He also wants access to medallions such as “Thor’s Hammer” and “Phases of the Moon.”  Of course, taxpayers would foot the bill as prison authorities hunt down such esoteric items and provide them free of charge to LaPlante.  In addition, the prisoner wants outdoor space rather than the prison basement to perform Wiccan rituals, and a communal meal on feast days.

Do you sometimes wonder how far we should take religious freedom?

Read the entire story at Prisoner requests dragon’s blood for Wiccan faith on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

You may have heard about the storms that attacked our part of the world Wednesday night.  Numerous deaths and extensive damage resulted from at least three tornadoes.  More than 250 people were evacuated from one neighborhood.  Global news sources from England and beyond have reported on the tragedy.

Read the entire story at Trusting God in the storm on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Last week, during a speech at Lake Michigan College, the quarterback told the crowd how he sees his future: “What I want to do with my life is impacting lives.  When a kid in a hospital is fighting for his life and I’m trying to win a football game, what really matters?  This game isn’t as important as a lot of us make it out to be.  If I can give him a little bit of hope, I can do something that matters.  That’s what I want my legacy to be about.  That’s how I want to be remembered.”

Read the entire story at What Tim Tebow will do in the future on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

This is not the first time pressure has been brought against the Scouts on behalf of atheists.  The Freedom From Religion Foundation has petitioned President Obama to advocate for atheist Scouts.  A California bill would remove the BSA’s tax exempt status so long as it maintains its position on faith in God.  An editorial in The Washington Post criticized the Scouts for their faith requirement.

Read the entire story at Boy Scouts being pressured to accept atheists on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Now we’re learning that the list of criteria for additional scrutiny was not limited to the Tea Party.  Groups focused on government spending, government debt, taxes and education were also unfairly examined.  Even those focused on ways to “make America a better place to live” or criticizing “how the country is being run” were flagged.  It is noteworthy that groups with “progressive” in their name were not targeted similarly.

Read the entire story at IRS targeted conservative causes for scrutiny on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

One of the fastest-growing is in London.  Its leader asks, “Why is it that people who are atheists get married in a church?”  He then answers his question: “There is just something about these places, it’s a place of worship, where people have gone for more than 400 years and it’s the sort of place where your heart can rise up to those inspired things which is great.”  Here’s my question: What “inspired things” can their hearts “rise up to” if the God who inspired them doesn’t exist?

Read the entire story at My questions about atheist churches on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

In the midst of this physical war, Syrian Christians are facing something much darker—a spiritual war.  Christians in Syria have historically experienced a higher degree of freedom than in most other Middle Eastern countries.  Many of them have refused to denounce the Assad regime, fearing that extremists would replace the government and severely persecute religious minorities.  As a result, many of the rebels consider Christians to be loyal to Assad.

Read the entire story at Three ways to help persecuted Christians in Syria on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Yesterday afternoon, Jodi Arias was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Travis Alexander.  Arias claimed that she acted in self-defense, but he was found shot in the forehead and stabbed nearly 30 times, with his throat slit from ear to ear.  My focus this morning is not in the morbid details of the trial, which you can find anywhere on the Internet.  Rather, I’m interested in the fact that we’re so interested.

Read the entire story at Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

Amanda’s call wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a neighbor named Charles Ramsey.  He was in his home when he heard screaming coming from the nearby residence.  He later explained: “So I go over there . . . and I say, ‘Can I help?  What’s going on?  And she says, ‘I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been in this house a long time.  I want to leave right now.’”  After attempts to pry open the door failed, Ramsey kicked at it.  “Luckily . . . it was aluminum, it was cheap,” he said.  “And she climbed out . . . She went to my house, we called 911.”

Read the entire story at Kidnapped woman found alive 10 years later on the
Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

WELCOME TO DUMP DAY 2013 … This is a day that we stop to consider how blessed we are materially. A day we stop to be the “Good Samaritan” in the story Jesus told, choosing NOT to pass by on the other side of the road. We choose to help today. We choose to make a difference.

THIS is the day will WILL make a difference in the people who live, work and eat at the Tegucigalpa dump. They are the people of the dump. Dirty people. People who have names, lives, needs.

We are blessed people. We eat until we’re full. We don’t go to bed hungry. We live in homes that are MORE than adequate. We have an abundance of everything … food, clothing and “stuff.”  Please understand there’s nothing wrong with being blessed with material things, but not sharing what we have is wrong!  Just “realizing how blessed we are” is not enough. Feeling sorry for the hungry and the poor of this world is NOT what Jesus was looking for from us. Poor people don’t need our sympathy or our pity, they need our compassion. The same compassion that the Good Samaritan had, one that took action. For me to sit back and simply say, “How sad,” makes me no different than the Priest and Levite that passed on the other side.

So what are we going to do today?

Let’s give a little. Any amount would be great. Here are THREE ways to give. You can give via snail mail by sending your check to:

Honduras Hope

PO BOX 9222

Columbus MS, 39705 (attn: Dump Fund).

(This is a tax deductible donation)

Also give ONLINE,

You can give safely and securely online by going to Bread For A Hungry World’s website, and on the top right there’s a “Give to the Dump” donation button CLICK ON THE WORD “GIVE”. Bread for a Hungry World is helping partner in our work at the dump.  (This is also a tax deductible donation.)

I’ll also remind you that my PAYPAL BUTTON is always on this page, and while you’re welcome to use it, please understand that my Paypal is NOT going to be a tax deductible donation. So if you’re okay with that … go ahead and use it.

If you donate today, we’d love to keep a running total of donations. So if you don’t mind, leave a comment on this blog saying something like, “The Morgan family gives $100″, or your comment can be totally anonymous by not adding a name.  That’ll give us the ability to say, “We’re currently at … “

We have 2 giveaways this year…

• For a $30 donation will get you a new Dump Bracelet or new Dump Shirt … your choice. The ONLY way you can get it is by sending an email to “i.want.a.dump.band@gmail.com” and give us your address to send you one. Make sure you tell us if you want a bracelet or a t-shirt when you send that email.  There is a limited amount of these so pledge early in the day tomorrow.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” ~ Jesus

Thank you VERY much!