Getting to know the unknown God

I'm going off into deep outer space on this one. Most of you will want to skip over this post. Today I attended a very interesting sermon in the United Church of Canada by a minister who quoted a Vancouver Sun article about a United Church Minister named Gretta Vosper who is a self professed atheist. I had missed both the article and the controversy surrounding Gretta.

The Minister claims the article in the Vancouver Sun accused the United Church of terminal kindness by accepting Gretta's insanity. I have to agree. However, I will say that there are many worse causes of death in this world than terminal kindness. Although I passionately believe in the life of Christ, I am not very big on doctrine. I don't care if the pearly gates swing or slide. What we need to concern ourselves with is living the kind of life here on earth that will see us pass through those gates in the hereafter. To that end I think the United Church has a lot going for it.

Yes we can be too tolerant of sin and crime for that matter. Yet we can be too intolerant as well. Martin Luther King coined the phrase that the old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. That is very true. However, Gretta has gone a bit over board. I'm all for the freedom of religion. People have every right to be atheist. It's just that if you are going to proclaim to be a United Church Minister and deny the existence of God as well as the existence of Christ, then you are clearly in the wrong profession. Denying the existence of Christ isn't what Christians teach. It is what the Anti Christ teaches. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Historically we know Jesus of Nazareth existed. Josephus recorded that fact. People can debate the resurrection all they want. Josh McDowell addressed that quite well in his book More than a Carpenter. Yet Christ's life, mission, death and crucifixion are historical facts. Denying that as a United Church Minister is somewhat out in the realms of deep outer space.

The minister today asked some insightful questions in a children's story and made references to Moses' interaction with God in his sermon. Fist Moses spoke to God in the form of a burning bush. The problem was, no man can see God and live so God revealed himself to Moses in the form of a burning bush. Yet God can do all things. If he wanted to reveal himself to man he could. The Minister today admitted that eventually Moses saw God's hand and his back. Yet the scriptures go beyond that. Later on Moses spoke to God face to face as a man speaketh to his friend.

It wasn't until Stephen said he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God that he was stoned for what the religious leaders at the time thought was blasphemy. Ever since the martyrdom of the original apostles, the doctrine of Christ has changed and has been watered down with the ideas of man. King Henry was a nut and we have clearly gone down hill from there.

Ever since King Henry people have been arguing about some stupid point of doctrine and starting up their own church over it. The United Church of Canada reversed that trend. They took three churches and amalgamated them into one. That church has a history of coming together instead of driving apart. Yet clearly things have gone too far. It reminds me of what Paul found in Mars Hill. He found an alter that said "To The Unknown God" and declared "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." Acts 17: 22-31

In contrast to the apostasy of the men of Athens, John taught, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 Eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ who he sent and to strive to become like them and live a more productive Christlike life. This is where the term Christian service comes from. The life that Mother Teresa exemplified.

There are a ship load of fundamentalists out there that I can't even sit in the same room with. Christ spelled it out in the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the sheep and goats. How you live your life is more important than what you claim to believe. The United Church's focus on service and tolerance is one of it's strengths. The United Church's tolerance of Gretta's insanity is one of it's weaknesses. Just sayin. Peace.

Chicago rapper shot dead, Mexican drug lord escapes

MSN News is reporting that Chicago rapper Capo was gunned down in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. MSN News is also reporting that: "Top Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time, security officials announced late Saturday. Guzman, who headed the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, was last seen in the area of the showers in the Altiplano prison outside of Mexico City, the capital." The Sinaloa cartel is the one the CIA and the ATF were selling guns to in Operation Fast and Furious and bringing back tons of cocaine into the US as payment. Iran Contra never stopped. Gary Webb was right.



Update: Escaped Kingpin seen having a beer with Oliver North. Not.

Alaska and Oregon legalizes pot for recreational use

I'm shocked this didn't make big news locally. I was speaking with a guy from Oregon today and he said they legalized pot there July 1st 2015. Although smoking pot in public is still illegal in Oregon, the International Business Times is reporting that you can even take it on your carry on luggage for domestic flights within the state. Their referendum was November 2014.

I totally missed Alaska. CNN reported that Alaska legalized pot in February 2015. It has also been confirmed by Time Magazine. We all knew Colorado and Washington State voted yes while California voted no but Alaska and Oregon is new news. Once again just because they did doesn't mean we have to. California didn't. It's just news so to speak.

I'm not a big fan of the legalization of pot. Way too many people smoke way too much pot as it is. Teens shouldn't smoke pot and smoking pot while driving is insane. I do support the decriminalization of pot. Legalization of crack or crystal meth is complete social irresponsibility. We need to decriminalize pot so we have the resources to deal with hard drugs like crack and crystal meth. We need to arrest the crack dealers not the addicts. That is the New York model.

Fentanyl Fatality

The Abbotsford Police department is reporting that on June 30th at 2:40 AM a family member found found a woman in her mid twenties unresponsive on the floor and called 911. Attempts to resuscitate the victim failed and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Methylfentanyl was found in her system and is a likely contributing factor in her death. This is the second Fentanyl warning issued by the APD in 2015. Their previous warning was distributed on May 20, 2015.

Fentanyl is a bad drug just like the fake ecstasy (PMMA) they make now without sassafras. It's toxic and has resulted in a lot of fatalities. Stop the greed and stop the lies. There's a facebook group set up about the dangers of Fentanyl after another young fatality.

Quebec murder

CBC is reporting that Wednesday around 6:00 PM there was a shooting in Marieville, Quebec 30 kilometers east of Montreal. Two men were shot dead, one was injured. The slain men have been identified as Marcel Hémond and Michel l'italien. The injured man was identified as Eric Choquette.

"Quebec provincial police told reporters this afternoon they found the body of a man in a car about 45 minutes from where the shootings took place. An autopsy will need to be conducted to confirm the man's identity, but the Sûreté du Québec believes it is the body of the 59-year-old murder suspect, Daniel Massé." OK that's somewhat bizarre. They murdered their hit man after he did the job? Sounds a bit like the Christmas in Vancouver 1995.

Kelowna Homicide - Update

The Vancouver Province is reporting a homicide in Kelowna. Global is reporting that it was on Feedham Avenue in the Black Mountain area. Both reports refer to it was a targeted attack. Global is also reporitng that "A neighbour tells Global News the victim is Amardeep Singh Ahluwalia and that he had been tied up with zap straps before being killed. The neighbour also says the victim’s girlfriend, a nurse at the Kelowna hospital, was similarly restrained but not hurt. She escaped from the house and ran next door for assistance. The unconfirmed reports indicate the dead man was found face down in the bloodied kitchen and the home had been invaded and ransacked."

That is messed up. Global is also reporting that Daniel Garth Ruff, 62 was arrested Monday for the murder of 51 year old Warren Welters in Kelowna June 14th.

The Vancouver Province is also reporting a targeted home invasion in Surrey 1:30 AM Tuesday.

CBC is reporting that human remains found in an industrial complex near Whistler, B.C. June 14th have been identified as missing Australian teen Jake Brian Kermond.

Update: The Vancouver Province is reporting that the victim who was killed in this targeted attack, Amardeep Singh Ahluwalia, is the brother-in-law of B.C. MLA Amrik Virk. Same last name as Bobby Virk from the Bassi-Virk trial connected to drug trafficking in the BC Rail scandal.

Jeffrey Chang has died

The Vancouver Province is reporting that Jeffrey Chang has died in hospital after was found unresponsive after midnight in Pitt Meadows. Another baby is now going to grow up without their father. Tragic. A good looking young man who was loved by the mother of his child now dead. For what - greed. If you stop the greed, you stop the violence.

Kim Bolan is reporting that sources told the Vancouver Sun that his death is a suspected drug over dose. Although the Maple Ridge Times is reporting he was found inside the house unconscious, that is still very suspicious. Lars in Kelowna plead guilty to hitting someone over the head with a baseball bat in Halifax then injecting him with a lethal dose of cocaine. Larry Pace (Lars) served ten years for accessory to murder.

Jeff was shot in the hand during a drive by at a gas station in East Vancouver June 2014. The Vancouver Province and the Maple Ridge Times are both quoting Kim Bolan referring to Jeff as a member of the Wolf Pack. Kim Bolan was the one that made the reference at the shooting last year. It was timely because that weekend saw two rivals shot at.

Kim Bolan stated that Jeff was associated with the Wolf Pack and Thanh Tung Tran, who was also shot that weekend was "a long-time drug trafficker connected to Billy’s Crew and the Dhak brothers – known rivals of the Wolf Pack." OK so Billy's crew, that would be UN Billy who has also been charged in the Kelowna shooting that took out Jonathon Bacon.

I cringe whenever I hear the term Cub Pack. It refers to the Hells Angels association with the Bacon brothers who were responsible for the Surrey Six. No one in their right mind would want to be associated with that. Wolf Pack 81 was one of their gamer tags on X box live.

Satellite picture of BC Forest Fires

@NEWS1130Radio NASA's satellite image from today shows the huge smoke plume caused by the British Columbia fires. #Vancouver #Richmond #WestVan #NorthVan Fire Dept's getting flooded with hundreds of 911 calls reporting smoke. #Vancouver is not on fire.

News 1130 is reporting that An Air Quality Advisory has been issued for Metro Vancouver because of the smoke from wildfires outside our region. This is why Metro Vancouver should not build a garbage incinerator. The Fraser Valley is a valley. All the smoke lingers in the valley affecting the air quality for the whole region.

News 1130 is also reporting that One man was has minor cuts after a gunshot shattered his window in Surrey. Police believe it's was targeted. The investigation is ongoing.

Update: The forest fire thing is actually a bit creepy. After being sunny for so long we finally have some cloud cover. Only it's not clouds, it's a thin veil of smoke covering the whole sky. This morning on the way to work the sun looked reddish orange. The Vancouver Province is reporting that several of the fires have been started by cigarettes. The smoke in Whistler appears to be worse. The smoke there isn't high in the sky it's low and guests are wearing dust masks.

Moonlight paddle

Sunset at third beach last night before a moonlight paddle through English Bay to Granville Island. A peaceful respite from the cruel insanity that binds us. There's more to life than predatory greed. I guess that's not clouds in the sunset, that's smoke.

Three Canadian Hells Angels now face murder charges in Greece

Sadly, numerous media outlets have confirmed the victim's sister's report on this blog yesterday morning that the person three Canadian members of the Hells Angels beat into a coma in Greece last month has now died as a result of those injuries.

The Edmonton Journal is confirming my previous report that the two Edmonton members are Nick Dragich, who posed with Rob Ford when he was mayor of Toronto, and Dusty Swanson, a prospect from the Dirty Flu. Kim Bolan is confirming my previous report that it was the same Nick Dragich posing with Rob Ford on the Toronto Hells Angels web site. Kim Bolan is also reporting that the third Canadian member, a nomad from Red Deer Alberta, is Brent Koziak.