The "Occupiers" are supposedly moving out of Burnside Park in Providence today, even thought they were supposed to be out by midnight Saturday. My opinion of Occupy Providence may be unpopular, but here goes...
In the beginning, the Occupy movement was pretty powerful and I was rooting for them to bring attention to important social injustices. I am not sure what, if anything got done in other cities, but I do know in many places they were kicked out of their encampments, arrested and the movements were squashed. I applaud Providence officials for the way they patiently handled the movement. As a result, the protest and end of it were peaceful. It seems as if the subject of protest within the Occupy movement was varied depending upon the location. Here in Providence the main protest became about the homeless. The Occupiers came up with a deal to move out of Burnside Park if the city opened a day shelter for the homeless. City officials agreed and The Dioceses of Providence stepped in and provided the money to fund it.
It seems as if the homeless issue took center stage because after a week or two, when everyone who has jobs and responsibilities left the park to get back to their lives, all who were left were homeless people who live in Burnside Park anyway. I mean, who can actually live in a park for months and months? The tents that littered the area in the middle of Providence were mostly uninhabited, left to look like the movement was still going strong.
The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless became affiliated with Occupy Providence, and some say they hijacked the movement to fulfill the goals of their organization. I am not saying that the homeless problem is unimportant, but it seems as if the end goal could have been something much more powerful than simply opening a shelter. There are already shelters in Providence that are not full. Homeless people have plenty of places to go.
When you build a house, the first thing to do is lay the foundation upon which everything else will be built. Not addressing the real issue of the homeless is like building a house without that foundation. All the work will eventually crumble.
A large number of homeless people suffer from mental illness or some sort of substance abuse. How about an outreach program to treat the mentally ill and addicts? Wouldn't that be a better way to use the power of the people? Getting to the root of the problem is the way to solve it, instead of just taking a pill to temporarily deal with the symptoms.
Although the Providence Occupiers have agreed to vacate Burnside Park, they have also made it very clear that they may show up somewhere else. I wonder what their next demand will be?
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
THE TEBOW EFFECT
I must preface this blog entry by saying, as a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I can not stand The Broncos! Yuck! However, I am quite taken by Broncos QB Tim Tebow. I have heard some of the sports analysts say that he is overrated, not a great QB and generally slam his talent. The guy is 24 years old and took the Broncos to the playoffs with some amazing wins along the way. The game against The Patriots ended his run for the 2012 season, but the effect that Tim Tebow has had on people this season is much more powerful than any Superbowl win could be.
It seems as if Christianity has taken a beating lately. Just one example: In the State of Rhode Island, Governor Lincoln Chafee made the decision to rename the State's official Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree. What is a "Holiday Tree" anyway? The Christmas Tree was born in the 15th century. A decorated fur tree with the place of honor at the top, reserved for a star to represent The Star of Bethlehem, or an angel to represent The Host of Angels. Both symbols of the birth of Jesus. During the tree lighting there was no mention or even hint of what this clearly religious symbol represents, Jesus Christ. The Governor based his decision on the separation of church and state, saying he wanted people of every religion to feel comfortable and welcome in The State House.
Apparently The Governor does not believe in the separation of temple and state, because just two weeks after the Holiday Tree lighting, the Lt. Governor of the State of Rhode Island hosted a Menorah lighting at The State House. It was complete with prayers and the attendance of a Rabbi. As a Christian, I am not the least bit offended that a Jewish religious ceremony celebrating the holiday took place at The State House, but I am offended that the Christian celebration of Christmas was too taboo. It was clearly an example of the attack on Christianity that is sweeping this country. The separation of church and state was not written to exclude religion from state institutions, it was based upon the principal that we are free to practice any religion we choose and mandated that the state not impose a specific religion on the people. It was based on religious freedom, not religious exclusion.
Having said that, I digress...
In this day and age of religion, specifically Christianity, being taboo, Tim Tebow's faith is out there front and center. He is not ashamed.
Tim Tebow sets a great example for everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, by his humble, kind and generous nature. Character is way more impressive than anything Tebow or any other athlete could do on the field.
During his college football carer, Tim Tebow wore Bible verses in his eye black. During the 2009 BCS Championchip game, his eye black read: John 3:16. It is a popular Bible verse stating, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This practice continued until Tebow entered the NFL, which has a policy that prohibits players from wearing messages in eye black. However, Tebow continues to display his religious convictions in a pregame prayer stance on one knee with his head bowed, that has become known as "Tebowing."
Tebowing, a verb, is to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. It has gained worldwide popularity.
Now, this is where even non-believers have taken notice.
John 3:16....
During the first NFL playoff game in 2012, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow threw for 316 passing yards, had 31.6 yards per completion and the Neilson television ratings for the game peaked at 31.6. That is more than simply a coincidence.
John 3:16....
The next day that Bible verse became the #1 searched phrase on Google.
Not only did he have some comebacks this season that many are calling divine, Tebow is one of the most charitable players in the NFL. Tim Tebow's devotion to Christianity and his extraordinary character should be applauded and admired more than his ability on the football field.
While I strongly dislike The Broncos, (my mother told me never to hate), I am now an avid Tim Tebow fan. Do you think the Chiefs will ever pick him up? Well, I will pray for that. It seems to work for Tebow...
It seems as if Christianity has taken a beating lately. Just one example: In the State of Rhode Island, Governor Lincoln Chafee made the decision to rename the State's official Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree. What is a "Holiday Tree" anyway? The Christmas Tree was born in the 15th century. A decorated fur tree with the place of honor at the top, reserved for a star to represent The Star of Bethlehem, or an angel to represent The Host of Angels. Both symbols of the birth of Jesus. During the tree lighting there was no mention or even hint of what this clearly religious symbol represents, Jesus Christ. The Governor based his decision on the separation of church and state, saying he wanted people of every religion to feel comfortable and welcome in The State House.
Apparently The Governor does not believe in the separation of temple and state, because just two weeks after the Holiday Tree lighting, the Lt. Governor of the State of Rhode Island hosted a Menorah lighting at The State House. It was complete with prayers and the attendance of a Rabbi. As a Christian, I am not the least bit offended that a Jewish religious ceremony celebrating the holiday took place at The State House, but I am offended that the Christian celebration of Christmas was too taboo. It was clearly an example of the attack on Christianity that is sweeping this country. The separation of church and state was not written to exclude religion from state institutions, it was based upon the principal that we are free to practice any religion we choose and mandated that the state not impose a specific religion on the people. It was based on religious freedom, not religious exclusion.
Having said that, I digress...
In this day and age of religion, specifically Christianity, being taboo, Tim Tebow's faith is out there front and center. He is not ashamed.
Tim Tebow sets a great example for everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, by his humble, kind and generous nature. Character is way more impressive than anything Tebow or any other athlete could do on the field.
During his college football carer, Tim Tebow wore Bible verses in his eye black. During the 2009 BCS Championchip game, his eye black read: John 3:16. It is a popular Bible verse stating, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This practice continued until Tebow entered the NFL, which has a policy that prohibits players from wearing messages in eye black. However, Tebow continues to display his religious convictions in a pregame prayer stance on one knee with his head bowed, that has become known as "Tebowing."
Tebowing, a verb, is to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. It has gained worldwide popularity.
Now, this is where even non-believers have taken notice.
John 3:16....
During the first NFL playoff game in 2012, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow threw for 316 passing yards, had 31.6 yards per completion and the Neilson television ratings for the game peaked at 31.6. That is more than simply a coincidence.
John 3:16....
The next day that Bible verse became the #1 searched phrase on Google.
Not only did he have some comebacks this season that many are calling divine, Tebow is one of the most charitable players in the NFL. Tim Tebow's devotion to Christianity and his extraordinary character should be applauded and admired more than his ability on the football field.
While I strongly dislike The Broncos, (my mother told me never to hate), I am now an avid Tim Tebow fan. Do you think the Chiefs will ever pick him up? Well, I will pray for that. It seems to work for Tebow...
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