Podcasts about what obama

Alan Steinfeld is an explorer of consciousness. For over 30 years he has hosted and produced the weekly television series New Realities in New York City. Additionally, with 68,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel of the same name, there have been over 20 million viewers who have seen his programs. These include interviews with luminaries in the field of health, spirituality and UFOS - such as Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Ram Dass, Guru Jagget and every major UFO researcher in the field. With his media appearances, lectures, and conferences he informs millions about human potential, remote viewing, and the nature of alien contact. For the over five years he has emceed the largest UFO event in the country, Contact in the Desert. He feels that only when the inner explorations of the soul are combined with the outer adventures of the mind can we achieve a harmonious understanding of our place in the cosmos.   Topics of Discussion: Extraterrestrial life, Aliens & UFO's What Obama has to say about aliens Why the government has been keeping secrets & is becoming more transparent about UAP (unexplained aerial phenomena) Quantum physics Questioning the nature of reality & your worldview Different alien races Alan's book Making Contact Old paradigm verses new paradigm consciousness Hollywood & reptilians  Global awakening And so much more   Alan's Youtube Channel Purchase Alan's book Making Contact Alan's Instagram Account   To say thank you for taking the time to subscribe, rate & review the podcast I'm gifting you my Zoom Yoga Library (11 creative vinyasa classes). All you have to do is take a screenshot of your rating & review & send it to hello@cortneyostrosky.com. I'm so grateful for your support & think you'll LOVE these classes!   Cortney's Instagram Unique Way Instagram Cortney's Website Cortney's Weekly Newsletter

[Explicit Content] TRex is home sick today, so we have a very special mystery guest filling in for him; Jody reunites with her Mom (Carol Burnett); Yesterday's interview show; The best news of the week; NY investigation into the Trump Org is now a criminal probe; How does Trump wiggle out of this one?; What about the IRS?; Republicans continue to stonewall a 1/6 Commission; Tim Ryan's angry remarks on the floor; Andrew Giuliani is running for governor and it's already a disaster; Greg Abbott signs new abortion law criminalizing doctors; What Obama really thought of Donald Trump; With Jody Hamilton and Mystery Guest; And music by Somber Mercy and Dave Molter; and more!

I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU AND I WILL CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE YOU.Thus saith the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And He means it, he really does. There is no timetable for either the blessing promised, or the cursing. My ways, says the Lord God are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts. No man knows the divine timetable for anything. What happens and when it does is the will of the Lord. The Almighty states clearly that when it is justified:            VENGEANCE IS MINE!And the vengeance of the Lord is a fearful thing.WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE should feel blessed, with more to come because of the way in which the Trump Administration has supported Israel. There has been the very best cooperation between America and Israel, we have supplied them with monies and onements and perhaps most importantly, by the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized that world–special city as the capital of Israel, the Holy city of God and the Jews. I'll bet you one shekel that the Biden Administration will move the Embassy back to Tel Aviv. Biden, you will see, is no friend of the Jews.All nations have suffered the Coronavirus and Israel is no exception. But, diplomatically, Israel has profited more in the last several years than in its entire 75 year history. Now comes the Abraham Accords, the incredible making of peace between hardened nations hateful of Israel and the Jews. An Accord, essentially a peace treaty and a normalization of relations has occurred between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which make peace and establish friendly relations with two Israeli Arab nation enemies. What a fantastic blow struck for the PEACE OF JERUSALEM. There is now trade between the three countries, and the opening of Jewish owned businesses there and Arab businesses in Israel. Hotels in those two countries are required to offer kosher meals even as Israel offers full accommodation to the citizens of Bahrain and UAE. The Trump Administration, the United States of America acted as broker and witness to those incredible agreements, never, ever thought possible. Said the good writer and thinker Joel C. Rosenberg:            “President Trump deserves enormous credit for brokering those deals.”And that he surely does even though he may not be President to see the full effect of these incredible ABRAHAM ACCORDS. Now, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates join both Egypt and Jordan, nations which had signed peace treaty agreements with Israel after all out war, the one in 1979 and the other in 1994. Those two treaties kept the borders between Israel calm and quiet for 41 years on the one hand and 26 years on the other. Wonderful and incredible and even more to come. All four nations have participated in the economic sanctions and embargos against Israel. They fully supported the so called:            BOYCOTT – DIVESTMENT – SANCTIONS (BDS) against Israel, participated in by so many nations worldwide. Those four nations constantly voted against Israel with the rest of the Arab world at the United Nations. They were full participants in the isolation and delegitimization campaign against Israel, but now, all that has changed. The Abraham Accords and other agreements preceding them provided agreement on civil aviation for one. There will be direct flights between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. All such flights will fly through Saudi Arabia air space even though the Saudis have not yet participated in the Abraham Accords. But the granting of such flying privileges by Saudi Arabia is a strong indication that this large, wealthy and influential Arab nation will soon follow suit. It is absolutely historic that all the agreements under the general heading Abraham Accords will allow for common banking, private property rights and the setting up of small businesses. And, again, kosher meals will be served in Arab hotels, something unheard of even one year ago. This significant realignment of interest in the Middle East and the foreign policies of Arab nations and Israel has only just begun. The nation of Oman may be next. Even more interesting, the war–like nation of the Sudan now strongly considers making peace with Israel and joining the Abraham Accords. Ironically says Rosenberg, the Sudan seems to figure prominently in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 in the so called:            WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG.It will be absolutely fascinating to see what happens in that case, whether any kind of normalization before that prophetic great and final war. But these peace deals, these Abraham Accords, surpass indeed the peace treaties between Egypt and Jordan and establish a new model of what peace and normalization can be in the Middle East. The Peace of Jerusalem now looks possible more so than ever before! There are many who think that an even greater priority is the annexation or at least the application of Israeli sovereign law to large swaths of Judea and Samaria, which we know as the West Bank. That is still an objective of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu, but perhaps (Rosenberg) the peace treaties, the Abraham Accords with Arab nations are first priorities. Annexation, thinks Rosenberg, in due course. Prophecy at work my fellow Americans, the divine hand of the God of Abraham at work. How exciting that we are privileged to live at this time and see the unfolding of these incredible biblical events.But now comes the Biden Administration, or as she puts it, the Harris – Biden Administration, anti–Israel if not anti–Semitic and aided by the radical – progressives Omar, Tlaib, AOC, Sanders and Warren, will do everything possible to rollback the progress made and to change the course of American diplomacy. The Biden Administration will undoubtedly attempt to influence Kuwait and Saudi Arabia so that neither nation proceeds further to normalize friendly relations with Israel. One of the motivations driving the Abraham Accords is a deep concern and even fear of the militant and warlike IRAN. Iran makes no bones about the fact that it intends to dominate that area of the world, the Middle East. The Obama originated Nuclear Peace Treaty with Iran was little more than a license for Iran who proceed covertly with nuclear arms development. The Biden Administration, led by THE BIG GUY himself could reverse much of that progress made overnight. The Israel and Jew haters who will advise and even to some extent call the shots will do everything possible to make that happen. The Biden foreign policy would undoubtedly increase the prospects of more wars, more American troops in critical Middle East areas, and the undoing of these incredible peace accords wherever possible. Biden has indicated he intends to nominate Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. All such appointments by the Biden Administration will have more authority and power than otherwise, because of Biden's limited expertise and knowledge. Secretary Blinken will be a powerful force with regard to Middle East affairs and if he follows the hard, radical and progressive party line of the Democrats, nothing but trouble with ensue.But there is no nation on earth like Israel and no people with the will and determination to survive and compete than the Israelis. They are tough, battle hardened, determined to survive and NEVER FORGET and NEVER AGAIN! They come from the stock of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In 1982, in a private session with the American SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, where then Senator Joe Biden from Delaware was presiding, Biden then all of 39 years old lectured the 68 year old Begin over the Israelis settlements, jabbing his finger at the Prime Minister and banging his fist on the desk. Biden warned that eroding support for Israel threatened US aid, believing that he could cower the tough Israeli Prime Minister. Listen to the words in retort of Prime Minister Begin:“Don't threaten us with cutting off aid to give up our principles. I'm not a Jew with trembling knees.”What an incredible statement, right on the mark in terms of what a modern day Israeli is, or in this case is not:            “A JEW WITH TREMBLING KNEES.”And there are millions of Israelis who live in Israel, and in fact many worldwide who face anti–Semitism and the hostility of so much of the world every day:            WITHOUT TREMBLING KNEES.Prime Minister Begin went on to state to Biden and others in that Senate Committee the following:“I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid!”What an unbelievable statement. Perhaps even the younger BIG GUY understood the meaning and more importantly the will and resolve of Begin and his people. But you can be sure that Biden and Blinken will use American foreign aid as a weapon, a negotiating tool to gain Israeli cooperation and compromise. We can only hope that Netanyahu and others now in charge of Israeli politics will have the toughness, the character, the will of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, the world famous Jew WITHOUT TREMBLING KNEES.Secretary of State Pompeo has been a great friend of Israel. He recently announced that America will recognize the global BOYCOTT – DIVESTMENT – SANCTIONS (BDS) movement as:            ANTI–SEMITIC.Pompeo said:“We want to recognize BDS for the cancer that it is. Anti–Zionism is anti-Semitism.” The Biden Administration will never be the friend and ally of Israel that the Trump Administration has been. Not only will our great country change, and not for the better, under Biden and the radical Democrats, but Israel, and much of the world as well will change, and in some ways fundamentally so. The good that Trump has done, the strengthening of the character of America in dealing head on with rogue nations like China, and Russia, and North Korea, and Iran among others can be done away with overnight and it probably will. What Obama hath wrought, Biden will increase. Some think the new President is somewhat centrist in thinking but those who know the forces behind him, those who are the real decision makers, are anything but. They are radical, hateful, anti–American, and most importantly, so many of them are anti–Israel, ANTI–SEMITES! Israel knows that and they are ready for the consequences. This little nation, so critical to the history of the world and to prophecy, will reach out but at the same time be ready to protect and defend, as they should be. Perhaps the Abraham Accords are just the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy and promise of the GOD ABRAHAM and the realization of that divine promise:            AND IN YOU ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH WILL BE BLESSED. May it be so. May the peace of Jerusalem prevail, not only in and for Israel, but for all the Middle East, and perhaps eventually for all the world or at least some good part of it. We live in incredible times my fellow Americans, absolutely prophetically incredible. Be watchmen and watchwomen on the walls. Pay attention to world events for they may well signal the beginning of the:            END TIMES.One thing is for sure. God will bless those who bless Israel and God will curse those who curse Israel. YOU CAN BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF THAT.

As Islamic terrorists from Iran and/or Iranian proxies seek revenge against the United States, the question arises: Why did former President Obama sign into law the "Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012" and then turn around and sign the Iran nuclear deal in 2013? The United States virtually bought and paid for Iran's signature on the deal by giving away $150 billion, not including the $1.3 billion in cash flown in by plane? What Obama did was treasonous. He in effect funded Iran's global network of Islamic terrorism and helped to facilitate the deaths of hundreds of Americans. Now Democrats want to blame President Trump. But hear the real story on The Denice Gary Show and why removing Iranian General Soleimani, a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist," a man who orchestrated and funded Iran's global terror operations that killed and/or maimed thousands of Americans, is in the best interests of U.S. national security. See:https://www.facebook.com/TheDeniceGaryShow/videos/2576304009320610/ Share this broadcast with others and help continue the work of The Denice Gary Show by making your tax deductible contribution to The Middle East Initiative, P.O. Box 82162, Bakersfield, CA 93380 a 501 c 3 educational foundation!

Rahaf Harfoush (@rahafharfoush) is a digital anthropologist, bestselling author and speaker researching the impacts of emerging technologies on our society and is focused on deep (and often hidden) behavioral shifts that are taking place within organizations and individuals in this digital era. She also teach Innovation and Disruptive Business Models at SciencePo’s Masters of Finance and Economics Program in Paris and is the author of Hustle & Float, The Decoded Company and Yes We Did! (an inside look at how Obama used social media to win in 2008. Rahaf's also the Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute of Digital Culture, a thinktank and special projects agency focused on intersection of technology and culture. You can listen right here on iTunes Today we discuss: * The polarizing problem of social media and sharing * Why inequality is such a big deal * What Obama and Trump did effectively in their campaigns * The reason ADD is killing creativity * Why social media's perfect for information warfare * How billionaires are breaking the world * Why protesting and media mobs may be the new norm * How to think about worker rights * What's wrong with the gig economy and where it heads * How privacy is eroding faster that we realize * Why AI and automation could ruin societyMake a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support The DisruptorsThe Disruptors is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.Donate

Editor-in-chief of The Crisis magazine, the NAACP's flagship periodical, and a former editor and syndicated columnist at the The Washington Post, Jabari Asim is a professor of creative writing at Emerson College. His  many books include The N Word; What Obama Means...For Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future; A Taste of Honey: Stories; and the debut novel Only the Strong, ''a heartfelt, polyphonic ode to 1970s black America'' (Wall Street Journal). He is also a Guggenheim Fellowship-winning poet, playwright, and acclaimed children's book author. We Can't Breathe is a collection of eight essays that disrupt the conventional narrative of black history in America. Watch the video here. (recorded 11/20/2018)

Silly threats at my door,The Walking Dead, A Leftist Utopia, What Obama must do on Trump deportations, Liberals Mull Scheme to Temporarily Seize Control of Senate, Confirm Obama's SCOTUS Nominee, School ‘Gun Violence' PSA Overlooks the Most Obvious Warning Sign.

THE WEED BUSINESS: Analysts are calling it the country’s "fastest-growing industry" and Arthur Frommer (godfather of the travel industry who founded the Frommer's guide) said “get ready for the era of marijuana tourism”.   In the US, 8 states have legalized its recreational use and more than half of all US states permit it for medical purposes. In Dec, The New York Stock Exchange listed its first public marijuana company.    Times are changing, so I sat down with Joe Dolce, author of “Brave New Weed” to explore the future of the weed business and its social impact.      WHO IS JOE? Joe Dolce is a seasoned journalist who worked with Anna Wintour at Vogue, introduced Jamie Oliver to the US audience as the chief of Gourmet magazine and spent a week in Mexico trying to outdrink Anthony Bourdain. He has a treasure trove of stories spanning an impressive 20yr career as a journalist.    For the last 3yrs, Joe travelled the globe researching the uncharted world of the cannabis industry. From legal states in the US, medical research in Israel, weed tourism in Colorado & the criminal justice system - Joe has dug deep into this topic.      5 THINGS TO LISTEN OUT FOR:   (1) His Journalist Background - stories of interviewing Hugh Hefner in the playboy mansion & Anna Wintour eating cheeseburgers at her desk. How his background in journalism got him onto this topic for his book.   (2) History - Why has it been such a taboo subject, what is changing now, legalization vs decriminalization, positive & negative impact.   (3) Current Landscape  - what does the landscape look like right now? How are people like Snoop Dogg, Whoopi Goldberg & The Marley Family setting up to profit?   (4) Future Growth of the Weed Business - comparing it to the beer business & wine country, big pharma, tobacco companies, investment, weed tourism & medical use.   (5) Social impact - the US has 5% of the global population but 25% of its prisoners, what impact will legalization have on the criminal justice system? How will it impact people of color who are disproportionately impacted by minor drug offenses?     TIME STAMPS [1m32s] - Who is Joe Dolce [2m51s] - Stories from being a journalist -Anna Wintour eating cheeseburgers [3m27s] - Interviewing Hugh Hefner at the playboy mansion [5m44s] - Hanging with Jamie Oliver in Essex [6m54s] - Why did he start writing this book [7m56s] - Importance of language, plant vs drug [9m38s] - History, why it has been a taboo subject & the war on drugs [13m37s] - Legalized states [14m34s] - Difference between decriminalization vs legalization [15m53s] - Parallels between alcohol prohibition  [17m27s] - Why has it taken so long to legalize [19m10s] - Gateway drug & negative impact [24m23s] - What Obama had to say about it [26m27s] - Positive uses that researchers have found [29m31s] - What is THC and CBD? [31m53s] - Painting a picture of current business landscape [35m16s] - Future of business, comparing it to the beer industry [37m47s] - Future of weed tourism, comparing to wine country [40m04s] - Big pharma and alcohol companies stance [43m38s] - Tax revenue & growth, estimates for California being a $30bil market [45m16s] - How Snoop Dogg, Marley Family, Whoppi Goldberg and more are investing [46m59s] - US is 5% of global population, 25% of prisoners, impact on criminal justice system and people of color [52m24s] - Impact of decriminalization of all drugs [58m05s] - About his book: Brave New Weed - link here: https://www.creatorlab.fm/recommends/joe-dolce-brave-new-weed All show notes and other episodes available at: https://www.creatorlab.fm Stay connected: https://www.creatorlab.fm/subscribe https://www.facebook.com/creatorlabfm https://www.instagram.com/creatorlabfm https://www.twitter.com/creatorlabfm https://www.snapchat.com/add/creatorlabfm   Connect with Bilal: https://www.twitter.com/bzaidi https://www.instagram.com/bzaidi212

This week we're talking: Space Jam 2 and who's famous enough to carry it? What Obama and Adele's cameos look like in it. Why we're worried for Bill Murray. What Je ne c'est quoi really means and how it relates to an athlete's ability to get hard. The politics of cartoons in our world and why Nick is already prepared to be racist against them. Also is Cool World too sexy? I'm asking for a friend.

This is a serious conversation with a very funny man.Trevor Noah is the host of Comedy Central's the Daily Show. He's also a stand-up comic who grew up in apartheid South Africa, the son of a black mother and a white father. That was illegal in apartheid-era South Africa, so Noah grew up hiding his real parentage, only seeing his father in carefully controlled circumstances. Somehow, he managed to turn this into a very funny, very incisive stand-up act. Today, he occupies one of the commanding heights of American comedy, and when you talk to him, you can see why: he's funny, but he's also damn smart, with an outsider's perspective on America's very unique problems. In this conversation, we talk about:- What it was like growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa- Noah's experience watching South Africa’s post-apartheid truth and reconciliation commission, and what an American one might look like- Noah's thoughts on the right to be forgotten on the internet- How Donald Trump's superpower is his lack of shame- The ways in which Obama’s presidency changed – and sometimes inflamed — the conversation about race over the last eight years- What Obama does and doesn’t share with other Black celebrities in “transcending” race- The parallels between experiencing catcalling and experiencing racism- Noah's critique of both "objective" news sources, and biased ones- Why Noah was taken aback by the response he got criticizing Bernie Sanders- Noah's news diet, and why he doesn’t watch as much Fox News as you might think- How Noah develops a joke, from start to finishAnd much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 AM - Military analyst Mike Lyons talks Syria with us; Lady swam from Cuba to Florida; Charlie Rangel called Obama on Syria "embarrassing"; What Obama is asking for; 30 Second Movie Review; Correspondent Jason Strother is in South Korea reporting on Dennis Rodman visiting Kim Jong Un in North Korea.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: The Obama administration's contraception mandate, plus local stories Summary of today's show: The biggest news of the week concerns the Obama administration's so-called compromise for religious groups on the mandate that health insurance plans cover contraception for employees. Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Fr. Roger Landry, and Greg Tracy review and comment on editorials in the Pilot and the Anchor as well as reaction from bishops and opinion columnists to the rule and the general attitude toward religious liberty found in this administration. Also, other local stories, including an obituary for Fr. Robert McAuliffe, grants to local parishes from the national St. Vincent de Paul society, iPads for a Catholic high school, and Fr. Robert Barron's Catholicism airing on TV locally. 1st segment: Scot and Susan caught up on their day. Susan was at a meeting in the southern end of the archdiocese in Halifax. Her big news is that she just flew in from Los Angeles where her newest grandson was baptized last Sunday. 2nd segment: Scot said both the Pilot and the Anchor have editorials on the mandate from the Dept. of Health and Human Services requiring contraception coverage in health insurance plans. Fr. Roger's editorial covers President Obama's “unaccommodating accommodation”. Fr. Roger said Obama said religious organizations won't have to pay premiums for contraception, but the insurers will provide it for free, but this is just an accommodating trick. The reality is that these costs will be covered by higher premiums. The US bishops' main concerns were all neglected in this so-called compromise: respect for religious liberty and consultation with religious groups . The Obama administration did not consult with the affected religious institutions at all. The bishops aren't just trying to get an exemption for the institution, but that Catholic business owners shouldn't be forced to violate their own consciences either.Scot said Catholic businessmen have told him that they hoped the bishops would defend all Catholics, not just dioceses and parishes and explicitly Catholic organizations. The bishops are asking Catholics to call the White House (202-456-1111), representatives and Senators. They should ask Congress to pass the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (HR 1179, S 1467). Susan said we have discussed before that there is a difference between the freedom to worship and freedom of religion and our country is built on the wider principle of freedom of religion. Also, the Church serves more than just Catholics. We don't ask people whether they're Catholic and hungry; we just ask if they're hungry. Scot noted how Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas has been criticizing the mandate and standing up for the rights of all religious people. Greg talked about his editorial in the Pilot this week, which says that many Church health insurance plans are self-insurance plans. The editorial notes there is much confusion about the policies and statements being thrown about by partisans on this issue. We use the term “health insurance” very loosely; even the President did in his remarks last week. But we don't all have the same kind of insurance plans. Scot clarified that consumer-marketed insurance plans are regulated by states, that is the individual consumer buys the plan. But most large employers choose to self-fund or self-insurance their healthcare benefits. In this case the the employer decides it's cheaper to pay the bills as they come in as opposed to keeping a pile of cash set aside. These companies contract third-party insurance companies to process claims from doctors and patients and then bill the Archdiocese. In the Archdiocese of Boston, the archdiocese self-insurers, but employees have Tufts Health Plan cards. When the companies self-insure, they don't have insurance plans that are covered by state regulations. The Archdiocese does not buy insurance from Tufts or Blue Cross/Blue Shield or another company. Thus these self-funded plans are only subject to federal law. Scot said Catholic organizations have also chosen to self-fund to avoid onerous state mandates. This is why the HHS mandate is so important: Here then is the rub: the new HHS mandate is a federal law and therefore it applies to all plans whether self-funded or insured. For the first time, self-funded health benefit plans find themselves being required to offer specific benefits. In creating a federal contraception requirement, the Obama Administration has not only shut the exit door for health plans, but locked it. The new federal healthcare law is the first time the federal regulations require insurers to cover specific procedures. The editorial will be available through a link in the Weekly Email from Cardinal Sean and the Pilot. You can subscribe to the newsletter . Fr. Roger said last August, the US bishops formed a committee on religious freedom because they saw that this HHS mandate is not a unique incursion on religious freedom, but is part of a general pattern. The Obama administration has tried in other ways to curtail religious freedom to a very, very narrow idea. They have excluded Church groups from giving aid to victims of human trafficking. They've threatened to end government contracts with Catholic Relief Services because they won't offer abortions. 3rd segment: Scot said Archbishop Chaput has blasted this “compromise” as “insulting”. “The HHS mandate, including its latest variant, are belligerent, unnecessary and deeply offensive to the content of Catholic belief,” he wrote in a Feb. 12 Philadelphia Inquirer column. “Any such mandate would make it morally compromising for us to provide health care benefits to the staffing of our public service ministries.” “We cannot afford to be fooled – yet again – by evasive and misleading allusions to the administration's alleged ‘flexibility' on such issues. The HHS mandate needs to be rescinded.” Scot and Fr. Roger discussed the difference between rescinding and revising the mandate. Rescinding the provisions means no one would be required to finance this immoral practice. Archbishop Timothy Dolan also commented. We bishops are pastors, we're not politicians, and you can't compromise on principle,” said Cardinal-designate Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “And the goal posts haven't moved and I don't think there's a 50-yard line compromise here,” he added. “We're in the business of reconciliation, so it's not that we hold fast, that we're stubborn ideologues, no. But we don't see much sign of any compromise,” he said. “What (Obama) offered was next to nothing. There's no change, for instance, in these terribly restrictive mandates and this grossly restrictive definition of what constitutes a religious entity,” he said. “The principle wasn't touched at all.” … “My brother-in-law, who's a committed Catholic, runs a butcher shop. Is he going to have to pay for services that he as a convinced Catholic considers to be morally objectionable?” he asked. Susan said the article also speaks enthusiastically of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, introduced by Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry, R-Nebraska. They then turned to discussion of a column by Michael Pakaluk, in which he says that government is enshrining the idea that sex and procreation are intrinsically separated. Scot noted that the claim that 98% of Catholics use contraception is bogus, even on the face of it. Greg said Pakaluk points out that before 1930, every Christian denomination held that contraception was immoral and in 1931 the Anglican Church opened the door to a very small possibility of the permissibility of contraception and that created a slippery slope. Scot said George Weigel's column in the Anchor discusses the soft totalitarianism of the mandate. As the administration has demonstrated in its international human rights policy, it regards religious freedom as a kind of privacy right: the right to freedom of worship, which the administration seems to regard as analogous to any other optional, recreational activity. No serious student of religious freedom, however, takes the redefinition of religious freedom as freedom-to-worship seriously. For if that redefinition were true, there would be “religious freedom” in Saudi Arabia, so long as the “worship” in question were conducted behind closed doors. And that is manifestly absurd. … It is no exaggeration to describe that cast of mind as “soft totalitarianism”: an effort to eliminate the vital role in health care, education, and social service played by the institutions of civil society, unless those institutions become extensions of the state. So the state isn't actually taking over everything, but the government is engaging in aggressive coercion. Fr. Roger said totalitarianism is where the state takes away all rights and its powers are unlimited. The HHS mandate says if you're going to have health insurance, you have to violate your conscience or shut down or pay a fine of $2,000 per year for each employee. Fr. Roger said this is how the most repressive governments in history started their totalitarianism. Pope Benedict said in his White House visit that freedom must be won anew and defended by every generation. Scot notes the Pilot column by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe in which she says that opponents of religious institutions don't aim to undermine faith, but to exercise power over life from conception to natural death. She said the Catholic Church is the prime opponent of the mindset that sees the human being as a tool to be used or a burden to be discarded. Susan said when you start saying every person is worthy of respect and made in the image and likeness of God, think of all the things that flow from that, what rights those persons have from conception to natural death. Scot then read from Kevin and Marilyn Ryan's column in the Pilot titled “Why do they hate us so?” They describe many examples of anti-Catholicism in politics and media and says it's hard to figure out why we provoke such hostility. The good news is that we are standing up for the right things, but unlike early Christians, we modern Catholic are falling down in our witness. We aren't practicing our faith enough to be inspiring witnesses to our fellow citizens. Greg said this is part of the New Evangelization. The Church needs to figure out how to be a witness to the modern world. Scot noted other stories in the Pilot and the Anchor, including an obituary for Fr. Robert McAuliffe and the National St. Vincent de Paul Society providing grants to several parishes to help the poor. On the grants they went to the parishes to ask how even small grants will go a long way to helping those in need. Another article was about how Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton is moving to teaching using iPads for every student. Also the Catholicism series by Fr. Robert Barron is airing on . Fr. Roger encouraged listeners to watch this series, either on DVDs, perhaps in their parish faith formation groups, or on TV. Fr. Barron not only does a great job explaining the faith, but also shows us by taking us to the great shrines and places of Catholicism throughout the world. Susan noted that parishes can also get study guides and other supplemental materials.

What Obama got out of the debt limit deal. How he dismissed the right-wing to establish free contraception. And what Mike Huckabee wants to teach your kids.

Rush Limbaugh wants to protect your penises and isn't on anyone's balls. Special needs listener Tom Gavin wants to date Mariya. What Obama plans to do with your foreskins. A serial cat murderer was caught in Miami. New female listener calls in.

Recorded 06/05/09 Christianity, Judaism and Islam are both peaceful and violent. Robert Wright discusses what circumstances bring out the best and worst in religion. Is religion a force for good or ill? This question has been more energetically debated over the last few years, globally, due to the West's confrontation with radical Islam, and in the U.S., to the political emergence and activism of evangelical Christians. This was brought to a head with the misadventures of George W. Bush, from Teri Schiavo to Bagdhad. Robert Wright takes on big questions, and he's taken this one on in his new book, The Evolution of God. He follows the changing moods of God as reflected in ancient Scripture, to see what circumstances brought out the best and worst in religions. According to Wright, "The moral of the story is simple: When people see their interests threatened by another group, this perception brings out the most belligerent parts of their religion. Such circumstances are good news for violent extremists and bad news for moderates. What Obama is trying to do -- make Palestinians feel less threatened, and make Muslims generally feel more respected -- may now, as it did in ancient times, bring out the tolerant side of a religion." Wright is a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, and founder and editor of www.bloggingheads.tv His books include: Three Scientists and Their Gods: Looking for Meaning in an Age of Information; The Moral Animal: Evolutionary Psychology and Everyday Life; and Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny. www.meaningoflife.tv and www.bloggingheads.tv.

Abe recaps Obama's speech to congress and notes two interesting departures from "change." Also - tirades and apologies on marijuana law, sentiment and progress in a reefer-mad week. Is Gitmo worse under Obama?