Topeka Looks For Suspect In Attempted Child Kidnapping

On January 13, at 5:45 PM, after getting dropped off by the school when their after school program was over, two sister, ages seven and eleven, were almost abducted in Topeka, Kansas by a man they had never met. He actually put his grubby hands on the younger of the two, and told them that he wanted to take them to "play barbies" (whatever he meant by that) with his child, and that he lives at the Rescue Mission. The girls both started to scream and attract attention, and luckily, the man was spooked enough to give up and run away. He has been described as white, in his late forties, with a medium build and short brown hair. He has a tattoo on the back of one of his hands. Anyone who might be able to identify this person or who saw the incident is asked to call Crimestoppers at 785-234-0007.

Perhaps it's time for USD380 in Frankfort and Centralia, Kansas to establish a protocol for situations involving children who go missing after school.

Rescue Missions

I have never been a fan of Christian organizations of any kind, but lately, Rescue Missions have stepped up their level of cruelty. There are homeless people whose issues exceed the expertise of the average shelter volunteer, but would the mythical Jesus Icon have split up a family, thrown them out of the shelter, and left two parents and a five year old boy with no place to sleep? Why did they harm a woman in her seventies, making it impossible for her to work or attend classes? Are her pursuits not important to Rescue Missions? If demoralizing and otherwise harming those who happen to be vulnerable for one reason or another is the method of choice to further one's own agenda, consider the information publicized.

A Silly Christian And An Efficient Rattlesnake

I always think I've heard it all until the next truly goofy thing I hear about. This is no different: while I used to live in West Virginia and have always been aware that there are Pentacostals in West Virginia who like to tease rattlesnakes during their church services, I pretty much ignored them most of the time. But this past Sunday, a Pentacostal pastor got bitten and died. Totally stupid.

The late Reverend Mark Wolford belongs to a sect that takes this verse in the New Testament, translated in English, at face value with no consideration or thought:  "Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Now; Christians who encourage alcoholics to go ahead and drink because they have been "cured", ( Damascus Christian Community, Damascus Maryland) and who tell people with food allergies that it is safe to eat the stuff to which they are allergic because if a person is truly faithful, Jesus will cure the food allergy, ( Damascus Christian Community and Frederick Maryland Rescue Mission) are evil enough, but if my child visited a church where wild animals were teased and provoked during a church service, and got attacked by one of them, (one of the snakes, not one of the Christians) I'd never want to be reminded of that religion again. Actually, I hate being reminded of Christianity already, but this would make me hate it more. And this "laying on of hands" to heal; do they tell diabetics and people with TB that they no longer need their medications? Do they tell schizophrenics not to take their medications?

One more thing about using snakes in the church service to make Jesus happy.......why is Jesus happy when innocent animals are teased? And why would anyone who is truly spiritual and inspired want to use an unwilling participant in any service or ritual? The snake had obviously not converted, otherwise, he would not have bitten the pastor! Or am I asking for too much logic here?

Does the obvious contradiction of the rattlesnake bite killing the pastor despite the misleading interpretation of one verse in Saint Mark's gospel mean that the pastor's faith was all in vain, or nonexistant?