Nov 27, 2009

“To err is human, to forgive, canine” ~ Anonymous


PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

AP NEWS: BERRYVILLE , VA APRIL 5 2007

AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER INVOLVED IN INCIDENT WITH CHILD AT AKC EVENT

Police were called today to the Clarke County Fairgrounds to investigate an incident involving an American Stafforshire Terrier dog and a 9 year old child. The American Kennel Club sanctions the event, held by the Clarke County Kennel Club annually. Thousands of exhibitors and spectators attend yearly.

According to witnesses, the child was walking near the show rings unsupervised when she suddenly came face to face with the 70 lb American Staffordshire Terrier dog. The child threw her arms around the dog’s neck, reports say, when the unthinkable happened. The dog began enthusiastically licking the girl’s face as his tail wagged briskly.

“It was awful”, said one bystander, “there was nothing we could do. That dog was just giving that child every ounce of love he had and no one did a thing to stop it”.

Another witness, who took video of the event, said “This happens all the time, I don’t know how it hasn’t made the news before now”. One spectator, who declined to be named in this interview, told reporters, “The sounds were just heart wrenching, all that laughing and giggling. It made me smile so hard my face hurts. I plan to sue for pain and suffering”. The handler of the dog admits this is not the first time such an incident has occurred, and that the owners were “well aware of the stable, loving and patient temperament of this dog”. The owners were unavailable for comment.

Police state that the handler, who was noticeably unrepentant, was cited for Reckless Entertainment. The dog was given roasted chicken treats and was not taken into custody.

“To err is human, to forgive, canine” ~ Anonymous

Nov 10, 2009

Why fundamentalism will fail

The Boston Globe:

Why fundamentalism will fail

A seemingly unstoppable force is being undone from the inside

By Harvey Cox
November 8, 2009

IN 1910, A COHORT of ultra-conservative American Protestants drew up a list of non-negotiable beliefs they insisted any genuine Christian must subscribe to. They published these “fundamentals” in a series of widely distributed pamphlets over the next five years. Their catalog featured doctrines such as the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Christ, and his imminent second coming. The cornerstone, though, was a belief in the literal inerrancy of every syllable of the Bible, including in matters of geology, paleontology, and secular history. They called these beliefs fundamentals, and proudly styled themselves “fundamentalists” - true believers who feared that liberal movements like the social gospel and openness to other faiths were eroding the foundation of their religion. full article.