July | 2011 | Kristenmomof3's Xanga Site

Are you comfortable with the size of your house?

In developed countries family size has been generally shrinking, in some countries family homes have grown in size, notably in the United States where the average size of new single family homes grew from 1,780 square feet in 1978 to 2,479 square feet in 2007.

I think that is crazy. There are so many people paying to heat rooms that they never use or many uses once every blue moon all as a status symbol or because they “need” the room. When my grandmother was a child no one would have ever thought that she “needed” her own room. They lived in a farm house with her parents and 12 brothers and sisters. They only needed 3 bedrooms. One for the boys, one for the girls and one for the parents.

The advantages of a small home exceed basic economics; such houses change the way people live and are attractive for people who want to lead a less cluttered and complicated life.

Why do people think they need so much more room now then they did 100 years ago?

Blessings of a small place…
1. Fewer places for things to get lost.
2. You can sweep quicker
3. The heating bill is lower.
4. No room for furniture you can’t afford anyway.
5. Families spend more time together

What Do You Think?

#Texas #Governor Rick Perry plans to hold a giant #Prayer-and-Fasting thing to fix our nation’s problems on August 6th at Reliant Stadium. He’s invited several other governors to join him, though only a couple have accepted. The event is being hosted by the #American Family Association, anti-gay organization considered a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

For those who are not yet aware of the #AFA‘s attitude on gays, please watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysR0Tdz5SaM

The #prayer event is scheduled to take place at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX on August 6th 2011 from 10am-6pm with an early morning worship service starting at 8:30am. It is a Holy-Roller-Only event intent on telling people that Texas is a #Christian state intent on purging itself of “evil” (i.e. everyone else).

This is a violation of the #separation of #Church and #state. The event itself is being promoted by Gov. Perry in his official capacity as an elected official, starting at his official Gov’s website. He’s also invited the governors from the other 49 states to come to this event, and take part. Obviously this will be a VERY government-related and promoted event.

Gov. Perry has repeatedly and proudly violated church/state separation on several issues, all throughout his time as governor. Recently he’s done this in the form of two religious proclamations, one asking Texans to pray for rain, and the other asking Americans to pray. He’s also worked tirelessly against public education, and it seems more than obvious that he’s doing all that work to benefit religion. Whenever a public school has to close or cut down on the number of enrolled students for some reason, private schools in the area get new customers. Most private schools are religious schools and most of them are run by mainstream religious denominations. If anyone is the winner in all of this education slashing, it’s Perry and Christianity in general.

The prayer event is being put on by the #American-Family-Association, which is considered to be a hate group. Lately the AFA has thrown out so much hate speech against #gays and people who support the separation of church and state.

Rick Perry’s Prayerapalooza: Protests Start To Simmer
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/06/rick_perrys_prayerapalooza_pro.php

Perry’s proclamation draws national attention, incites criticism from non-Christians
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2011/06/09/perry%E2%80%99s-proclamation-draws-national-attention-incites-criticism-non-christians

Church/State groups ask Texas governor to stop promoting religious events
http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-los-angeles/church-state-groups-ask-texas-governor-to-stop-promoting-religious-events

Church-state separation, LGBT-rights groups respond to Gov. Perry’s ‘The Response’
http://www.americanindependent.com/187278/church-state-separation-lgbt-rights-groups-respond-to-gov-perrys-the-response

Texas Governor Rick Perry cozies up to the AFA
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/06/rick-perry.html

What’s Brewing: Gov. Perry’s Day of Prayer linked to Uganda bill calling for execution of gays
http://www.dallasvoice.com/brewing-hrc-ties-perrys-day-prayer-ugandas-death-gays-legislation-1079199.html

American Atheists’ press release on this event:
http://www.atheists.org/press_releases/atheist_group_denounces_perry_
ATHEIST GROUP DENOUNCES PERRY PRAYER FEST, CALLS FOR PROTESTS AGAINST “POLITICIZED RELIGION”
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
http://www.atheists.org/
June 14, 2011
For Immediate Release

Dave Silverman , President 732-648-9333
Joe Zamecki, Texas State Director 512-758-0060
Blair Scott, Communications Director 256-701-6265

ATHEIST GROUP DENOUNCES PERRY PRAYER FEST, CALLS
FOR PROTESTS AGAINST “POLITICIZED RELIGION”

An #atheist civil rights group is suggesting that Gov. Rick Perry
of Texas should read his Christian Bible, specifically Matthew 6:6
which orders the faithful:

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Perry, a possible hopeful for the GOP presidential nomination,
is organizing a massive “prayer and fasting” event for August
6, 2011 at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. The project is
endorsing the platform of the American Family Association, and is
described by Perry as an “apolitical Christian prayer service”
to provide “spiritual solutions to the many problems we face in
our communities, states and nation.” Perry has challenged leading
politicians, including many Republican candidates vying for their
party’s nomination, to show up for this public display of piety.

“This is not a prayer service, it’s a political rally draped in
public religiosity,” said David Silverman, President of American
Atheists. “It’s a signal to government leaders and politicians
everywhere that if they want votes, they must bow down to the
religious right and adopt its social agenda.”

Silverman added: “This is the perfect epitome of a government
official using religion for political gain. It was bad governance
that allowed America to slip into this recession, and only good
governance, not imaginary gods, that will get us out. We invite
all religious and nonreligious Americans to tell Governor Perry
to concentrate on real solutions to our real problems, instead of
diversions and dogma. “

Joe Zamecki, Texas State Director for American Atheists, said that
atheists, freethinkers, secularists and even religious people who
disagree with Gov. Perry’s pulpit-politics will be protesting on Saturday, August 6 near the Reliant Stadium.

“We have no problem with the governor saying a private prayer,”
said Mr. Zamecki, “But by turning this into a political event,
Perry is insulting

the over 3,000,000 residents in the Lone Star state who profess ‘no
religion,’ and many more who are not Protestant evangelicals. He is
supposed to be governor of all the people, not the State Preacher.”

Zamecki emphasized that the August 6 peaceful protest is open to
all who support the separation of church and state

More information on the #protest can be found at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177641222294542

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil
rights for non-believers; works for the total separation of
church-mosque-temple and State; and addresses issues of First
Amendment public policy.)