Spiritual Clarity

Genetics

2007-02-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

Nancy Gibbs wrote an article for Time magazine entitled "The Secret of Life." Some of her points were: James Watson and Francis Crick did not discover the existence of DNA, they discovered its structure. A strip of DNA contains a code written in words of four chemical letters: A, T, G, and C. Uncoiled and stretched out, it would be six feet long: folded back up, it would be small enough to fit into one of our cells. DNA carries within it, instructions for making a human. The instructions are similar to everythng that lives; we are cousins to the insects and small mammals.

Some of these genes trace back to a time whenn we were fish. More than 200 come directly from bacteria. Our DNA provides a history book of where we came from and how we evolved. Every human being on the planet is 99.9% the same.

Evolution makes more sense with a basic knowledge of genetics. Chromosomes carry genes which carry DNA. DNA is in the genes, which are on chromosomes that are in every cell in our bodies. Human DNA is basically the blueprint for a person, including all behaviors and traits. Essentially the building blocks for making a human being.

Alles are different forms of the same gene contributed to the offspring of each parent. Parents only transmit half their genes to each offspring. These genes are in different combination in every sibling, except in the case of identical twins.

A mutation is any altercation of genetic information. Mutations occur when any change is made to the DNA. Change a T to a G in the strand of DNA or change the length of a strand of DNA and abnormal biochemical reactions start happening. A delicate system can easily be thrown out of whack. Any change in these complex instructions can cause many problems: cancer, digestive tract problems, emotional problems, HSP, etc. Mutations can also be beneficial; they can help an organism adapt more easily to their environment.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Back Again

2007-02-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I hate an unplanned and unexplained e-mail scuffle with a family member. It started out on me just trying to help this person out with something and have a friendly conversation. I wrote a book about my stuggle with accepting organized religion. It is not an anti-religion book at all, just my thoughts on the matter. After a little normal conversation where I just was stating how I feel, not condeming how the "tolerant Christian" feels I asked if he read my book. He bristled, "No after looking at the back of the book and my blog I decided that I had no interest." At first this did not bother me but I did tell him that when he writes a book or any other friend or family member, I would be at the bookstore the day it came out to buy it...out of respect and to be supportive. I would be curious at what they thought, even if I disagreed with everything in it. The more I thought about what he said I got angry...to me that shows that a "tolerant Christian" is the opposite of tolerant. He may not persecute disbelievers but to be intolerant is not just to tolerate but to accept. To me it also shows closed-mindedness to not be open to learning what another family member thinks....or what anyone thinks.

I repeat...I was not telling him that I thought he was wrong believing what he believes just sharing my thoughts.

I decided that I really have no interest in just be "tolerated", that is an insult.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

The Right Thing

2007-02-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

The thing...well, one of the things that really bothers me about the Bible is when people say that we, as a people, need the teachings of Christ to know the difference between right and wrong. Aristotle believed that ethics were a matter of good training. He believed that most people (not Dick Cheney)know the proper way to behave, and they must simply be morally strong enough to behave in accordance with this knowledge. Being a good person amounts to having the inclination to do the right thing and that can be from genetics or learned.

Why would we need the teachings of a man that says, "Bring those before me that do not believe I am king and kill them?" The red writing in the Bible has many wonderful teachings also. Who could argue with the Golden Rule? But how can anyone say...This is God's word but only the second half is worth paying attention to. Or, "Just ignore the parts that you do not like but the rest is God's word and if people do not agree with it, they are wrong, therefore they will probably burn in hell."

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Stem Cells

2007-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Insisting that human souls live in Petri dishes is not a moral argument but an example of being both morally and intellectually primitive.

Homo sapiens

2007-01-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

There were a few frauds and mistakes (like Piltdown Man and Nebraska Man) and evolutionary dead ends in our study of what leads up to Homo sapiens. We are beginning to get the picture and have a lot more that is yet to be learned.

The first time the Homo species appeared was as Homo habilis. Homo habilis was known as "handy man" because of the tools found with his fossils. Homo habilis was the first to leave Africa. Africa seems to be where man originated. During the whole time that Homo habilis existed, his brain size continued to grow.

Homo erectus continued to migrate away from Africa. His brain was larger than Homo habilis. Homo erectus was the first to use fire. The use of fire would change life considerably; he could now see in the dark, he could scare predators away, it would make it easier to keep warm and food could now be cooked. I would think that cooked meat would taste considerably better than raw meat. Peking Man, Turkana Child, and Java Man were all Homo erectus.

At the point were the family tree split into Neanderthal man and Homo sapiens; they actually co-existed for awhile. Any readers of Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series (which are wonderful!) already know this. Approximately 40,000 to 100,000 years ago these two species came into contact with one another. They had comparable brain size. They obviously believed in the afterlife. Homo sapiens neanderthal had a more muscular build and was stronger than Homo sapiens. To see what Homo sapiens looked like just go look in the mirror.

The reason that Homo sapiens made it and Homo sapiens neanderthal did not is probably that Homo sapiens was more able to adapt than Homo sapiens neanderthal. You have to go with the flow and Neanderthal man did not...therefore became extinct. Trying to swim upstream does not work...only trout can do it successfully.

Now after reading about all the types and succession of early man, how can anyone say there are no transitional fossils? The statement, which I encountered, "There are no transitional fossils, therefore no evolution" is just more creationist imbecility. All fossils are transitional fossils!

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Is He bored?

2007-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

Every single zebra has its own pattern of stripes. Unlike any other zebra. So each is unique...like a human fingerprint. To make this more amazing...the right side is completely different from the left side. If you were one of those people who thinks God is responsible for creating every little thing, my question is this: Is God bored?

Tom Delay??

2006-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Apparently now Mr. Delay has begun blogging. His blog for conservative nutcases like himself is insulting Barack Obama. Don't Republicans have anything better to do than rip the competition apart. Didn't they get the message in November?

When asked about his blog in an interview he admitted that the ideas were his but someone on his staff does the actual blogging. Now a higher up member of his staff said he was just being modest, that he does all the blogging himself. Does that blank goofy grin look like someone who is modest??

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Our Direct Ancestors

2006-12-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Australopithecines, which emerged about 4 or 5 million years ago, are sometimes called "Ape-man" or "missing link" because they are on of the many transitions between ape and man. They were the first upright walkers. The fossil of the hip and knee joints tell us this. Perhaps they started walking to carry helpless infants. Infants of species with larger brains are more helpless at birth because they physically could not be born with large enough heads to hold a larger brain, so to compensate the brain develops outside the mother.

Donald Johanson found the first transitional fossil with an ape-like head on an upright body. This fossilized skeleton was Australopithecus afarensis or Lucy. Since this first find, many more transitional fossils are being found.

Cro-Magnon man is not really a seperate scientific classification. Cro-magnon is merely a group of Homo sapiens living 10-30 thousand years ago in Europe. In 1868, in the village of Les Eyzies in France, a group of skeletons were discovered. They were called Cro-Magnons.

A brief rundown of the development of man is:

First we had different forms of Australopithecus.
Australopithecus developed into a couple forms with only Homo habilis emerging.
Homo habilis became Homo erectus.
Homo erectus became Neaderthal man and Homo sapiens. Only Homo sapiens developed.
Homo sapiens is now...us-human beings in 2006!

If primates are not our direct ancestors, than why do you suppose that we share 98% of our genetic makeup with them?

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Life

2006-11-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

The earliest fossilized form of life was living about 3.5 billion years ago. At this point all of life consisted of microorganisms and algae. Now for a fossil to even form is a rare occurrence. Conditions must be just right for a soft-tissue body to get through not decompsing or being eaten by other animals or some other natural occurrence that would destroy the skeletal system, if a skeleton is present. Only a microscopic portion of the organisms that die ever make it to the fossil stage. Only a small portion of the small portion of life forms that become fossils actually get discovered and studied.

The oldest fossil of a multi-cellular organism was found in Michigan and is reported to be 2.1 billion years old. About 600 million years ago aquatic worms appeared. About 400 million years ago the first vertebrates appeared. All of life at that time was in the water. Rhipidistians were primitive fish with muscular lobes for fins. These fish had the ability to shuffle on land. They came out of the water during droughts to move to another area where water was available. Basically, these were gill breathers with the ability to gulp air and then extract the needed oxygen. These fish were able to exist because they had adapted to the drying up of waterholes...they just crawled to the next water hole. As the droughts became more severe natural selection favored those fish that were able to survive out of water for longer periods of time. These fish became our first reptiles.

Finally about 200 million years ago, mammals evolved. We all basically not only share the same primate ancestors but can trace our family tree back to 150-200 million years ago to a shrew-like mammal. Well, we really can go back to the aquatic worms or even further to micro-organisms living in the water.

The Mesozoic time period was also known as the "Age of Reptiles." The first known mammals and birds split away from the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs had a two hundred million year reign. What happened 65 million years ago? The dinosaurs all died out. But there is proof that they existed and ceased existing 65 million years ago not six thousand years ago like some believe.

Jerry Seinfeld, in his hilarious 1993 book, SeinLanguage, talks about the possibility of finding out what happened to the dinosaurs and compared it to the Kennedy Assasination. He joked that we will never know about the dinosaurs because we cannot even figure out what happened 40 years ago. How can we possibly figure out what happened 65 million years ago?

The first bird, Archaepterx, is clearly a descendant from reptiles. Then came mammals. Tim M. Berra, who wrote Evolution and the Myth of Creation, states that primates, the mammalian order to which humans belong, arose and were widespead 38 million years ago.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Pangaea

2006-11-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

In 1912, the German scientist Alfred Wegner proposed a theory that all present day continents once made up a single land mass or super continent. That super continent is called Pangaea. The name Pangaea means "all lands" in Greek. Pangaea began to break apart in stages and the pieces drifted away from each other, eventually landing where they asre now. This break up took place in the Mesozoic era. This is the theory of continental dift.

Wegner researched and used the evidence he found to support his theory. The similarities in the West African coastline and the coastline of eastern South Africa match perfectly. Fossils of plants and animals were the same on opposite sides of the ocean. After gathering information to support his theory, he wrote The Origin of Continents and Oceans.

Further evidence that supports this theory besides the already stated is all the continents seemed to fit together like a giant puzzle. There is a distinctive rock stratum that is identical on opposite sides of the ocean. Also, coal is found in dry, cold Antarctica. Coal needs wet, warm regions to form. How can these things be explained without Pangaea? The Biblical story of creation is impossible.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

George

2006-11-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

Do you think he gets it...finally? He received a strong message from the American people. Unfortunately, he can still veto everything. Now maybe George will take the high road and work with the Democratic Congress. Dems will take this opportunity to work with him although in the past when the rolls are reversed...for example when Clinton was President with a Republican controlled Congress, it appeared as though Congress refused to work with Bill Clinton. Democrats are not as spiteful as Republicans and will work with George W. Bush...at least that is the plan, otherwise nothing will get done. We have had six years of nothing getting done, now we need the government to work for the people.

Yesterday put an end to the monarchy...at least I hope so and so do a little over half of the countries citizens.

Jackie Welman
www.jackiewellman.com

Tuesday, November 7th

2006-11-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

1o0% Proof Positive that God does not control everything is that George W. Bush is in charge. Saying that he put Bush in charge is like saying God is stupid.

Everyone please do not insult the many people who died so you can vote by not going to the polls tomorrow. It is part of what it means to be an American citizen.

We need a change and that will not happen unless everyone gets out there and exercises their RIGHT to vote.

There has never been a President in need of checks and blanaces like this one. The Founding Fathers wanted it that way.

It only takes about fifteen minutes, at least that has been my experience. No matter how long it takes it is a priviledge that we are given in America.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Robin Meyers speech

2006-11-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Please, please read this and think about it before voting on November 7th:

This is a speech from Robin Meyers:

As some of you know, I am minister at Mayflower Congregation UCC Church in Oklahoma City, an open and affirming, peace and justice church in northwest Oklahoma City, and professor of rhetoric at Oklahoma City University. But you would most likely have encountered me on the pages of the Oklahoma Gazette, where I have been a columnist for six years and hold the record for most number of angry letters to the editor.

Tonight I join the ranks of those who are angry, because I have watched as the faith I love has been taken over by fundamentalists who claim to speak for Jesus but whose actions are anything but Christian. We've heard a lot lately about so-called moral values as having swung the election to President Bush. Well, I'm a great believer in moral values, but we need to have a discussion, all over this country, about exactly what constitutes a moral value - I mean, what are we alking about? Because we don't get to make them up as we go along, especially not if we are people of faith We have an inherited tradition of what is right and wrong, and moral is as moral does. Let me give you just a few of the reasons why I take issue with those in power who claim that moral values are on their side.

When you start a was on false pretenses and then act as if your deceptions are justified because you are doing God's will and that your critics are either unpatriotic or lacking in faith, there are some of us who have given our lives to teaching and preaching the faith who believe that this is not only not moral but immoral.

When you live in a country that has established rules for waging a just war, built the United Nations on your own soil to enforce them, and then arrogantly break the very rules you set down for the rest of the world, you are doing something immoral.

When you claim that Jesus is the Lord of your life and yet fail to acknowledge that your policies ignore his essential teaching or turn them on their head (you know, Sermon on the Mount stuff like never returning violence for violence and those who live by the sword will die by the sword), you are doing something immoral.

When you act as if the lives of Iraqi civilians are not as important as the lives of American coldiers and refuse to even count tham, you are doing something immoral.

When you find a way to avoid combat in Vietnam and then question the patriotism of someone who volunteered to fight and came home a hero, you are doing something immoral.

When you ignore the fundamental teachings of the Gospels, which say that the way the strong teat the weak is the ultimate ethical test, by giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us so that the strong will get stronger and the weak will get weaker, you are doing something immoral.

When you wink at the torture of prisoners and deprive so-called enemy combatants of the rules of the Geneva Convention, which your own country helped establish and insists that other countries follow, you are doing something immoral.

When you claim that the world can be divided up into the good guys and the "evildoers," slice up your own nation into those that are withyou of with the terrorists - and then launch a war that enriches your own friends and seizes control of the oil to which we are addicted instead of helping us kick the habit, you are doing something immoral.

When you fail to veto a single spending bill but ask us to pay for a war with no exit strategy and no end in sight, creating an enormous deficit that hangs like a great millstone around the necks of our children, you are doing something immoral.

When you cause most of the rest of the world to hate a country that was once the most loved country in the world and act as if it doesn't matter what others think of us, only what God thinks of you, you have sone something immoral.

When you use hatred of homosexuals as a wedge issue to turn out record numbers of evangelical voters and seek to use the Constitution as a tool of discrimination, you are doing something immoral.

When you dismantle countless environmental laws designed to protect the earth, which is God's gift to us all, so that the corporations that bought you and paid for your favors will make higher profits while our children breathe dirty air and live in a toxic world, you have done something immoral. The earth belongs to the Lord, no Halliburton.

When you talk about Jesus, who was a healer of the sick, but do nothing to make sure that anyone who is sick can go to see a doctor, even if she doesn't have a penny in her pocket, you are doing something immoral.

I can't finish, I am getting to pissed off. But please vote Tuesday. This pathetic President is in need of checks and balances. As it is right now, the Constitution is not working like it should.

Just a few more things to think about between now and Tuesday...stem cells, Katrina, Rumsfield, Bush's smirk, minimum wage, as many US soldiers are now dead in Iraq as Americans were killed on 9/11,Intelligent Design, Founding Fathers, the National debt that has gone from a plentiful surplus to a incredibly large debt, the list goes on & on...

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Radioactive Aging Part 2

2006-11-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

In one creationist attack on carbon dating it was said that carbon dating is misunderstood, therefore it must be faulty. Everyone seems to think that carbon dating is supposed to work for millions and billions of years. Since it does not...than it must not work. That argument is misleading, as most religious propaganda ties to brainwash or coerce people into believing the creationist version by using twisted half-truths. Using Carbon-14 dating, things can only be dated to about 23,000 years old. The information that is conveniently not mentioned by creationists is that other isotopes that decay at a much slower rate are used to date other things older than 23,000 years. Carbon-14 is not the only isotope used for dating older objects.

Each rock has several isotopes; the specific half-life of these isotopes dates the rock. Here are a few, I am including them jsut to clarify that there are manyt methods for radioisotope dating. Potassium-40 is another element naturally found in your body and its half-life is 1.3 billion years. Uranium-235 has a half-life of 704 million years. Uranium-238 has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. Thorium-232 has a half-life of 14 billion years. Rubidium-87 has a half-life of 49 billion years. The point, once again, is that there are a lot more isotopes used for dating other than Carbon-14. The use of various radioisotopes allows the dating of biological and geological samples with a high degree of accuracy. The actual definition for radioactive dating is "determination of the age of an object or material based on the known rates of decay of radioactive isotopes of variod elements."

Conclusion--the Biblical version of creation is hocus pocus!

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Radioactive Aging-part 1

2006-10-31T17:34:00.000-08:00

Radiocarbon dating was first developed in 1947. It is used to determine the approximate ages of dead organisms, artifacts, rock formations, and so on, by measuring the amount of Carbon-14 they contain. The method is possible because Carbon-14 is an isotope. An isotope (try to remember high school chenistry class) is an atom with a differing number of protons and neutrons, so it is unstable. Each atom has protons and neutrons in the center with electrons on the outside. Isotope's half-lives are the time it takes for one-half of the radioactive material to decay. Carbon-14's half-life is 5,730 years. It takes another half-life for the next half of Carbon-14 to disintegrate and so on.

All living organisms absorb Carbon-14 during their lifetime by breathing and eating. After an organism dies and becomes a fossil, Carbon-14 continues to decay without being replaced. To measure how much Carbon-14 is left in a fossil, scientists burn a small piece. Radiation counters are used to detect the electrons given off by decaying Carbon-14 as it turns into nitrogen. The amount of Carbon-14 is then compared to the amount of a stable form of carbon, to determine how much radiation has decayed and to date the fossil.

Stem Cells-again

2006-10-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

The issue at hand...well not at hand but on November 7th is very specific...it says, "Allow federal funding for the extra 300,000 embryos in in-vitro clinics right now."

I have yet to hear a sensible answer why these cells should be thrown away rather use them for research. I have heard-NO ABORTION. Well, for an abortion to take place there needs to be a woman present. We are talking about embryos created in a lab for a couple having trouble getting pregnant on their own. Extra embryos are created if possible to make sure a viable embryos is created to implant in the woman. The rest are either saved for the possible creation of a sibling, put up for adoption, or discarded with the signed consent of the would-be parents. All of these options are given to the couple...they decide the fate of the embryo.

So how moral is it to fill a garbage bag with these embryos or use them to possibly alleviate suffering of a living, breathing child or adult?

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Stem Cells...Again

2006-10-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

How moral is it to throw something in the garbage as opposed to possibly helping millions of suffering Americans?

Embryonic Stem Cells can morph into any type of tissue in the body. That is why they are more useful than adult stem cells. Of course some wonderful things can and will happen with adult stem cells but their use is limited. For example, the pancreas does not have adult stem cells so to help someone with diabetes make the cells needed to create insulin embryonic stem cells would be needed instead of adult stem cells.

The fact of the matter is that no abortion is involved or no cloning. The issue at hand is the 300,000 frozen embryos in in-vitro labs that are waiting to be discarded...should they be destroyed and used for research or just destroyed and thrown away. Hmm.... Makes no sense to just destroy them for no reason, does it? For an embryo or a fetus to be aborted it must first be in a woman's body. There is no cloning. The issue you are voting on November 7th is very specific about only using those extra embryos in in-vitro clinics that are to be discarded. These embryos are 3-5 days old and were created with about several others to make sure a live or several live embryos were available. They are created by taking a man's sperm and a woman's egg inside a test tube. A couple embryos are then implanted in the woman with a hopeful end result of a bouncing baby. The couple now has a choice concerning the extra embryos. They can put them up for adoption...very low sucess rate if there is freezing involved...many do not choose this option for different reasons. Another option is save them for the possible creation of a sibling. Another option is to discard them or donate them for research. The embryos that are signed away for the garbage are frozen until we get this figured out. Now since there is no adoption for these embryos, the only option is disposal, what is the sensible reason for not using them for research? There is no other option. Those who say there is are lying to you to get your vote. It's kind of like saying, "Vote for me, I will lower your taxes and it turns out that you have to make over $330,000 a year to get your taxes lowered. I bet not many readers of this blog make over $330,000 a year.

America has a responsibility to it's citizens. It needs to help those who need it.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Why the Christian Right is Wrong

2006-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is from Robin Meyers book Why the Christian Right is Wrong. Mr. Meyers is a United Church of Christ minister.

"To cultivate and energize its political base, the administration has embraced tactics that many of us consider antithetical to religion -- hatred, paranoia, arrogance, greed, and the fine art of demonizing the other -- all in the name of a penniless rabbi from Nazareth who preached love, faith, humility, generosity and the nonjudgmental acceptance of the other."

Robin Meyers

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

The Truth

2006-10-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

The study of evolution puts into perspective our relative insignicant existence and our enormous impact on the Earth. People who deny evolution must have a hard time swallowing the fact that humans are just a teeny tiny portion of what there is in the 13.7 billion-year-old universe. We are just a microscopic speck. Those people seem to like the theory with humans at the center of the universe or at least the geocentric theory with the Earth being the center. The Copernican theory or the heliocentric theory declared that the Earth revolved around the Sun, therefore the sun is the center of the universe not the Earth. Literal interpretation of the story of creation from the beginning of the Bible goes right along with the flat Earth method of thinking.

Whether it was the Big Bang of God snapping his fingers, the earth is about 4.5 billion years old. The entire universe has been dated with presicion to the ripe old age of 13.7 billion years old. THe age of the earth is not a guess based on the age of a few rocks. Over the last thirty years many laboratories all over the world have come to the same conclusion.

Age is determined by combining absolute dating (calculating radio active decay) and relative dating. Relative dating is determining age by observing what rock strata lie above and below. Strata are the specific layers of rock in a formation. Rocks are in certain layers and so are fossils. THe deeper you dig, the more primitive the fossils are. Stratiography is the study of the layers of the Earth's surface.

Creationists argue that you cannot achieve order from chaos. The comparison of evolution to standing on a chair and dropping a deck of cards was actually given to me. What does 52-card pick up have to do with the world evolving? I can just see some preacher doing this and his congregation gasping at the delusional realization that evolution was just plain wrong. The answer to the argument that you cannot achieve order from chaos is that it is very possible, just add a little work. An example would be cleaning your garage (chaos) X you cleaning it (energy) = a clean garage (order). Throwing a deck of cards on the floor and then picking them up by adding some energy would create order. Just add a little energy and things start to happen. The sun provides our world with a constant source of energy. The sun makes plants grow and become edible. Animals eat those plants. Other animals eat the animals that ate the plants. Life goes on and is constantly evolving.

A short-time ago it was commonly believed the universe was only 6,000-10,000 years old. Unrealistic creationists actually still believe this. By the 19th century, with the new science of geology, we now know for certain that the Earth is closer to being 4.5 billion years old. Some creationists interpret the Bible's story of creation literally. They believe that the universe and all that is in it have been created by divine intervention. Basically, it is a refusal to see the facts. How can anyone with any sense dispute the truth?

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Real Threat

2006-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

It is a shame that we have spent billions of dollars in Iraq and accomplished very little when the real threat appears to be North Korea and Iran.

Questions

2006-10-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Questions have always been on my mind and never answered to my satisfaction. The desire was always present, the longing to accept and believe. In fact, it was very strong. I always felt that something was missing, some integral part, since I did not feel like others did about faith. I could not understand why I had such a hard time with the whole religion thing. I never understood how something could be fully believed when proof to the contrary was right in front of the eyes. Blind faith over intellectual reasoning seems non-negotiable.

The questions constantly plagued me; some even silly. If there is a heaven, would't it be overcrowded by now? What about all of those babies and people born of other religions, besides Christianity, do they go to hell? Does anyone, who is sane, actually believe in purgatory? Why, if religion is good, do so many people die in the name of religion? Why can't women be priests? Why can't priests marry? It seems obvious to everyone but Catholics that something is wrong with the priest system since there are so many child molesters in the priest system. What is wrong with birth control? Isn't birth control better than unwanted babies? The Catholic Church or any other form of religion opposing birth control seems to say...we are opposed to using common sense. Why is there so much resentment toward the Jews? Jesus was Jewish. How can "God's plan" include my son getting Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia? What kind of a plan is that? Nothing I want any part of. Could religion just be a way of dealing with some type of loss or suffering? Can't you just say a prayer whereever or whenever, why does it need to be in church on a Sunday? Does God listen better on Sundays? Why do some people just assume that only the best people go to church every week? I found a perfect response to that one in a book called What's The Difference by Fritz Ridenour. It said, "Going to church on a regular basis no more makes you a Christian than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger."

On a search for answers was where I decided to go. I tried church many times, even taught a little Sunday School. Church seemed to serve a purpose for many, a bond with others who think the same regarding religion, at least. I never actually felt good about going; I was more concerned with the yard work that I could be getting done during the service. My husband's family church is Episcopalian, so communion was every Sunday. Whenever, I take communion, my main concern is getting back to my seat before someone notices my limp. It was clear to me that I was not feeling like I should about church. What was wrong with me, that church was not as fulfilling to me as it was for others? I never got past the point of going because that was what I should do instead of what I wanted to do.
I just never really understood why I should be in church Sundays mornings as opposed to anywhere else. Is that going to make me a better person?

It seems that many of the people who make it a point of being church goers were not such Good Samaritans the other six days of the week. Does one day, out of seven make up for the other six? Do some people really think that it is justifiable to sin if you go to church and ask for forgiveness? I always thought it was the other way around; we all sin, some more than others...you pray for forgiveness and try to correct the behavior. Not attend church once a week so you can sin all you want

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Online Shopping

2006-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

If you have any shopping to do...read on. To make a donation that doesn't cost you a thing, to Spastic Paraplegia Foundation if you just go to http://www.sp-foundation.org. Once on this website, click the area that says "Shopping Mall." The stores that participate on this site give a percentage of their sales that come from this site. You can buy vitamins, furniture, something from Walmart, books or music from Amazon, flowers from FTD, something from Overstock, Baby Outlet, Plow & Hearth, Dell computers and many more. You can buy plane tickets or rent cars. Why not help find a cure, if you are going to shop anyway and it costs nothing?

Thank you,

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Speaking

2006-07-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

How come some people can speak so much and say so little?

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Your Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle

2006-06-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Your Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle is a new book by Roy Klienwachter. 282 pages, quality trade paperback (softcover), ISBN 1-4120-7752-4.

It can be ordered by calling 1-888-232-4444 or 1-250-383-6864

Spirituality is not about being religious. Religion is humanity's attempt to explain spirituality and it has missed the one most important aspect of spirituality.

Ignorance and fear have driven humanity to pass on the lies handed down to us by our parents, teachers, religious leaders, and politicians. In an effort to control the behavior of society they have not told you of the freedom that is yours-your birthright.

We have tried to work wihin the confines of morality and darkness for thousands and thousands of years-we have not received what we were promised for the struggle, hardship and acquiescene.

What makes intelligent people ignore the obvious? What we have been doing for thousands of years has not brought us what we desire or what we were promised as a species.

Why is it that some people are poor while others are rich-is it luck, intelligence or just being in the right place at the right time? What is that successful people know that you do not? Why is it that some people attract illness while others never catch so much s a sniffle? What is the secret behind a sudden recovery from a terminal illness? Why do some people have accidents and others do not?

Why is it that some people attract the right people to them for mates while you struggle just to be noticed? Why is it that successful people have all kinds of friends and acquaintances around them that support them in abundance?

Life was never meant to be a struggle, we were not put on this earth, we came by desire, and we are not here to learn anything. What is our real purpose - what transcends the obvious misery and struggle that we demonstrate in our lives everyday> Do you really believe that it is a God or Devil that is causing these things? Except for technical advances, as a species we really have not developed spiritually very much, and for good reason.

If you could amass great abundance at will - would you not be interested in the concept? If you didn't have to be sick or have accidents wouldn't you be a little curious? If you could at least understand why your life is the way it is - would it not help you to know?

If enlightenment comes from awareness, then wouldn't a short glimpse outside of the box help you make better decisions? If there are secrets - who is keeping them from you and why?

Roy's thoughts are not new, they are simply said in a different way that most people can understand. Simple and eloquent in form that opens one's mind to new possibilities. No one comes away from this book without being enlightened.

You are not a victim of circumstnces, you are creating them.

The above is a description of Roy Klienwachter's new book, Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle.

Jackie Wellman
author of Spiritual Clarity
www.jackiewellman.com

Whales

2006-06-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

Just got back in town. I flew to Seattle, where my brother who lives there picked us up. We then drove to Anacortes where the ferry took us and my brother's car to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. Friday Harbor is a town whose economy seems to be based on whale watching tourists. The first thing we did was drive to Lime Kiln State Park where the orcas come right up to shore. My first time seeing an orca in the wild was spectacular. I just love hearing that exhale sound they make when they initially come up for air.

The next morning after visiting the whale museum, which was mainly dedicated to resident orcas, we left on a whale watching trip. J-pod is a group of 23 whales that hangs out during the summer on the South side of the San Juans. It was awsome! The whales seem to enjoy the attention and put on a show for us. I was impressed at how respectful of the whales the whale watching boats were. For example if they came to close the boats would back up. We heard the captain talking to other boats about reporting a tourist boat that was getting to close.

This was an experience that I will not ever forget! Seeing them in the wild is much better than Sea World.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Is Your Government Conservative or Liberal?

2006-05-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

To determine whether your government is Republican or Democratic, just evaluate whether it supports all its people or just the wealthy and powerful. Does your government protect the weak or promote the strong? Is it for the general welfare or the prosperity of some and and poverty for others? Do they want to help, temporarily, those that are down or just let them drown? Does your government financially protect big companies like agribusiness companies and pharmaceutical companies and oil companies? Conservatives seem to think they can do away with Medicaid, Social Security, Welfare, and Disability; then the irresponsible will become responsible. But what about those that really need help? What we need is more regulation. There are people who take avantage but then there are those that need help to get back on their feet. Why punish them? This is an example of the black and white world of conservatives...certain people take advantage, so we need to just do away with the whole thing. Politics in the United States should not be about protecting the interests of only the rich and powerful but all its citizens even those who need a little help getting back to where they should be or helping those Americans who cannot help themselves. We are all Americans and should look out for each other.

Democrats represemt the people while Republicans are the party of the powerful. Democrats use the federal government to serve public interest. There are no federal programs that are now generally approved by both major parties that were not initially pushed by liberal.

Republicans that say they hate the wealthy but somehow excuse the corporate world that continues to hurt the average citizen. Repulicans believe somehow that by paying taxes, they are handing over their hard earned money to people who do not work. Here is the thought process...Welfare, Medicaid, and food stamps breed dependency but if you are lucky enough to be born into a rich oil family and inherit millions of dollars that is somehow acceptable.

Another way greed comes into play is the tax cuts that the Republican administration pushed for and got voted in. These tax cuts, that people were led to believe would help eveyone actually only benefit substantially those that make over $330,000 a year. So of course, the very wealthy are going to do whatever they can to have as many Republicans in the White House as they can. That includes conning the Religious Right. And they did a good job of it. Corporations run the Republican White House. The divide between the haves and have-nots has never is widening.

Trickle down economics is a silly theory. It is like saying that by giving the super rich a larger meal that the people living under the table will eat better by getting good table scraps. Doesn't it make more sense to set them up with their own table by using tax cuts for the rich and making them self-sufficient, lessening the divide?

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Conservative or Liberal?

2006-05-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

There are two main reasons people call themselves Republicans instead of Democrats:

The first reason for declaring oneself a Republican is a justification for selfishness. Voting Republican gives permission to be uncaring and looking out for number one only. The current administration has demonstrated astonishing greed. Democrats are just more caring people who would go out of their way to help someone rather than step all over them. Democrats are opportunists...the politicians, lawyers and corporate America. Those at the top income level or those hoping to be at that level in the future. Also the people who make money of that top level vote Republican...don't bite the hand that feeds you. These people vote with their pocketbook (as most of us do) but they will tell an untruth and say it is for moral reasons. Apparently they do not want to look slimy and uncaring. An example of this greedy mentality is illegals being let enter this country so American businesses can hire cheaper labor. If a company hires illegals they pay no insurance or no taxes. Corporations and Republicans are risking national security just so they can pay less money and have higher profit margins.

The second reason is being confused about the role of religion in government. Neither Jesus nor God was a Republican. They were not Democrats either, but I believer closer to the Democrat side of things. After reading anything about Jesus, it is truly amazing that anyone would think he would have chosen the Republican way. Just read the red writing in the Bible. Jesus would have never condemed the poor the way Republicans do, he would have helped them. These are the truly religious people who are slightly self-righteous to horribly self-righteous. They believe church propaganda but do not really know much about politics. These are average citizens with low to moderate income that dislike lawyers, politicians, abortion, and equal rights. Now they have become known as the red staters. These people truly believe any people with beliefs other than their own are evil and anti-American. A lot of these people were raised this way and do not know any better. These people actually like George W. Bush and still like him no matter what he does. He lies and does moronic things over and over again; they still are members of his fan club.

If an individual is raised with a certain set of values and thinks differently than his parents, it is a rarity. Uneducated people are especially prone to thinking just like Mom & Dad, whether it is about religion or politics.

Republicans want to take from the poor to protect tax cuts for the rich. Now who has higher Christian values?

Another Quote

2006-05-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny of religion is the worst.

Thomas Rain

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com

Gandhi Quote

2006-04-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

I suggest first that all of you Christians...must begin to live like Jesus Christ. Second, I would suggest that you practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, I would suggest that you put all your emphasis on love, for love is the center and soul in Christianity. Fourth, I would suggest that you study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically in order to find the good that is in them, so that you might have a more sympathetic approach to people.

Mahatma Gandhi, Christ of the Indian Road

To learn a little about other religions and a lot about spirituality read Spiritual Clarity!

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com
author of Spiritual Clarity

Imagine

2006-04-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine there's no heaven; it's easy if you try
No hell below us, above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today...

Imagine there's no countries it isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace...
~"Imagine" copyright 1971 Lenono Music

That says it all!

Intolerance and Learning

2006-04-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

If we learn about different religions and realize the potential of various religions to produce good people, we can respect diversity. One thing I learned, when researching this book and I was shocked about this discovery, was how much religions resemble each other. Ignorance leads believers to think that their religion is the only correct way to think and everyone else is wrong. This way of thinking is one of the ways that religion can be dangerous by claims of absolute truth and blind obedience. In history as long as there has been contact between different religious traditions, there has been misunderstanding and conflict. Once we know about religions other than our own, we can develop an appreciation and respect for other beliefs.

If you want to learn a little and try to be more tolerant, with not as much self-righteousness read Spiritual Clarity. To get information on Spiritual Clarity just look at my website. Self-righteousness is a nauseating characteristic.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Republican or Democrat

2006-03-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

There are two main reasons for being a Republican. Supporting selfishness or not really understanding the role of religion in government.

Wouldn't you rather be the Oprah Winfrey type than the Dick Cheney type? She is so kind to those in need and he is not even close to that. The only thing the Bush Administration cares about is lining their own pockets.

Isn't religion being so intertwined with government exactly what we are fighting about in the middle east?

Politics and religion do not belong together.

Jackie Wellman
in the process of writing Political Clarity
author of Spiritual Clarity
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Red Writing in the Bible

2006-03-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Do the people who tell Jewish jokes know that Jesus was Jewish?

Have Republicans read the red writing in the Bible?

Jackie Wellman
author of Spiritual Clarity
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Gloria & Coretta

2006-02-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of seeing Gloria Steinem speak last night, at a Women's Talk series. I was shocked at how good she looked. She certainly did not appear to be 71. She said a lot of things that made people think and I hope she brought some women to their senses. She was obviously very political which I loved. When she brought up Coretta Scott King, I had a wave of pride wash over me. What an honor to walk with that woman!

In the 80's I was living in Atlanta, Georgia and participated in a civil rights march that she lead. We marched through Forsyth County, which did not allow black people to resident in. There were KKK members dressed in their silly outfits, a few injuries, lots of conferederate flags, and plenty of fear. If you want to read more about it, visit my webpage and there is a link on there to my ezine articles. While you are there feel free to buy a book!

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

review for Spiritual Clarity

2006-02-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

Review
Spiritual Clarity
By Jackie Wellman
Paperback; 158 pages
Publish America, Baltimore
ISBN: 1-4137-7654-X
Price: US19.95 on Amazon
Also available from Borders.com; BarnesandNoble.com; Books-a-Million

This is Jackie Wellman’s first book and in one sentence, I found the book informative, entertaining and in many parts funny.

The book is divided into five sections which demonstrate the manner in which Ms. Wellman has conducted her study. It follows the natural progression when a study is made and this aids in making the book a pleasurable read.

In Section 1, Ms. Wellman begins by explaining the purpose of this work. She clearly states that it is a personal quest - one that began when she was given a unfavorable prognosis for a medical condition she suffers from. This is most evident when Ms. Wellman states:
When I hear someone say, “It must be God’s plan; we just do not understand,” it gets my blood boiling. How could God be involved in possibly giving my beautiful son HSP [hereditary spastic paraplegia]?”

Though it starts in this manner, throughout the book, there is use of humour; this, coupled with a personal touch immediately draws a reader into Ms. Wellman's quest. This lightness in her words makes reading such heavy stuff a pleasure.

In the next section of the book entitled ‘Religion Rundown’ there is no doubt that Ms. Wellman has done extensive research.

Her statement at the beginning of the section is very positive in its nature:
“Most religions send out a message of love and compassion. The ways those messages are sent out are a little different, but they basically all say the same thing – be nice!”

I must admit that when it came to a rundown of my own religion, Hinduism, I was ready to criticize; however, I was immensely pleased to read, “Hinduism is a complex religion that can answer questions about how to achieve whatever the follower wants … Here is a little more to add to the confusion: …” To me, this showed a maturity on Ms. Wellman’s part for she recognized the difficulties that surround this ancient set of beliefs.

Ms. Wellman’s maturity is even more pronounced when she gives the rundown on Islam when she clearly states the main beliefs, the rules by which Muslims live and the fact that “It is a peaceful religion.”

Even in this section, humor is employed. For instance, when she mentions Jehovah’s Witness, she says, “Now, be honest, who has pretended they are not home and not answered the door when they are in the neighborhood?”

In Section 3, “Evolution and Common Sense”, Ms. Wellman ‘applies’ what she’s learned from her research and here, some of the most entertaining passages are written. The overriding concern here is the concept of Creation. She ponders the facts, scientific issues like radioactive aging, Darwin’s theory of evolution and eventually, the truth. These are all difficult subjects to deal with and whole textbooks have been written about them. Ms. Wellman has described, in simple language, each of them which gives the reader just enough information to understand the concepts, theories and ideas.

Then comes what can be considered a potentially explosive part of the book – section 4 which is entitled, “In the Name of Religion”.

She sites numerous examples of atrocities that have been carried out and are still being carried out in the name of religion. In one sentence, she sums up her understanding that, “Religious intolerance has been around as long as religion has been present.” She proceeds to give a succinct account of the Crusades, the Inquisition, Jewish Persecution, Witch-hunts, Natives, Colonists, Slave Trade and Recent Intolerance.

The last section, which is Ms. Wellman’s concluding part, is entitled, “Clarity” – this is really a set of questions that Ms. Wellman asks. But the way in which she asks the questions, which are very difficult to ask, let alone answer, can make you laugh. For instance:
Right after the tsunami disaster I caught the end of a special on CNN … about how different religions were explaining the immense wrath of nature. Several answers were about how people were being punished for their sins. How ridiculous!

She proceeds to list times in history when natural disasters occurred and many people perished. She says,
“These last four [China and countries around the Indian Ocean] are countries were overpopulation is prevalent; was God doing a little population control? Was he bored and needed some excitement?”
Then comes her gripe with the Church on how they treat women. She says,
“Just the idea that women were created as an afterthought from a small piece of God’s “special creation” makes it seem that man are superior to women. How can any woman with any self-esteem believe any of this?”
Finally, we see Ms. Wellman’s own clarity for she says, “The big question for me was … Do people need to go to church every week to be “good people”?”

Further on, she comes to, what I think, is her most important realisation –
“There is a natural tendency to associate spirituality with religion, but they are different. That, I did not know. Religion is an organized system of beliefs in the worship of God or gods. Spirituality is finding your own authentic self.”

In all, this has been an enjoyable, relaxing and informative read.
Aneeta Sundararaj, a storyteller, is the creator of the bestselling program "How To Tell A Great Story" (4th Edition). Aneeta’s “R.P.I. Principle”© technique has been used by many people and offers simple, cutting-edge strategies applicable universally. Visit http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/ to learn more.

Boy, no one has ever called me mature before. It is usually immature...LOL

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Questions

2006-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Questions have always been on my mind and never answered to my satisfaction. The desire was always present, the longing to be able to accept and believe. In fact, it was very strong. I always felt like I was missing some integral part of myself because I did not feel as others did about faith. I could not understand why I had such a hard time with the whole religion thing. I never understood how something could be fully believed when proof to the contrary was right in front of the eyes. Blind faith over intellectual reasoning seems non-negotiable.

The questions constantly plagued me; some were even silly. If there is a heaven, wouldn't it be overcrowded by now? What about all of those babies and people of other religions different than Christianity, do they all go to hell? Does anyone who is sane, actually believe that purgatory is real? Why, if religion is so good, do so many people die in the name of religion? Why can't women be priests? I know the answer the Church gives but it sems ridiculous. Why can't priests marry? It seems obvious that something is wrong with the Catholic priest system since there are so many child molesters within the church. What is wrong with birth control? Isn't birth control better than unwanted babies? The Catholic Church or any other form of religion opposing birth control seems to say...we are opposed to using common sense. Why is there so much resentment toward the Jews? Jesus was Jewish. How can "God's plan" include my son getting sick? What kind of a plan is that? Nothing I want any part of. Could religion just be a comforting way to deal with some type of loss or suffering? Can't you just say a prayer wherever you are; why does it need to be in a church on a Sunday morning? Does God listen better on Sundays? Why do some people just assume that only the people with the highest morals and values go to church every week? I found a perfect response to that one in a book by Fritz Ridnour titles So What's The Difference. It said, "Going to church on a regular basis no more makes you a Christian than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger."

The above is an excerpt from my book, Spiritual Clarity. If interested in learning more about it, please check out my webpage.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

make believe?

2006-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Living elephants are descendants of a fairly small tapir-like mammal that lived 45 million years ago. That mammal is called a Meoritherium, which was named after Egypt's Lake Moeris, near which the remains were discovered.
Whales and dolphins have small bones imbedded in the side muscle, which are rudiments of a pelvic girdle and sometimes the femur. These bones in some species serve as a point of insertion are otherwise vestigial.
Fossils of Aborigines in Australia date back as far as 38,000 years.
Archaeocetes, the first whale, lived in the Eocene period, 50,000 years ago.
Humans have vestigial organs, such as tail vertebrae, ear wiggling muscles, appendix, wisdom teeth,and a nictitating membrane (third eyelid.)
The general appearance of more primtive fossils appearing deeper than the more advanced fossils is predicted by evolutionary theory.
Whale flippers, bat wings and the human hand all have similiar bone structure.
There are 4,300 species of mammals, 6,300 species of reptiles and 9,000 species of birds. There are 85 species of Cetacean (whales and dolphins.) There are ten sperate species of skunk. Why would God create ten species of skunk? Could it be that different species evolved in different areas? Huh?

These are just a few things to think about that make the Biblical version of creation impossible. You do not need to be a Free Thinker to realize this...just a thinker.

Why would God create over 2,000 species of fruit flies and decide to put 1/4 of them in the Hawaiin Islands?

Jackie Wellman

www.hoppy.bravehost.com

insurance?

2006-01-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

We got a new insurance company for the new year. It is some tiered plan that is simply another way for someone to cut costs at the expense of the little guy.

Here is a quote from the packet of information I just received:

"Perhaps most important, this plan gives you the tools you need to become an informed consumer and enjoy better health. It helps you learn the true cost of your health care and use that information to make better choices and decisions. When you buy other goods and services, you shop for the best quality for the lowest price. Now you can do the same with health care."

Translated that means that if you go to a neurologist when a family practice physician could see you then you will be paying for the difference. Now I can see the benefits in many cases but when a true medical condition exists that is being treated by a neurologist then a neurologist should be seen,without paying extra.

I thought the purpose of insurance was to help not cause a cerebral hemmorhage. I do not want to spend extra money and brain power on my health. I just want to feel good.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Book Signing

2005-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last weekend at Border's Books in West Des Moines, Iowa I had a book signing. The two nights before I could not sleep, my mind was racing. I am not a woman made of steel. I called Border's the morning of the scheduled event to make sure everything was ready and I did not dream the whole thing up. Maybe there really was no scheduled signing. They asked me if I would be requiring anything else. I laughed because since this was a new experience for me, I really did not know what I required. Plus nobody had ever asked me if I required anything else.

I had copies of reviews, business cards, and the most important item...chocolate. When I got to my table and sat down I realized that all the worry I had been creating in my mind was pointless. It was only talking to people... so I lived and I sold a few books.

check out this blog

2005-11-08T03:54:00.000-08:00

http://seeklightorg.blogspot.com/

Quotes

2005-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
-Buddha

Let no one be proud of their own birth. Know that we are all born of the same clay.
-Guru Nanak-Sikh

If anyone say "I Love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, canot love God for whom he has not seen.
-John's First Letter

What do we live for if not to make life easier or less difficult for each other?
-George Elliot

The world is so exquisite, with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better, it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief magnificent opportunity that life provides.
-Carl Sagan, Cosmos

Imagine there's no heaven; it's easy if you try
No hell below us, above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today...
Imagine there's no countries; it isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too
Imagine all the people living in peace...
-"Imagine" copyright 1971 Lenono Music

Jackie Wellman
author of Spiritual Clarity
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

In God's Eyes

2005-08-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Does it help God's approval of you to follow silly religious dogma? Do you really think God or Allah or whoever cares, whether or not fish is eaten on Fridays, you have sex during the day during holy months, you use birth control, you say "Oh my God" when almost getting in a car accident or you are properly covered up? Will God not love you if you plant two kinds of seeds in one garden? If you believe in these rules than be sure to watch those cracks in the sidewalk so as not to break your mother's back.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

What To Believe?

2005-07-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

W.C. Fields was an atheist. On his deathbed he was reading a Bible. When asked about this, he replied that he was looking for a loophole. It made me wonder what it means when people, including myself, say,"I am not religious but I am spiritual." Do we really believe in God? I think so but I do not believe in Him the way a lot of people do. I tend to lean towards thinking when we are dead, we are, unfortunately dead. No heaven or hell seems realistic, just a comfort for some. After someone you love dies the thought that they are now living in heaven and happy is a lot more comforting than just thinking they are six feet under. I believe God is there but does not plan everything. I also feel that the all-loving God would not punish or reward.

Declaring yourself an atheist is so final. Are we wanting to conform with society just a little by believing? I like the comfort that someone is above watching over us but not controling us like puppets. But is it just safer to believe in God than not? Just in case...don't burn your bridges.
What if that lightening actually did strike us? Were those Christians right all along?

I recently asked God for something for myself. I have never done that. I pray but for others. Asking God for something for myself always seemed a little selfish. But I did it. I wanted this HSP gone, therefore my son would not get it. I still have it, so prayers are not really answered. If they were... children would not die, there would be no illness, bad things just would not happen. I knew this would be the result, but what the hell, gotta keep one foot in the door just in case...

Spastic Paraplegia Foundation

2005-06-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

SPF is dedicated to finding cures for both Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and Primary Lateral Sclerosis. HSP & PLS are rare spinal cord disorders. An easy way to donate without spending a penny is before online shopping head to the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation homepage. The page is located at www.sp-foundation.org, once there click on "support research when you shop online-SPF shopping mall." You can get to; health products, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sharper Image, Mrs. Fields, FTD florists, Plow & Hearth, baby products, Champion Fitness wear, Land's End, Overstock.com, Orbitz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Cheap Tickets, Dell, and more....

So far $1500.00 has been collected for research grants from people shopping this way. Just by entering the sites through the SPF page these companies will donate a small portion of their profits to the foundation. How easy is that? We need every penny we can get.

God and Homosexuality

2005-05-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

Another problem I have with a lot of religions is self-righteous people saying that homosexuality is wrong, according to the Bible. The same part of the Bible that states that homosexuality is wrong, instructs us not to wear a garmet made of two different materials. How can an individual believe only one of two statements next to each other? Could it be that no one actually believes the Bible is God's word, they are just afraid to admit it? Could it not be God, but just that self-righteous people have a problem with homosexuality? That sounds like the answer. My God is all-loving, isn't yours?

Direct Ancestors

2005-05-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

If primates are not our direct ancestors, than why do you suppose that we share 98% of our genetic make-up with them?

Moral Guidance

2005-05-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it seem a little backwards to take your moral guidance from an organization that allows molesting young boys but not birth control?

2005-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

George W. Bush and other Christian Conservatives want to mix religion and government. They are under the false impression that our Founding Fathers wanted it that way. They did not.

Isn't that what we are fighting for in the Middle East? The problems that occur when religion and government are so intertwined? Religion and government should stay as far apart as possible. Will we ever learn?

Humanism

2005-05-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Humanism is not controlled by superstition or any religious intolerance. It seeks to improve the human condition...for all humans, African, Asian & Middle Eastern included.

If all the energy and money that was put into churches was just used to make life better for others, just think what might happen.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Creation?

2005-05-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Where do these Bible thumpers, not anyone who reads the Bible, but those who interpret Genesis literally think coal and oil come from? Coal and oil are from vegetation from millions of years ago. I think to have others take them seriously they should not drive cars or mow their lawns, unless of course, they use a push mower or live in an area where the weather calls for heating the home. It is slightly hypocritical to use resources that originated before the Biblical story of the earth only being about ten thousand years old.

It is plain that people that believe the Bible is God's word are experts at being hypocritical, picking and choosing the parts of "God's word" that is convienent to follow. An example would be condeming gays since they are going against the wishes of God but feeling it is all right to wear clothing of different materials. You either believe the Bible or you do not. It is that simple.

Jackie Wellman
author of Spiritual Clarity
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Choices

2005-04-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

As a child, I was not brought up with any religious background but I was taught to appreciate the world and people around me. Maybe things would have been easier for me if I had been brought up with a religious background, I would have gone through a lot less confusion. But to be honest, I feel things turned out wonderfully for myself, it just took a while to figure things out. The natural world always seemed so much more believable than going to church every Sunday or reading the Bible. I just could not bring myself to worship a man that had been tortured and nailed to a cross wearing a crown of thorns. It always seemed a little on the morbid side. Life is much to beautiful to worship death. I was never expected to worship things just because my parents accepted them. Real life and evolution made so much more sense. I am a fact and science believe, that is just who I am.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com

Spiritual Clarity

2005-04-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Does it really make sense that the creator of the whole universe would be the same God in our own religion and not any other, so everyone else in the world is wrong? Organized religion seems to be similiar to lemmings in the Arctic heading to a cliff and falling into the sea just because the lemming in front of them and their ancestoirs did it. Religion has been and is an excuse to hate and kill. Religion is also a way for humans to relate to God and a behavioral guide for those who need it. It is and always will be hard to understand why some people need rules to tell them how to behave in simple matters, like being kind to others. I do not understand how anyone would need church to tell them how to act in a caring manner but some obviously do. Religion can outline a path toward a specific goal. It can answer some of the mysteries of existence. It can tell us how to achieve a meaningful life. It creates comfort for the faithful. Religion is definitely the most powerful force in history. Unfortunately, religion has been and is a way to justify bigotry, racism, and sexism. Ignorance and lack of contact, belief that your religion is the only right one and everyone is else is highly mistaken can lead to fundementalism and that can be dangerous. It is important to have harmony among different religious traditions. As human institutions, all religions are capable of corruption.

If religion, faith, and spirituality create questions within yourself; please check out my website and order my book Spiritual Clarity which will make everything more clear as researching and writing the book brought clarity to myself.

Jackie Wellman
www.hoppy.bravehost.com