: Doy gracias a Dios por su inigualable regalo.... (Ro. 7) --30-- Gerardo A. Alfaro es profesor de teolog�a sistem�tica y director de la divisi�n de estudios teol�gicos del Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary en Fort Worth, Texas. -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2014 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Use this guide to help with Alkek Library research.
You'll find information about how to find books, search for articles, and about the many services Alkek has to offer you.
Guide to Alkek Library Floors
Here is information about what can be found on each floor of the Alkek Library:
2nd Floor
Reference Desk
- This is where you go to get help with research.
- The Reference Desk and Building Hours updated by semester.
Circulation Desk
- This is where you go to check out books.
- Generally, graduate students are allowed to check materials out for a semester.
- You can also check-out laptops and obtain Texshare cards here.
Workstations and Printers
- Access Internet and Microsoft production software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and etc.) on all but a few of the computers.
- If you have problems printing, there is a printer help station or you can ask for help at the Reference desk.
3rd Floor
Reserve, Periodicals and Media Desk
- Print copies of reserve items (books, old tests, articles, etc.).
- There are also dvds, cds, and other types of materials like 3-D objects.
- You can check the Reserves collection to see if something is on reserve. Search by course or professor's last name.
- You can ask questions about periodicals or the media collection. The staff can also assist you with issues
relating to the equipment (like the microform/fiche readers).
Newspapers, Current Magazines and Journals
- Current issues shelved alphabetically by title of periodical.
- Older issues are bound together by volume or replaced by microfilm/fiche.
Older Periodicals
- 1980-present are on the 3rd floor, if bound.
- Older than 1980 are kept in the regular collection, and can be found by their call number.
Microfilm/fiche and Readers
- Use these to look at journals on microfilm or microfiche.
- Assistance is available.
- Copies are .10/page.
KIC Scanner
- This scanner allows you to scan and then either email the document to yourself or save it to a USB drive.
4th Floor
Computer Lab
- The Computer Lab provides both PC and Macintosh hardware, with a more extensive software collection than most computers on most Library computers. Software includes Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and SPSS.
- You'll need to check in at the Computer Lab desk and leave your student ID.
Government Information/Maps/Curriculum Materials
- Alkek Library is a Federal and State depository for government documents.
- The area has lots of good stuff, like maps, and the special map printer/plotter.
- It's also where you can check out textbooks used in the Texas public schools (elementary and high school).
- Student Learning Assistance Center provides tutoring and writing assistance.
- SLAC posts its schedule of tutors and subjects online.
Floors 5, 6, & 7
- Most of the books and other materials you can check out of the library are on these floors.
- Individual & group study rooms are also available on these floors.
- The 5th & 6th floors are designated as the "quiet floors."


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|Betty Joan Fuerst
|Tuesday, September 03, 2013 12:39 AM
Nov. 10, 1934-Sept. 1, 2013
She was born Nov. 10, 1934, in Landeck, to Oswald P. and Irene (Blockberger) Klaus, who preceded her in death.
She was united in marriage to Norbert Fuerst on July 11, 1951. He preceded her in death on June 2, 2004.
Survivors include three sons, Gordon (Helen) Fuerst of Delphos, Louis (Ann) Fuerst of Findlay and Roger Fuerst of Delphos; three daughters, Judith (James) Looser of Ottoville, Constance (Mark) Buettner of Elida and Elaine (Darren) Abram of Delphos; two sisters, Virginia Gunter of Delphos and Shirley (Gerald) Ladd of Landeck; two daughter-in-laws, Carole Fuerst of Minster and Barbara Hooley of Delphos; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
She was also preceded in death by two sons, Dennis J. Fuerst and Richard L. Fuerst; her daughter, Denise Fuerst; a sister, Mildred Miller Ulm; three brothers, Leroy, Paul and John Klaus; and a step-grandson, Nicholas Yaeger.
Mrs. Fuerst worked for Hostess Vending company. She was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and VFW Auxiliary.
She enjoyed gardening, playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, bingo and watching the Cincinnati Reds, but most of all she truly enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, with Father Chris Bohnsack officiating. Burial will follow at St. John's Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. Thursday at Harter and Schier Funeral Home and a Parish Wake will be at 6 p.m. There will also be a VFW Aux. service on Thursday.
Memorial contributions may be made to VFW 3035 or St. John's Parish Foundation.
To leave online condolences for the family, visit www.harterandschier.com.