The World Around You

“We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.” - Barack Obama

Entries for August 16th, 2003

Rally Organizers

Let’s take a look at the organizers of today’s rally in support of Roy Moore. One of the organizations is called Vision America. Their mission statement reads thus,

Our mission is to inform, encourage and mobilize
pastors and their congregations to be proactive in restoring Judeo-Christian values to the moral and civic framework in their communities, states, and our nation.

It is co-chaired by Rick Scarborough and Laurence White of Houston, Texas. Here is a list of their advisory board, which includes Jerry Falwell, D. James Kennedy and Tim LaHaye.

Laurence White is an LCMS (Lutheran Church)pastor, which disturbs me as someone who was raised in an LCMS church and graduated from the largest LCMS high school in the country. What’s even more disturbing is that Mr. White’s church has not reported its statistics on giving to the synod for the last two years. This data is publicly available on the synod’s website here. Also, he claims on Vision America’s website to be the leader of a growing church. Whereas, this graph demonstrates that yes the membership rolls have increased since 1995, when he took the job, but the average attendance has remained exactly the same, at around 500.

The other named sponsor America 21 does not offer as much information on its website. The organization is chaired by former US Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage. In her letter on te organization’s website she states,

These days will become the dramatic pages of history, too, and the future of America’s liberty is in the hands of Christians - right where it should be. Please pray about what you can continue to do. It is up to us, as it should be.

Missed the Party

I’m still trying to determine from various news sources the most accurate numbers on the participants in Old Roy’s rally in downtown Montgomery. It appears that it was in the thousands, but less than 10,000. Considering there were a lot of out-of-towners, that would put this gathering at a pretty modest level.

Thankfully I was in Birmingham today, but I would not have ventured downtown anyway. I feel my time is better served in not boosting his supporters numbers or resolve by mounting a counter-protest, especially since the atheists are the only organized group mounting a counter-protest.

Plus, I have this wonderful outlet to get out my own opinions on the matter.

Don’t Miss this Caption Contest

James has posted a great picture begging for a caption. Head over there and voice your suggestions.

MIA Apologies

I apologize for being missing in action the past couple of days, but I’m back now. More to come…