“So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforters; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforters” (Ecclesiastes 4:1). Do me a favor and read this passage again. Are you surprised to find this in the Bible? Sounds like today, doesn’t it? it is about the oppressed and the oppressor. Human nature hasn’t changed much. The world has always had its oppressors. And where there are oppressors there will be the oppressed. What are the oppressed doing in the above verse? They are shedding tears. Why? They had no comforters, but on the side of the oppressors there was power. Still the same.

The policies of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have had a tremendous affect on farming in our country. Their funding go to further the research at land grant colleges (like UT), and the advice is disseminated through the county extension programs. The way most farms are run is a direct result of this information.

Agriculture before the 20^th century depended upon healthy soil. Farmers knew how to keep their soils light and fluffy, rich in humus and capable of long-term production. All farms had animals for power and food, and the waste products were composted to keep the land fertile.

The Tennesseean carried on its front page Friday this headline; “Tenn. approves Bible curriculum.” The state says it has developed a Bible curriculum that it hopes will avoid legal pitfalls. Beginning next fall, Tennessee high schools that want to offer “Bible for an elective social study credit will have a state approved guideline to do so. As expected, Hedy Weinberg, director of ACLU in Tennessee responded in somewhat of a suspicious and negative manner.

Some high schools in Tennessee already offer Bible as an elective and have their own curriculum. The problem I see with this new state curriculum comes from Kent Richards, Old Testament professor at Emory University, who assisted in developing Tennessee’s Bible guidelines, and who says that the teachers must not take the position “That the Bible is the only road to take.” Is Mr. Richards taking the position that the Islamic Koran is as good as the Bible? The Bible is the guide-the only guide for Christianity. The Koran rejects the Bible and Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Any teacher of the Bible is just one several guides to Christianity would be taking a false position. It doesn’t make sense to teach students the Bible, then turn around and tell them that there are many other reads to Christianity.

I’m on a No. Ca. diet. That’s short for Northern California, which is where I visited my family last week. Brother Mark took me on a trip up to Medicino County, complete with   giant redwood trees, ocean cliffs, hot springs, vineyards, and biodynamic farms. I spent several days with my cousin, Sue, and enjoyed a meal with my niece, Bianca, Sue’s son Aubrey and his new family.

The first stop was Frey Vineyard, the first organic winery in California, where a biodynamic conference was held. We learned about a method of scientific research based on observation, mental representation, silent contemplation, and data recording. The subtle processes in nature reveal themselves through forms. Clearly picturing in our minds what we observe, and then being silent, opens up pathways for new insights.

The layers in a leaf cell and the membranes of animal organs can be compared to a battery. These are made up of alternating layers of materials, creating electrical potential, which is used for energy. We learned that microcosmic forms mirror macrocosmic one, such as the way atoms move like galaxies in the same vortexes we also notice in water and plant growth.

Way to go Massachusetts! You weren’t voting for the Republicans. You were voting against Obama’s destructive policies. You have lit the torch and it will be passed on to others. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If all of us will follow the example of Massachusetts, then we can take back our country.

Never has there been a time in which more Americans are alarmed about the future of our country.