Terri's body died today...

Terri Schiavo died today Thursday, March 31, 2005... 15 years after falling into a persistent vegetative state and 13 days after her feeding tube was removed.

Paul O'Donnell, a Roman Catholic monk and advisor to her parents, said Schiavo died at Hospice Home Woodside, where she had been receiving care. Death came at 9:05 a.m. The public announcement was made 45 minutes later.

''It is with great sadness that it has been reported to us that Terri Schiavo has passed away,'' O'Donnell said.

At last she is free of the torture that her misguided, selfish, though perhaps well meaning parents have put her through. As one who has lived through a similar harrowing existence I can only hope that she has forgiven her parents and gone to a better place. I doubt that I could be so magnanimous for the kind of selfish and despicable behavior is just the sort of things that the Nazis were prosecuted for after WWII.

And while I'm going about the business of calling a spade a spade, there is and equal share of condemnation that I must level at the medical establishment for not giving her a lethal injection. Not because Ms. Schiavo was suffering because she was LONG beyond that... 15 years beyond that but because it was inhumane to put her parents through the hell of watching their daughter's soulless body go through the process of drying up and fading into stillness. Had she been a dog rather than a human the SPCA would have arrested them for animal cruelty and given her the injection themselves.

And while I'm at it, let's talk about the holier-than-thou leeches from the Religious Reich, the Congress and the Oval Office who exploited the grieving family, feeding into their fears and leeching off of their natural parental instinct to protect their child. When I think of how these heartless bastards tapped into the parents fears and worries and the inability of Terri's father to have to face such a decision (as he told the country about himself) it makes my blood boil! I seriously doubt than any of them had any more than a passing concern for the well being of either the Schiavos, the Schindlers or even Terri herself. Their only real motive for involving themselves in the case was to get attention for their own agendas, from the so called "right to life movement" to the fundamentalist theocratic politics of Dobson, Robertson and Fallwell. The evidence for that is the spate of wildly emotional hyperbole and propaganda filled news conferences that have been called even before Terri's body was cold.

And the good people of the United States will eat it up with a spoon. Why? Because it will be served to them on a platter of fear. It is that which the Religious Reich does best, pandering to fear. Fear of murdering innocents, fear of an out of control medical establishment, fear of somehow angering God, and none of having any relationship to either the case of Terri Schiavo's right to die with dignity or any sort of reality for that matter. What it does relate to is the agenda of a small religious segment's desire to whip up public fear as the next step in their plan to make America into a Christian theocracy against everything that the founding fathers the intended and wrote into law. And they are not above lying, and even threatening violence to make their demented dream a reality. I have a large file of emails I've received over the years with threats that range from violence against me to violence against my family for expressing my views and speaking out against them.

So, what can we do about it? We can speak up against them. We can cut them off when they try to pass their lies in public and private conversation and let them know that we neither agree with them or are willing to have them spread such untruth in our presence. In short, be rude to them as they are to every thinking person when they try to monopolize the conversation and threaten us with eternal hell for espousing OUR beliefs. Or you can say nothing and allow them to carry on, breading fear in everyone they talk to and pave the way for slavery under their rule. And yes, slavery will be the law of the land... how do I know? They've said so:

"The (Biblical) Law here is humane and also unsentimental. It recognizes that some people are by nature slaves and will always be so. It both requires that they be dealt with in a godly manner and also that the slave recognizes his position and accepts it with grace."

R.J. Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law (Nutley, NJ: Craig Press, 1973), p. 251

It doesn't get much more obvious than that now does it? And if that isn't enough to make you question the motives and plans of those who would establish the "New Jerusalem", here's a few more words from the "leadership":

"What you are about to hear, is God's word to the men of this nation. We are going to war as of tonight. We have divine power; that is our weapon. We will not compromise. Wherever truth is at risk, in the schools or legislature, we are going to contend for it. We will win" --Bill McCartney of The Promise Keepers

"I can hear you saying, 'I want to be a spiritually pure man. Where do I start?' The first thing you do"is sit down with your wife and say something like this: 'Honey I've made a terrible mistake. I've given you my role. I gave up leading this family, and I forced you to take my place. Now I must reclaim that role.' Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. I'm not suggesting that you ask for your role back, I'm urging you to take it back."--Evangelist Tony Brown. Brown also insists that there is to be "no compromise on authority," and he suggests that women submit for the "survival of our culture".

"America is in the midst of a cultural revolution, which has poised our nation precariously on the brink of moral chaos, which is caused by what I am referring to as the crisis of homosexuality"--Rev. Ryle, speaking at a secret Colorado conclave to plan antigay/lesbian electoral strategies.

"We want our nation to return to God. We're drawing a line in the sand here.... There has already been controversy about abortion and homosexuality. I hope there won't be any physical confrontations." --- Promise Keepers co-founder Dave Wardell to the The Denver Post

As reported on the Political Amazon web site: "McCartney brings to the Promise Keepers his background as a Word Of God groupie (he once said that WOG was perhaps the most influential force on his life), and his affiliation with the Vineyard ministries. Both groups believe in "shepherding" activities, where members of the group must submit details of their life, including their scheduled activities, to other members for review and approval. If one transgresses from the group's agenda, intense "discussion" sessions can occur, some of which, with WOG, are reported to have lasted days. Basically, the "shepherding" movements believe that the church has a right to investigate and direct every aspect of it's members' lives.

Promise Keepers encourages it's followers to form "accountability" groups of no more than five members. In these "accountability" groups, the members are expected to submit all aspects of their lives to review and criticism. Members of these "accountability" groups have to answer any questions concerning marriage and family issues, financial issues, personal sexuality issues, or business decisisions and activities.

(As an aside, this type of "accountability" group, or "cell," formation is also supoposed to occur at Focus on the Family among their employees, and if an employee carries what occurs in these cells outside of the group, they can be in big trouble. )

These "cells" usually operate within a church or church-affiliated group. They are led by a "Point Man" who answers to an "Ambassador" who reports to headquarters in Boulder. Decisions about local or state activity are ultimately made in Boulder .

Here are some quotes about the shepherding aspect of Promise Keepers:

"All of our success here is contingent upon men taking part in small groups when they return home."

"I can go home and maybe still be the same guy after a conference. But if I have another guy calling up, holding me accountable, asking, 'How are you treating your wife? Are you still cheating on your income taxes? Are you looking at your secretaries with lust?' it makes a difference. I don't think a woman would get in my face, go toe to toe with a guy, whereas a guy could tell me, 'I don't like it. And if you don't listen to me, I'll punch your lights out.' Something like that."-- Dave Wardell, National Coordinator for Local Leaders."

So, why should we worry about this fringe group? Let's look at the men who actively support The Promise Keepers:

James Dobson of the Focus on the Family.

Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition and 700 Club.

D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries.

Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Their supporters read like a who's who of the most prominent leaders of the Religious Reich. That's why we have to be concerned and take what they say as the agenda points the New Christian Theocrats will be pushing.

Afraid now? No? Then you are a fool. Yes? Then do something about it. The choice is yours, live free or surrender meekly to slavery. For me, I choose freedom!