Eddie Long Passed Away!

Eddie Long, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church passed away. He was long accused of being gay even though he preached anti-gay sermons.

The controversial Atlanta pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church had passed away on Sunday. Eddie Long passed away from an aggressive form of cancer. Or it could have been a latent stage of HIV, who knows?

He died at the age of 63. He was married to Vanessa Griffin-Long and was the father of four children.

"Bishop Long, Senior Pastor of New Birth, transitioned from this life early Sunday morning after a gallant private flight with an aggressive form of cancer," the statement read. "As a man of God with unyielding faith, Bishop Long maintained his commitment to our Heavenly Father as he proclaimed that cancer would not kill his faith nor his spirit."

His wife added, "Eddie is now resting in a better place. Although, his transition leaves a void for those of us who loved him dearly, we can celebrate and be happy for him, knowing he's at peace."

He grew up in North Carolina before settling in Atlanta.

The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is a megachurch in DeKalb County. Long joined the church in 1987 managed to grow the church to 25,000 members.

Long in 2016.

Long delivered his final sermon to the church earlier this month. He had issued a statement last September to The Christian Post confirming reports that he was battling a "health challenger", but said the undisclosed health issue was unrelated to his raw vegetable diet and requested privacy and prayers for his recovery.

Long was long accused of being gay. He was caught up in numerous scandals involving young men who were groomed by him for sex.

Kim Burrell, a gospel singer and pastor of a Houston church was blackballed after a video surfaced of her bashing gays.

Long was accused of paying men to vacation with him. He would have sex with them without protection. He would put some of his affairs on the church payroll.

He would settle with the accusers for an undisclosed sum. He would not speak on the issue when he does public interviews.

Earlier this year, Kim Burrell, a famed gospel singer and pastor got shade from the Black LGBT community after she was caught on tape bashing gay men. Pharrell Williams, an A-list producer who appears on The Voice severed ties from her. Williams who is straight supports of the LGBT community and found her comments were inappropriate.

Kim Burrell radio show was pulled off the air after she defended her rant. Burrell is banned from many events because she brings too much controversy.

Steve Harvey Back To Hosting It's Showtime At The Apollo!

Steve Harvey will host a reboot of It's Showtime at The Apollo.

The comedian/game show host/media mogul Steve Harvey hasn't stopped the success. The Original King of Comedy is a busy man. He's taking the title from the disgraced Black everyman Bill Cosby.

Harvey is heading back to hosting duties for special run It's Showtime at The Apollo.

It's a special event on Fox and it's set air on December 5 at 8pm. It will air another hour special in early 2017.

Steve Harvey is the host of Family Feud (and ABC's Celebrity Family Feud). Family Feud is the game show in which two families compete in a series of questions for big prizes. He has hosted the show for six years and still the host. He tapes the shows in Atlanta.

He is the host of Steve Harvey, a daytime syndicated talk show. The show is on many CW and Fox affiliates. He tapes his syndicated show in Chicago.

He is the host of The Steve Harvey Morning Show which is heard on many radio stations across the country. He does his show live from Chicago. He occasionally heads to Atlanta to his radio show when he is doing Family Feud. He has a home in both Chicago and Atlanta.

He is the host of Little Big Shots on NBC. He team up with Ellen DeGeneres to make a youth talent show. It's been greenlight for another season in the summer.

He is the host of Miss Universe pageant. This is the most prestige beauty pageant.  He will continue hosting duties until 2019. The next one will be hosted by the Philippines. The pageant was sponsored by the controversial billionaire/racist/sexist/pussy grabbing/reality television star who will be your next president.

Steve Harvey is the author of wildly popular books Act Like a Lady and Think Like a Man. The books were greenlighted into a motion picture.

The movie Think Like a Man became a successful movie and sequel. A third sequel is in the works.

Will Kiki Sheppard and the Sandman return to give Steve a hand?

The Brother Shot The Pastor!

Dayton pastor was gunned down during services.

Tragedy in Dayton, Ohio. A pastor of a local church was gunned down by his own brother. The Dayton Police and FBI are investigating the suspect and trying to pen a motive.

Of course, we obviously assume it was a domestic violence dispute but given the mass shootings in the United States, I have to conclude any event that involves firearms as an act of terrorism.

This terrorist Daniel Schooler murdered his brother Pastor William Schooler at Sunday service today.

Terrorist held in lockup on capital murder.

The St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church was the site of the fatal shooting. The church is on the southwestern tip of Dayton in the Highview Hills neighborhood.

The family of the victim knew that this terrorist had mental issues. They believe that terrorist had a feud with his brother. Willaim Schooler was shot at point blank range at his private office.

Schooler was a former Dayton Public Schools Board of Education member.

Friend and fellow community leader Ronnie Moreland, director of government affairs for the Community Progress Institute, said Schooler was the current president of the Baptist Ministers Union in Dayton. “He had deep roots in the community,” Moreland said. “He was a beloved leader. It’s hard to put into words what has happened.”

The terrorist had run-ins with the law. Most of the issues included drug abuse and firearms.

The terrorist was arrested without incident at the scene by Dayton Police and taken to the Montgomery County lockup. Detectives plan to meet with Montgomery County prosecutors in the coming days to discuss formal charges.

This could carry the PILL KILL (DEATH SENTENCE).

The terrorist is innocent until proven guilty.

The Blame Game......Obviously we know where I'm going with this!

Who deserves the blame in the death of an Ohio Pastor?

Barack Obama

#BlackLivesMatter

Muslims

Liberals

Conservatives

NRA

The Shooter

None Of These Above

quizzes

World News Today send our condolences to the family of William Schooler.

Black Pastors Cancel Trump Endorsement!

Trump has a Black supporter, retired NBA player Dennis Rodman.

Donald Trump was going to hold a press conference today. It was suddenly canceled after it was revealed that the people who planned on endorsing him for president backed down.

A group of 100 Black clergy men were supposed to meet privately with the Republican front runner at the Trump Tower this week. It was going to be followed by a press conference. That was canceled after many a backlash from members of the Black church.

Some of the members were concerned that their church may face scrutiny if they endorse him.

Some in the Black church believe that Trump and Ben Carson are too polarizing.

It didn't help much to find out that Trump retweeted a crime statistic that many saw as a racial dog whistle. To make it even more clear, he tweeted an organization that doesn't even exist. The statistic came from some White extremist website.

And the brutal take down of a #BlackLivesMatter activist at a Trump event in Alabama happened.

Matter of fact, did the Black community forget that Trump was constantly bugging for President Barack Obama's birth certificate.

Trump's biggest Black backers so far is Dennis Rodman and those two women who made a viral YouTube video slamming Megyn the Outrage Princess.

Even Hispanic and Black Republicans are concerned about the direction of the party.

This weekend Black conservative agitator CJ Pearson denounced the Republican Party when they ignored the obvious police brutality in the Laquan McDonald shooting.

Conservative Outrage At Pope Francis! Seriously, The Pope!

Pope Francis delivers a speech at the Joint Session of Congress.

Getting upset over the most trivial things is something that runs common among conservatives.

When Pope Francis delivered a Joint Session of Congress, many Republicans sat and grumbled as he delivered issues that involved climate change, nuclear weapons, immigration and the repeal of the death penalty.

Many conservatives have the nerve to call The Pope, a "Marxist". For what reason?

Because some of his stances are considered liberal. You're overracting to this?

It would be funny if it wasn't sad to have this type of behavior expressed as a foreign leader who devotes his life towards peace. I guess in the minds of those self-serving conservatives, peace is blowing the hell out of those evil "MUSLIMS".

The Pope sympathizes with the poor and the needy. He knows the decline in the church. The church's decline is due the young losing faith in religion.

He is hopeful to change this around.

His mission is to bring to light the plight of the poor. His speech included a mention of the poor and how we can improve our lives. He also condemned those who were involved in the priest scandal. He promises to reform the Catholic church.

They even got upset at President Barack Obama for "bowing" to The Pope. Matter of fact, the airplane carrying the Pope was delayed a few minutes because of the U.S. Secret Service demands to wait until the president made it.

Conservatives getting upset at The Pope is pathetic.

The Pope was invited by the weeping Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). Boehner got really emotional after he gave Pope Francis a handshake.

Earlier this year, Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without notifying the White House. In March, the controversial leader tried to influence Congress to not support the Six Party Iranian nuclear deal.

The nuclear deal was authorized on September 17.

Pope Francis Meets President Barack Obama!

Pope Francis greets the Obama and Biden family.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met Pope Francis today at Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington, DC.

The Obamas and Bidens shook hands with the Argentine-born pontiff as he made his way down a receiving line and was welcomed by young schoolchildren and warm cheers of "Hello, hey, hey, welcome to the USA."

Presidents rarely welcome foreign leaders at the airport, although President George W. Bush set a precedent when he met Pope Benedict XVI at Andrews in 2008.

Francis, 78, was whisked away in a small black Fiat 500L, headed for the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in northwest Washington, where scores of people waved Argentine flags from behind a barricade.

He greeted some of them briefly outside the nunciature before ducking inside.

The six-day visit is marking the popular and unpredictable pope's first time in the United States and includes a packed schedule through Washington, New York and Philadelphia. There are also unprecedented security measures in each city as throngs of Catholic faithful travel to see him.

Pope Francis wraps up his trip to Cuba.

Pope Francis is very popular among Catholics and non-traditionalist church goers.

Formerly known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio (December 17, 1936), Francis is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church, a title he holds ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. 

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 741.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to interfaith dialogue. He is known for having a humble approach to the papacy, less formal than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. 

In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he is known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had when he was cardinal. He maintains that the Church should be more open and welcoming. Although he considers poverty a huge problem, he does not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. 

Francis maintains the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. Francis opposes global warming, consumerism, and irresponsible development, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

The Pope is the leader of the Catholic church. Francis, who is of Argentine birth resides in Vatican City. The Vatican City is a tiny (heavily walled off) enclave country completely surrounded by the city of Rome, Italy.

Uncle Tom's Cabin Historical Site!

I am sharing my experience of traveling in Canada.

I went to the town of Dresden, Ontario. It's about 76 miles from Detroit. I was traveling the Highway 401 towards London. I saw the sign that said Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site. 

I couldn't help but go and visit this.

It's a part of Civil Rights History.

The Henson estate. Josiah Henson, a former slave, author, abolitionist, and minister, who, through his 1849 autobiography The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself, was the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's title character in her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.[

The 5-acre (20,000 m2) complex is part of the original 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land purchased in 1841 to establish the Dawn Settlement, a community for escaped slaves.

The original Henson cabin was located on a different location nearby and opened as a museum in the 1940s by an area farmer, William Chapple.

The house was moved to the existing location in 1964 by J.D. Thomson, and subsequently was owned and operated by Kent County, Ontario and then the St. Clair Parkway Commission. Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site has been owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust since 2005.

Henson Family Cemetery is located on the site. The original cabin was moved slightly for the museum and interactive centre. 

I show some pictures and also posted my first YouTube video in five years.

Have you read the epic novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by American writer Harriett Beecher Stowe?

Have you visited the National Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati?

Have you read about Mother Moses?

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Kills Family In Ohio!

Dejah Bishop, her sister and cousin died in a carbon monoxide poisoning.

In Troy, Ohio located 20 miles from Dayton, four children were poisoned by carbon monoxide poisoning. Two of the children passed away Friday, and we here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of 13 year old Dejah and 14 year old Dioanna Bishop.

UPDATE: We learned that 13 year old Jakia Jones has passed away. We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to her family as well.

These two young girls were with their two cousins in a home that had a faulty furnace. During that winter month, people use the heat. And I guess the odorless and colorless gas escaped and the sleeping children didn't wake up.

Dioanna Bishop.

8 year old Jahari Ward is the only victim left. He is in critical condition. The young children were found by another family member. And to make matters worse, their grandmother is in the hospital for health issues.

This tragedy is horrible and the Dayton Daily News is still getting information about what happen and if any charges are going to be filed in this.

Miami County Sheriff and Troy Police are working on this.

The police said they don’t know if the children had gone to school Friday. They were in the house and someone came home and found them unresponsive and called for help, Anderson said. Medics and police at the scene performed CPR.

Andraé Crouch Passed Away!

The godfather of urban gospel passed away.

On Friday, the urban gospel world lost a legendary singer and talent. Andrae Crouch passed away and there's an outpouring of sympathy from his family and many friends. Of course, we here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Andraé Crouch.

Crouch was considered the godfather of modern day urban gospel.

Crouch was known for his compositions "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" and "Soon and Very Soon". In secular music, he was known for his collaborative work during the 1980s with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Quincy Jones as well as conducting choirs that sang on the Michael Jackson hit "Man in the Mirror" and Madonna's "Like a Prayer".

Crouch was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area were what helped in paving the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970s.

Crouch's original music arrangements were heard in the films The Color Purple and Disney's The Lion King, as well as the NBC television series Amen. Awards received by him include seven Grammy Awards, being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.

Crouch was hospitalized in early December 2014 for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. As a result, his December tour was postponed.

He was hospitalized again on January 3, 2015 in Los Angeles, as the result of a heart attack. Crouch died five days later at Northridge Hospital Medical Center on January 8, 2015, at the age of 72.

On the same day, his sister, Sandra, released the following statement: "Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord. Please keep me, my family and our church family in your prayers. I tried to keep him here but God loved him best."

Following Crouch's death, Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith told Billboard Magazine, "...I'll never forget hearing Andraé for the first time. It was like someone had opened a whole new world of possibilities for me musically. I don't think there is anyone who inspired me more, growing up, than Andraé Crouch. The depth of his influence on Christian music is incalculable. We all owe him so much and I'll forever be grateful for the times we got to work together."

Conservative Outrage Over Mary Landrieu's Comments About Race In The South!

Worthless Congressman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) takes on worthless Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The insurgent candidate Rob Maness is in this race too. Hopefully the Republicans don't allow the insurgent siphon off votes from Cassidy.

The inept Republicans lined up their choice for U.S. Senate in Louisiana. The establishment candidate U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy is trying to uproot embattled Democratic senator Mary Landrieu.

Both candidates suck. Landrieu for being an opportunist. Cassidy for being part of this gridlock machine that has stalled Washington, DC. Both are useless politicos and they're fighting for a victory in the Pelican State.

A few things matters. Democrats are counting on the Black vote, the Hispanic vote, young voters, and women. These blocks are usually in favor of Democrats. The Republicans are hoping that these groups sit it out this election.

With less than three days to the U.S. Midterm Election, the racist right and the Republican Party will hope that enough White voters turnout in mass to vote the Democrats out.

One thing I've noticed in the Wikipedia is the Republican slur Obamacare. The actual term is Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act and Landrieu supported it. The inept Republicans want to tie everything around the neck of Landrieu and President Barack Obama.

Now you know those folks in the South aren't hip to the president. Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina, parts of Tennessee and Kentucky are really critical of the president. Matter of fact, some of the most offensive things to hit your crazy old uncle's email comes directly from Republicans and some of the Democrats from these regions.

Landrieu in an interview with GOP Sundays/Obama News moderator Chuck Todd told a sad but true statement of constituents in the rural South.

"To be very, very honest with you, the South has not always been the friendliest place to African-Americans. It’s been a difficult time for the president to present himself in a positive light as a leader. It’s not always been a good place for women to be able to present ourselves, it’s more of a conservative place."

Yeah, Landrieu should have mentioned the Hurricane Katrina fiasco. You know the folks over at Loserville and most of the junk food media referred to Americans as "refugees".

Cassidy would go to friendly territory. He would talk to Megyn the Outrage Princess about how outraged he was to hear that. And matter of fact, he would say that she's desperate and hoping to capitalize off the "race card".

"I wish she would focus more on policies instead of insulting. [You know] if she actually lived here, [she would know that] we're not racist, we just have common sense," Cassidy concluded.

She would later state:

"The main reason the President has struggled here is because his energy policies are not in line with the people of Louisiana. We are a pro-drilling, pro-oil, gas state. The offshore moratorium was extremely unpopular and, in my opinion, wholly unwarranted. It made a lot of people angry and put many businesses at risk. In addition, the south has not always been the friendliest or easiest place for African Americans to advance, and it’s been a difficult place for women to be recognized as the leaders we are. Everyone knows this is the truth, and I will continue to speak the truth even as some would twist my words seeking political advantage."

You know I've read the comments from the Huffington Post. Some on Facebook openly agreed with Landrieu. On top of that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal was attacking the statements.

"[Senator Mary Landrieu's comments we're] a major insult … to the people of Louisiana."

This is coming from a person who's real name is Piyush. 

Anyway, how you feel about it. Leave us a name and message and we'll be happy to respond.

The race has Landrieu in a slight. Landrieu 44.5% to Cassidy 44.3%. If the candidates fail to reach 51% of the vote, they will have to face a runoff election. I conclude this as a TOSS UP.

SCOTUS Is So Stupid!

Religious prayer is allowed in municipal buildings.

Greece, New York wins a public battle. I guess we have no separation of church and state in the eyes of the Supreme Court. In a ruling of 5-4, the town of Greece won against a man who believed the public meeting places (such as non-religious city hall) shouldn't allow prayer.

So I am hoping an imam gets an opportunity to preach an Islamic prayer at a city hall meeting. I hope an atheist can speak at a city hall meeting.

The five members of the conservative wing of the Supreme Court of the United States once again think backwards when it comes to the country's diverse citizens.

Four White men and one Black man who have no common sense ruled for localities to use prayer whenever they open up a government meeting. Saying that Christian prayer is allow in civic meetings.

Again SCOTUS blog reports that Supreme Court rules that the town's practice of opening its town board meetings with a prayer offered by members of the clergy does not violate the Establishment Clause when the practice is consistent with the tradition long followed by Congress and state legislatures, the town does not discriminate against minority faiths in determining who may offer a prayer, and the prayer does not coerce participation with non-adherents.

A Black Catholic priest gives the benediction.

By the ruling, it was reversed. The 5-4 decision with an opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy on May 5, 2014. Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas join the majority opinion except as to Part II-B. Justice Samuel Alito filed a concurring opinion, in which Justice Scalia joined. Justice Thomas filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Scalia joined as to Part II. Justice Steven Breyer filed a dissenting opinion. Justice Elena Kagan filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined.

The reaction to the courts ruling was diverse. Christian conservatives and others who feel that religious expression has been overly curtailed in public settings were happy with ruling. Eric Rassbach, deputy general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, called the court's decision "a great victory for religious liberty."

Along with their supporters the Jewish and atheist women who filed suit against the town of Greece were disappointed by the court's ruling.

A number of Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League, had filed amici curiae briefs in support of the respondents, and expressed disappointment with the majority's decision.

The Town of Greece residents give a prayer before they do public meeetings.

Secular groups were also disappointed. Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, for example stated: “We are disappointed by today’s decision. Official religious favoritism should be off-limits under the Constitution. Town-sponsored sectarian prayer violates the basic rule requiring the government to stay neutral on matters of faith.”

Ira Lupu, a law professor emeritus at George Washington University who specializes in the First Amendment, called the court's ruling "a very bad decision" because it undermined the Establishment Clause.

Lupu explained that the court decision "does not insist on any [...] reasonable effort to make prayer nonsectarian or to push for diversity. The majority faith in a particular community can dictate the prayers and minority faiths could be left out if they don’t step up and say, ‘Hey, what about us?'"

The Los Angeles Times pointed out that the decision divided the justices along religious lines, as well as ideological ones. All five justices in the majority were Catholics, and three out of the four dissenters were Jewish.

You're Of The People, Priest!

Holier than thou.... Catholic archbishop was told to give up his lavish mansion.

Living lavish on the religion. The biggest money game is the American biblical.

Millions of tax free dollars goes to televangelists and Catholic priest. Without a paper trail, some of your religious leaders will make millions off you and your givings to GOD.

There was a controversy in Atlanta over the week. The Associated Press reports that Roman Catholic Archbishop Wilton Gregory announced the decision following a closed-door meeting with members of several church councils at his headquarters north of Atlanta. He will move out of the Tudor-style residence in early May. "I have decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community," Gregory told the AP after the meeting.

The mansion was made possible by a multimillion dollar gift to the archdiocese. Laura Mullins, one of several Catholics who asked Gregory to sell, praised the archbishop for making a quick decision and ending the controversy. "He is the person we follow locally," she said. "He sets the example for all of us to follow. If he is choosing to use a gift so personally, what does that tell the people sitting in the pews?"

Southern hospitality.

Gregory has issued an apology after reports that he'd built himself a $2.2 million mansion sparked outrage in the diocese. Gregory bought the mansion with a $15 million posthumous gift from Gone With the Wind heir Joseph Mitchell, who wanted the money spent on "general religious and charitable purposes,"

Gregory explains that he was generously selling his old home to a nearby cathedral, and building himself a "comparable" residence.

"While my advisors and I were able to justify this project fiscally, logistically and practically, I personally failed to project the cost in terms of my own integrity and pastoral credibility," Gregory writes, adding that Pope Francis has "set the bar" higher for priestly humility. He promises to consult with other church officials and sell the residence if they advise him to.

Pope Francis: Catholics Need To Stop Being Bigots!

The Pope is an O.G.

The Catholic Church nominated a progressive pope.

The pope has rattled the Catholic church over his apparent dismissal of the religious right. The pope made references to the changing demographics and told the church it's time for a change.

The religious right have been against gay marriage, abortions and contraception for women.

Francis has spoken and the world is listening.

He told the religious right to pipe down and get over their obsession with trying to scorn those who aren't followers of the faith.

He acknowledge that even though the Catholic Church isn't keen on abortions, gay marriage and contraception, he warned that the younger generation aren't supporting the old ways.  He's not a huge fan of these issues but he's telling the faithful to accept thy.

He wants to put the Catholic Church in the present day.

Throughout his life, both as an individual and a religious leader, Francis has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths.

The New York Times report that six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics.

His surprising comments came in a lengthy interview in which he criticized the church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized. He articulated his vision of an inclusive church, a “home for all” — which is a striking contrast with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, the doctrinal defender who envisioned a smaller, purer church.

Francis told the interviewer, a fellow Jesuit: “It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently.

“We have to find a new balance,” the pope continued, “otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.”

The pope’s interview did not change church doctrine or policies, but it instantly changed its tone. His words evoked gratitude and hope from many liberal Catholics who had felt left out in the cold during the papacies of Benedict and his predecessor, John Paul II, which together lasted 35 years. Some lapsed Catholics suggested on social media a return to the church, and leaders of gay rights and gay Catholic groups called on bishops to abandon their fight against gay marriage.

But it left conservative and traditionalist Catholics, and those who have devoted themselves to the struggles against abortion, gay marriage and artificial contraception, on the defensive, though some cast it as nothing new.

“Nobody should try to use the words of the pope to minimize the urgent need to preach and teach about abortion,” said the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, who said he spoke Thursday about the “priority of the abortion issue” at a Vatican conference.

I'm not truly a religious type of person, but from what's being said today, makes me think that the church isn't that bad. But you know it's just words, not actions.

Pope Francis will have detractors and criticism. It comes with the territory, but it's a start for the Catholic Church to move in the future and not on the rigid past.

Read more of Pope Francis statements in the New York Times by clicking here.

O.J. Simpson Wants Out!

Prison drained The Juice. Acquitted of murder nearly 20 years ago, O.J. Simpson is now serving 33 years in prison for robbery and kidnapping. The washed up celebrity is hoping a retrial will set him free. 

A 30+ year sentence for former football star and actor, Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson. Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "The Juice", managed to beat a murder case only to be caught up in a botched robbery case.

In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with numerous felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

In 2008, he was found guilty and sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole. He is serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.

Now after four years of imprisonment, O.J. wants out.

So he's now going to have his day in court for a retrial.

O.J. Simpson denies he robbed collectors of his former properties.

CNN reports that the one-time Heisman Trophy winner and Buffalo Bills halfback is more than four years into a 33-year prison term and is asking for a new trial. In court papers, he's arguing that bad legal advice led to his arrest and conviction in a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers.

Simpson not only accuses his old lawyer, Yale Galanter, of having a conflict of interest and of failing to mount an effective defense in his trial. He also says Galanter told him before that confrontation that he was within his rights to take back property he believed had been stolen from him, "so long as there would be no trespass and no physical force used against the persons with the property."

Simpson, 65, was convicted of leading a group of associates into a room at the Palace Station hotel and casino and using threats, guns and force to take back the items from the two dealers.

If it don't fit, you must acquit! - Johnny Cochran.

"Simpson also contends that Galanter did not advise Simpson that carrying out the plan could subject him to criminal charges, regardless of the ownership of the property," his new lawyers wrote in seeking a new trial.

Simpson also blames Galanter for preventing him from testifying in his own defense. Without putting him on the stand, "There was no evidence presented to adequately challenge the state's evidence of criminal intent and knowledge of the guns or the bad character evidence to which the jury was exposed," his appeal states.

The Nevada Supreme Court already upheld his conviction in 2010. Prosecutors have called the new attempt to reverse his conviction "without merit," and Galanter is quoted in court papers as telling the judge in the original trial that he spoke to Simpson only after the confrontation.

"Other than Simpson's bare allegations, the record does not support any conflict of interest," prosecutors wrote in response to Simpson's claims.

Galanter could not be immediately reached for comment Sunday.

Simpson's October 2008 conviction came on the anniversary of his famous acquittal on murder charges in the 1994 deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. Though cleared of criminal charges, a civil jury later slapped him with a $33 million wrongful-death judgment, and lawyers for the Goldman family have doggedly pursued his assets.

His current sentence leaves him eligible for parole in 2017.

Fontella Bass Passes Away!

Fontella Bass passes away. Her famous single Rescue Me hit the charts in 1960s.

You may of heard of the famous song, Rescue Me and wondered who sung that one?

Well today, you'll get an opportunity to know who the singer was! Today she passed away at the age of 72.

Fontella Bass, a St. Louis-born soul singer died Wednesday night at a St. Louis hospice of complications from a heart attack suffered three weeks ago, her daughter, Neuka Mitchell, said. Bass had also suffered a series of strokes over the past seven years.

"She was an outgoing person," Mitchell said of her mother. "She had a very big personality. Any room she entered she just lit the room up, whether she was on stage or just going out to eat."

Bass was born into a family with deep musical roots. Her mother was gospel singer Martha Bass, one of the Clara Ward Singers. Her younger brother, David Peaston, had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s and 1990s. Peaston died in February at age 54.

Bass began performing at a young age, singing in her church's choir at age 6. She was surrounded by music, often traveling on national tours with her mother and her gospel group.

Her interest turned from gospel to R&B when she was a teenager and she began her professional career at the Showboat Club in north St. Louis at age 17. She eventually auditioned for Chess Records and landed a recording contract, first as a duet artist. Her duet with Bobby McClure, "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing," reached No. 5 on the R&B charts and No. 33 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1965.

She co-wrote and later that year recorded "Rescue Me," reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 4 on the Billboard pop singles chart. Bass's powerful voice bore a striking resemblance to that of Aretha Franklin, who is often misidentified as the singer of that chart-topping hit.

Bass had a few other modest hits but by her own accounts developed a reputation as a troublemaker because she demanded more artistic control, and more money for her songs. She haggled over royalty rights to "Rescue Me" for years before reaching a settlement in the late 1980s, Mitchell said. She sued American Express over the use of "Rescue Me" in a commercial, settling for an undisclosed amount in 1993.

"Rescue Me" has been covered by many top artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Melissa Manchester and Pat Benatar. Franklin eventually sang a form of it too – as "Deliver Me" in a Pizza Hut TV ad in 1991.

Bass lived briefly in Europe before returning to St. Louis in the early 1970s, where she and husband jazz musician Lester Bowie raised their family. She recorded occasionally, including a 1995 gospel album, "No Ways Tired," that earned a Grammy nomination.

Bass was inducted into the St. Louis Hall of Fame in 2000.

Funeral arrangements for Bass were incomplete. She is survived by four children. Bowie died in 1999.

A Lesson In The Safety Net!

Pulling slightly ahead in the polls, Mitt Romney tries to soften his image.

The internet is buzzing about the testy interview with Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), the vice presidential nominee of the Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

The person interviewing the congressman has gotten him upset over a few questions in relation to crime, and firearms.

I've stated this once again for the ones who read this and many articles posted by me and LeReyna:

The safety net includes social security, disability, food stamps, farm aid, Medicare, Medicaid, and welfare.

The middle class, lower class and those who are too poor are the core of the safety net.

With the rising food and gas prices, people are turning to food stamps, food banks and government assistance to keep themselves from landing in the homeless shelter.

Without a safety net, these people will rob and kill those who have the luxuries of having food in the refrigerator or in the pantry. They would steal fuel, water, bread and meat to keep feeding their families. And yet, these Republicans and their conservative allies are thinking the poor are the reasons for the economic recession. Perhaps those who complain about the poor, should walk a day in that person's shoes!

The Republican Party and its allies in the conservative movement are heartless when it comes to the lower and middle class. In their warped minds, the lower class and those who are too poor are stealing from the taxpayers by accepting food stamps, welfare and necessaries.

We've seen how conservatives reacted to the Lifeline Phone program. An Ohio woman  who supports President Barack Obama (by the way, she's Black) was harping about the "OBAMA PHONE". The woman was considered middle class and she was saying that the president was giving away "free stuff" if he's elected!

Now if you're a rational person, you've ignored that! But in the minds of conservatives, this woman is a government parasite, and the word salad of racial slurs and Obama name dropping.

If you're wondering about the dog whistle comments by Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Congressman Paul Ryan, when it comes to food stamps and poverty, you'll hear them say that they're trying to create prosperity not dependency!

The Republicans and their conservative allies are trying to create a NIGGERIZATION of the president.

With talk about the first Black president being aloof, a giver to dependency, and willing to allow events happen while he's partying with celebrities are dog whistles to White conservative males.

The Republicans are feeling that Mitt Romney could win this election after he trounced the president in their first national debate. After weeks of missteps, the month of October starts with more and more political campaigning. Mitt Romney is desperate and is willing to play every card out of the deck!

Paul Ryan was campaigning in Michigan.

The Flint, Michigan local news ABC 12 website scrubbed the exchange and you'll get a sample of the video right here thanks to Buzzfeed.

Arkansas GOP Lawmaker Wishes For Them Days Of Black Slavery!

Another bigot elected to office! Not afraid to go rogue when the time is right!

The Huffington Post reports that another Republican state legislator goes overboard in expressing his opinion of the 47% and minorities in general.

This state legislator wrote his frustrations of social liberalism. One in particular is the integration of public schools


Jon Hubbard, a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, has written a new book in which he says slavery was "a blessing" for African-Americans, among other questionable statements.

Hubbard, a first term Republican from Jonesboro, Ark., makes a series of racially charged statements in the self-published book, including saying that integration of schools is hurting white students, that African slaves had better lives under slavery than in Africa, that blacks are not contributing to society, and that a situation is developing the United States which is similar to that of Nazi Germany.

The questionable statements in Hubbard's book, "Letters to the Editor: Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative," were first reported by Arkansas Times and TalkBusiness.net.


An Air Force veteran, Hubbard sells insurance in Arkansas and Missouri. He serves on several legislative committees, including ones dealing with issues related to aging, insurance, telecommunications, and waterways and aeronautics policy.

On his campaign website, Hubbard says he will defend Christianity as a state lawmaker.

"And perhaps the most important pledge I can make to the people of District 58, the citizens of Arkansas, and to myself, is to do whatever I can to defend, protect, and preserve our Christian heritage," Hubbard says on his website. "Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, if we as a nation continue to turn away from those Christian principles and values upon which this great nation was founded, we will have truly lost everything worth saving!"

Hubbard has a history of taking conservative stances in the legislature. In June, he called for the University of Arkansas to be audited to see if tax money had been spent on a panel discussion about undocumented immigrants. In February, he asked the state Department of Health to implement a policy that would require birth certificates be produced by anyone seeking non-emergency medical care in a hospital in order to prove their citizenship.

Instead of getting angry at these bigoted politicians here's what you should do!

VOTE!

VOTE EARLY!

Put President Barack Obama into the White House!

Don't let these conservative agitators like this politician, Glenn Beck, Matt Drudge, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News win this election.

Mitt Romney and the Republicans are going to muddy the water and it's going to get worse before the election.

Fight back against the hate machine by voting!

Fox News/Drudge: Race Speech EPIC Fail!

Keep the desperation coming, conservatives! Hence the NIGGERIZATION of President Barack Obama by those in the conservative media.

This is the explosive "bombshell" that radio asshole Sean Hannity promised to view on his show. This is what the gay ass kisser Matt Drudge splashed on his website. This is what dick smoker Tucker Carlson promised to push upon the mainstream masses. A five year old doctored/or edited video in which then Senator Barack Obama, the presidential candidate was telling a black audience of the horrors of the American government failing those people in New Orleans during the tragic Hurricane Katrina.

Five years ago they could have released this! But now, they're desperate and they'll throw the kitchen sink at the president. So what are these fools going to do?

Play the race card!

Do you actually think this stuff is going to work?

I mean how far will these people go before they've realized that this stuff isn't working!

The video in question has Barack Obama at Hampton University talking about issues that focused on the rebuilding of New Orleans. The right wing is bringing back their old nemesis Jeremiah Wright.

The president severed ties with the controversial former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago, after numerous videos went viral in which Wright criticized American foreign policy and its race relations.

In a video mentioned exclusively five years ago by the mainstream media, but somehow this video was "exclusively" obtained by The Daily Caller, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama tells an audience of black ministers, including the conservatives old nemesis Jeremiah Wright, that the U.S. government failed the Hurricane Katrina victims because of racism.

“The people down in New Orleans they don’t care about as much!” Obama shouts in the video, which was shot in June of 2007 at Hampton University in Virginia. By contrast, survivors of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Andrew received generous amounts of aid, Obama explains. The reason? Unlike residents of majority-black New Orleans, the federal government considers those victims “part of the American family.”

The racially charged and at times angry speech video was going to undermine Obama’s carefully-crafted image as a leader eager to build bridges between ethnic groups. This video was an attempt to smear the president.

Without playing the entire 40 minutes of his speech, similar to then president George W. Bush's 2005 address to the nation, The Daily Caller only obtained a few minutes and nothing more. They claim he's using an accent he almost never adopts in public.

This video is an attempt to make Obama look like a racist, with a zero-sum society, in which the white majority profits by exploiting black America. The mostly black audience shouts in agreement. They're trying to claim that this is closer to an Al Sharpton rally than a conventional campaign event.

Parts of the speech included (courtesy of Think Progress).

That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday and let us rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses, along those streets.

So this is what you got, Tucker Carlson? Another "race" bombshell!

Now tell me? If this Jeremiah Wright stuff failed the first time, what makes it possible for it to be winnable?

This is a sure dud and no one is going to take this seriously.

Maybe those voters who weren't going to vote for Barack Obama anyways. But to an independent voter, this stuff is a distraction and it's not going to sway their votes whatsoever.

Sean Hannity, the radio/television asshole bragged about this earlier this evening on his radio program. He's claiming this could be an "OCTOBER SURPRISE"  that could damage the president's rising poll numbers.

Most people in the media will probably write this off as another desperate attempt by conservatives to energized their base. The polls show that Democratic enthusiasm is up and Republican enthusiasm is down.

Mitt Romney damaged himself with the 47% comments in a hidden camera video. The Republicans are trying to regain control of the message. So instead of focusing on the number one issue, the economy, they're focused on the Libyan embassy attacks, the Jay-Z fundraiser, David Letterman, The View and other issues.

UPDATE: On CBS This Morning, when asked about this video, Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs shot back at Sean Hannity, CBS reporter Jan Crawford for deliberately trying to change the subject with a five year old video instead of worrying about the president's policies and of course the infamous Mitt Romney's 47% comments.

So instead of getting mad at Matt Drudge, Sean Hannity, Fox News, Tucker Carlson and The Daily Caller, here's what you should do!

VOTE!

Don't let these race-baiting fools stop the president. It's essential that you vote and vote early. That's a big weakness to Mitt Romney's campaign.

We already know that President Barack Obama's is likely to win, but will these utter distractions hurt his chances with White voters?

Conservatives aren't going to vote for him anyways! They already believe the first African American president is a racist. That's fine and dandy. Just ignore them and vote!