Kwanzaa went to court - Update!

I posted earlier (Kwanzaa went to court and won - for now!) how a county commissioner was sued by the county clerk for havining a Kwanzaa ceremony on county premises at taxpayers's expense while not allowing Christmas ceremonies. And that the county clerk lost the case and the ceremony was allowed.

Well, since then the mayor put into policy that county builidings can only be used for county purposes. That leaves Kwanzaa celebrations out. It appears that although Kwanzaa is touted as being a "non-religious" event, many found religious elements in Kwanzaa enough to have it banned as religous.

It seems the right thing to do in light of the complex arguments surrounding the Kwanzaa event. Keeping things business-only and applying the rules across the board, without exception, is the best way to run an organization, be it public- or private-sector.

Kwanzaa is not, strictly speaking, a religious observance, but it's close enough to one that it set off a firestorm of criticism in county government when Brooks announced her plan. (Editorial: County Building Policy Emerging, 1/23/2008.)

A bit strict and takes the fun out of celebrations in the work place, but it's fair. If you won't allow Christmas, then don't allow other celebrations as well.

Case closed.

The New Year

This past year had ups and downs for me. The downs being my health, fighting a mysterious illness that threatens to leave me completely blind. Fighting pain that exists 75% of my time. That, I have left up to the Lord and as I pray that the doctors will be guided in to eradicating this "thing." But whatever the Lord wills as He is in complete control of my life.

The ups is making slow progress with my writing. I've had a major writer's bloc for sometime now but things are beginning to kick back in.

More ups - seeing my children grow up and blossom into real warriors for Christ! And even take up writing like me! To grow up into a single-parent family home where their mom was once on welfare, they have beaten the critics and aren't in jail, with kids out of wedlock, on drugs and alcohol but very successful in their own endeavors.

So with that, what are my New Year's goals? - to finish my book, to expand my website writings which will include many by my children and eventually have them take it over. And to make enough money to pay ALL of my bills!

But my most important goal of all is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus Christ our Lord and to teach them how to grow in God's grace and wisdom.

The Christocentric lifestyle!

Kwanzaa went to court - and won! (for now)

The Shelby County (Tennessee) Probate Court Clerk filed a complaint against the County Commissioner for wanting to hold a Kwanzaa celebration in the County Commissioner's Chamber. The point of contention was that while Christmas and Hanukkah were not allowed on county grounds because of the holidays being religious in nature, Kwanzaa would be allowed because it's not religious, but cultural.

In an email war of words, County Commissioner Henri Brooks even went as far to accuse the Probate Court Clerk who filed the complaint, Chris Thomas, of being ignorant of the cultural event of Kwanzaa.

No, it wasn't the Probate Clerk who is ignorant of Kwanzaa, but the celebrant herself, Henri Brooks. The County Commissioner obviously hasn't read Dr. Karenga's books on Kwanzaa. She hasn't read that:

1. Karenga believes that Christianity is a White religion.


2. He believes Black people need their own identity, uh own religion.


3. So instead of the Ten Commandments, he creates the "Black commandments" - the Nguzo Saba or Seven Principles.


4. His Seven Principles are based upon the Kawaida Theory - a theory that lists Christianity and Judaism as mere mythology.


5. Kawaida Theory insists that Black people need a new set of values for morality and a way of life


6. Karenga calls himself "Seba" of the Kawaida Temple on a list of Clergy.

All of this is documented either on my website or on other sites. Kwanzaa is very clearly a religious celebration and Karenga is the Head Priest! Heck, Karenga stood in the place of a minister, and married my sister and her husband!!! At the dinner table, my sister and her new religion of Karenga based humanism, would bow her head down and give all praises to the Black Man!

Thank God she came to her senses and has come back to Jesus Christ and only Him does she now give her praises to!

The Probate Clerk, Chris Thomas, was not the ignorant one and had every right to ask for fairness. If Kwanzaa is allowed then what in the heck is so wrong in allowing Hanukkah and Christmas? Especially Christmas when this is what this season is all about for our nation of mostly Christian believers!!!!

As Bill Cosby would say, "Come On People!"

A writer says that Christianity is not for blacks...but the Nguzo Saba is?

"Blacks are practitioners of Christianity; it is not their own religion which is why Christianity is not a uniting catalyst for blacks." H. Lewis Smith, The Spirit of Christmas and Kwanzaa.

http://www.blacknews.com/pr/burythatsucka501.html

Somebody finally said what Karenga has been saying all along. Christianity is a "white man's religion" which is the reason why Karenga created the Nguzo Saba (seven principles) and Kwanzaa to begin with! He created a set a values that he felt black people needed because Christianity was not for us! Mr. Lewis goes on to say:

"The seven guiding principles are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. These principles, which are applied from Kawaida, set a value system specifically for the black family and are a worthy foundation in which to base one's conduct."

This article that appears on the Blacknews.com website is very revealing and reflects an attitude present in many who ascribe to Kwanzaa and its principles. It is more than just a holiday to celebrate, but a challenge to the religion of Christianity, which the writer believes teaches a subliminal message of white supremacy! Did Jesus give his life to save only the white man? The most famous bible verse in the bible does not support that belief:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (New King James Version)

Very simplistic yet not very easy for many to accept. Very sad that this writer rejects the notion that Christianity has all the principles that anyone needs to make themselves a better person especially when you see that this man is actively involved in many "worthy" black causes.

Mr. Lewis laments the fact that blacks are not united, but would he truly want to unite with the millions of blacks who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and ascribe to the Bible ONLY for their guiding principles of life?

cm

What is Kwanzaa?

Not a bad "text to speech" copy from the Wikipedia entry on Kwanzaa. This you tube author takes most of the entry with the exception of the "criticisms" section in Wikipedia.

cm