MaxChampion's Comments (58)

“Scientology punches above its weight in political circles. Consider this: Who is the treasurer of the National Foundation for Women Legislators? Scientologist and OTVIII, Bruce Wiseman, who just happens also to be the US President of CCHR, Scientology's anti-psychiatry front group. The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights was named in May by APA President Nada Stotland, M.D. as psychiatry's very own "hate group". http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/APA/14276

The NFWL has several other scientologists and sympathisers on its committees. For more info: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y2mjldzmozd

If women legislators all across the US are listening to scientology, it's no wonder they're getting their agenda before the FDA and congress.”

“This is a great column. Kudos to your wife, Mike.”

“Spot on.”

“I watched election night live at my desk in Australia. I cried.

The next morning, Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post wrote in his column that he had to reevaluate his country, because an America that could elect a black man president of the United States was not the America he thought he knew.

A woman was interviewed on the streets of Tehran about the election and she said of Obama, "He is our hope."

It's not just because he's black (and white), although that's obviously part of it. But not just any black man could be this transformational. It's because he is who he is. He is a reasonable, educated, wise and grown-up person. I believe he is governing for all Americans and not just for his base. He is strong enough to be able to admit weakness. He doesn't need to bluster and puff his chest out and pretend to be what he is not. Just about everyone feels they could talk with him, because he seems to value people independently of their "value" in worldly terms.

The world changed the day you elected him, America. So, please, don't let the rest of the world respect your President more than you do.”

“Hallelujah! I'm sick and tired of the masquerade that is the "religious right". Christianity in truth means to be Christ-like. Jesus Christ is better represented by this true and recent story of a landlord who went back to work so he didn't have to evict his tenants:

Peirce refused to evict them. He didn't throw the families into the street, though he has every right to.

"I sat with them and prayed for better times," Peirce said. "These are stand-up guys. Family men. Proud. They paid me before, when they were working. You don't show your faith, your Christianity, in words. You do it in deeds."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/24/landlord-goes-back-to-wor_n_298646.html

Thanks Josh and Michael. And also thanks to Jim Wallis, whose book "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It" says a great deal about the relationship of the Christian faith and politics.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“What a great outcome. Congratulations all around.”

“I followed the Duke lacrosse saga from Australia. One of the problems with the system was that Nifong needed to be popular in order to be re-elected, and popular opinion in his town favoured convictions. Of course, he contributed to the public fascination with the case by his media conferences and inappropriate disclosures. So, he dug himself in and didn't have the character (and, perhaps, the insight) to adjust his course.

The requirement of popularity, in order to retain one's job, is a powerful factor that must, even subconsciously, affect the capacity of a DA to make the right decisions. Further, as long as a prosecutor's job performance is assessed, even in popular culture, by reference to the number of cases won and lost, there will be pressure on every prosecutor to get the conviction, not the right outcome. The ethically weaker ones will commit the more egregious breaches of ethics. Others won't even realise their bias.

Great article.”

“Evil. Despicable. Ungodly. UnChristlike.

All these words apply.

Thanks for a great article.”

“Nice work, Jon. With increased profile comes increased accountability.”

“Brilliant. I had only just read Black Like Me this summer, when visiting the US. I lol'd.”

“Very well said, sir.”

“Thank you for an important article. In addition to its current political application, your elucidation of the developments in the Nazi programs will be helpful to me in my dealings with Scientologists - for whom all psychiatrists are inherently evil. Thanks for telling of the bravery of those psychiatrists who stood for the rights of the disabled, in what must have been a very frightening time.”

“I think she realised. She moved her hand to her torso to centre herself and get her breathing happening.

In an odd way, it may work to her advantage not having had a perfect performance. The audience won't take her for granted.

I can't resist adding that she looked sensational in the semi-final.”

“I agree with both of you. The black and white thinking is reductive and, ultimately, destructive.”

“Galatians 6:2: "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."”

“Kevin, I'm hugely impressed by the attitude you took in with you - which is what enabled you to be surprised.

In the comments here, as always, the number of gross generalisations is disturbing. eg. "Religeous (sic) people can't handle the truth when it's too painful, so they 'trust in God'." The "left", the "right", the "liberals", the "evangelicals", the "conservatives" - these are all lazy stereotypes. If we all made a point of spending time with people of other persuasions, genuinely listening, we'd not be able to make this sweeping statements ever again.

Your language shows you up, people.”

“Any idea how Gingrich was received?”

“Apologies for spamming the thread. But actually I wanted to say that you expressed very well that Susan Boyle and her performance touched us because of the heady mixture of sweetness, beauty, ordinariness and yearning. Thanks.”

“It's "I dreamed a dream"”

“Thirded.”

“Frank, I enjoy your posts and value your perspective on the church. Today, I think you've made the mistake of overly generalising. The evangelical world encompasses 10s or perhaps 100s of millions of people across the globe. Where I worship, the Rick Warrens and Ted Haggards have not been even heard of by everyone, let alone followed. I suspect that even within the US, evangelicalism is far more diverse than the sub-culture you have depicted and which is in your experience.

In your understandable vehemence, you've left out all the qualifiers necessary to give this piece substance.”

“The only one of Adrienne's movies I've seen is Hal Hartley's "Trust" - she made a huge impression. I will make a point of seeing Waitress and Serious Moonlight.

The Foundation is a wonderful project and I wish you every success in promoting women making film and in producing Serious Moonlight. Your work is a wonderful tribute to your wife.”

“Another white woman here. One day our kids will look back and identify the Obama Whitehouse as marking enormous cultural shifts - for the better. MO is a beautiful woman in so many ways. That's why the world has fallen in love with her and half of us want to be like her.

Fashion industry take note.”

“typo: enouraging”