...apparently an amendment to the California constitution that was voted on by the people is unconstitutional. All because a guy in a black robe said so.

Wow. Well, it's been almost a year since I've posted something on here. School was ridiculously busy this past year and I just couldn't find the time to blog about my own personal life much less what I thought about current events in politics, religion, etc.

One thing in particular that sort of blew me away yesterday is this.

Yep, Jennifer Knapp, long-time Christian rocker has come out of the closet.

I have to say that I definitely didn't see it coming. I'm not really all that into her music, mainly because I've never sought any of it out apart from the one song that I have of hers called "Into You". I'm especially surprised that she was interviewed by Christianity Today. I didn't think that they did things like this, though I have to say that I'm glad they did. It's often that when Christian people come out like this, that they're abandoned and harangued. There have even been people posting nasty things on her facebook fan page. I'm glad that the support for her and her music outweighs the negativity that people have been spewing at her. Personally, I think that if she had stated that she had same-sex attractions but that she was planning on remaining celibate, that it would have been much better for her. She might have even been received as a Christian role model for others who are dealing with the same problem.
I'm just glad that she hasn't been abandoned by the Christian community at large. These people don't need harsh admonishing. While one may not support their actions, it would help them along if they themselves were at least supported as people through prayer and the acknowledgment that what they're being asked by God to give up is a huge sacrifice. That's one thing I think most people forget when they tackle this issue. They don't realize that while the desires in themselves may be disordered and go against the will of God, we all have selfish desires that require tremendous sacrifice to overcome. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't tell someone that what they're doing is wrong. The fact of the matter is, however, is that it's his or her decision to make and once we've done our part, we can't do much more than put it in the hands of God.

I've learned over the past few years to not let what other people think (about me in particular, though about other things as well) affect me. I think some others should try it sometime.

If you are approached by a police officer, no matter what race you are, the worst thing to do is to become belligerent and hostile. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. could have used a helpful tip like this when he was approached by Sgt. James Crowley.

As the story goes, a neighbor of the prof called Cambridge police when she saw a man later identified as Gates breaking into a home in which, as it turns out, Gates resided. The Sgt. Crowley came to investigate and upon approaching Gates, asked him to identify himself. Gates became belligerent and made threats. When he wouldn't calm down, Crowley arrested him for disorderly conduct and threatening and police officer. From the moment this whole fiasco began, Gates and his supporters, among them our Commander in Chief, have been crying "racism!" so long as anyone would listen. As it goes, no one's really listening because just about everyone who's heard the story in enough detail to analyze the situation thinks that Crowley is in the right. He was simply doing his job. If Gates had cooperated, the officer probably would have realized that the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, apologized for bothering the man, and gone on his way. Gates is the one who had to make this about race.

What surprises me is that he's said nothing about the woman who called the police on him in the first place, not to say that she was wrong. It makes people feel more comfortable to know that the people around which they live are keeping an eye out for them, which is just what this woman was doing. She saw who she believed to be an intruder and called the authorities. Even if her intentions weren't pure (which we don't know), Gates would have no reason to be angry at the police and every reason to be angry at the nosy hen who called.

In all, Gates, though he didn't deserve the visit from Cambridge Police, ended up deserving what he got in the end. Too bad, so sad...for us, really. The only reason we have to witness this incident unfold on national news is because the man arrested is a Harvad professor and a friend of the president. If the man had been sensible, this probably wouldn't have even made the local papers. I didn't even know this guy existed before now. Apparently, this is how you get famous when you're black and liberal.