President Obama Sings "Amazing Grace"

At the memorial held at Emanuel African Methodist Church for the Bible study members murdered by a white supremacist, United States President Barack Obama sang the hymn, "Amazing Grace."

The Confederate Flag

During the memorials for the members of the Bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina who were murdered by a white supremacist, the media's attention suddenly shifted to the flag of the Confederate States of America. The killer was seen in several photos with a Confederate flag and suddenly the national discussion shifted to the removal of that flag from all public places. Why suddenly now? Why not ten years earlier? Why not fifty years earlier? The flag was surely just as offensive then. The effect of the focus on the flag was to shove the Bible study class to the side.

Some say the Confederate flag represents racial hatred. Some say the Confederate flag represents a remembrance of the Southern heritage and history. It probably represents both. The Confederate flag belongs in a museum. We must acknowledge our history, learn from it, and never forget any of it.

Having said that, I believe that the Confederate flag discussion is an intentional distraction from what was and is happening in Charleston. One by one, the family members of the murdered people publicly announced that they forgave the killer. Thousands of Christians gathered daily at the church to pay their respects to the victims and to publicly declare their allegiance to Jesus. The woman who noticed the killer in a town several hundred miles away said that she believed that God placed her there to see the man and to aid in his capture. She publicly praised Jesus and declared her testimony. The public gatherings began to happen in other cities as well.

I believe that this phenomenon made non-believers extremely uncomfortable because they absolutely could not understand it. When someone hurts you, you are supposed to hurt them back! Isn't that what our culture teaches us? How can you forgive someone who has killed one of your family members?
I say, "Good for them! Obey the Lord!" We Christians should make the world uncomfortable.

Another Update on the Karen Shahan Murder Case

The Karen Shahan Murder investigation just continues to become more and more bizarre.  The case has not yet gone to trial so more information will probably follow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541359/Pastor-53-arrested-airport-stabbing-wife-death-heading-Europe-marry-boyfriend.html

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2014/01/richard_shahan_allegations_abo.html

Update on the Karen Shahan Murder

There has been a frustrating lack of updates about the investigation into the  23 July, 2013 murder of Karen Shahan, the wife of Richard Shahan, who is now the former Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama (USA).  At first, the cause of death was not released to the public, but it appears to have been the result of multiple stab wounds.  Also, Pastor Shahan’s status with the church was not publicized; he was on “leave.”  It has now become known that he is the former Associate Pastor of the church.

Some facts which have been released to the public: 1. There were no indications of forced entry, 2. Pastor Shahan insisted that he was out of town at the time of the murder, 3. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds, 4. Mrs. Shahan was not known to have any enemies, 5. There was apparently no theft of property from the murder site, 6.  Richard Shahan voluntarily went to the police station to answer questions and was held there for two days for what the police called “investigative purposes.”  He was released with no charges being filed and without him being officially named as a suspect in the killing. 

On 1 January 2014, Pastor Richard Shahan was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) while attempting to board a flight bound for Germany.  From Germany, the trip was to have continued to Kazakhtan.  Shahan insisted that he was leaving on a mission trip.  Legal extradiction proceedings have begun for his return to Alabama.  He has been officially charged with murder.

When more information is available it will be posted on this blog.

What They Think of Us: Christmas Themed Horror Films

Below is an alphabetical list of some, but not all, of the Christmas themed horror films.  Most of these films are either set at Christmas time or feature a homicidal maniac dressed as Santa Claus.  In a few cases, the homicidal killer IS Santa Claus.  The list is by no means exhaustive.

Santa Claus is not actually a Christian religious symbol even though many people think that he is.  He is, of course, based very loosely on Nicholas of Myra, a very generous 4^th century bishop in Turkey.  Santa Claus is an increasingly secularized generic symbol of cheer, goodwill, and sharing with others.

These films demonstrate more than anything else a disrespect for the Christmas holiday.  Some express outright contempt.  Depending on the exact nature of their content, some of them may be blasphemous.

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2009)

Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas (2006)

Bloody Christmas (2012)

A Cadaver Christmas (2011)

Child’s Play (1988)

Christmas Evil (1980)

Christmas Nightmare (2001)

The Christmas Season Massacre (2001)

Christmas Slay (2014)

A Christmas Tale (2010)

Christmas With the Dead (2012)

The City of Lost Children (1995)

Day of the Beast (1995)

Deadly Little Christmas (2009)

Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)

Elves (1980)

Feeders 2: Slay Bells (1998)

Gremlins (1984)

Initiation: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990)

Jack Frost (1997)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Night Train Murders (1975)

One Hell of a Christmas (2002)

Ornaments (2008)

Psycho Santa (2003)

Rare Exports (2010)

Saint (2010)

Saint Nick (2011)

Santa Claus (1959)

Santa Claus and Merlin Battle Satan (1959)

Santa Claws (1996)

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Silent Night (2012)

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974)

Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming (2013)

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2 (1987)

Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy maker (1991)

Silent Night of the Living Dead (in development)

Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009)

Tales From the Crypt (1972)

To All a Good Night (1980)

Two Front Teeth (2006)

Wind Chill (2007)

Three really oddball films:

Bad Santa (2003) This (and its unrated version, Badder Santa) sounds like a horror film but is actually a highly vulgar comedy.

Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas (2010) A drug comedy.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) A children’s film featuring the first film appearance of the legendarily bad actress, Pia Zadora.

Update on the Murder of a Birmingham Pastor's Wife

Karen Shahan, the wife of Richard Shahan, Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham (Alabama, USA) was found murdered on 23 July 2013 in her home.

http://saintsontheloose.blogspot.com/2013/07/pastors-wife-found-murdered.html

There have been almost no updates forthcoming from the police.  The husband, Richard, voluntarily went to the police station to answer questions and was held there for two days for what the police called “investigative purposes.”  Pastor Shahan was released with no charges being filed and without being officially named as a suspect in the killing.  The church has place him on administrative leave “to give him time and space to focus on his family and healing at this time.”

Many of those involved in the situation have become quite frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in the case.  The Senior Pastor, Charles T. Carter, has told his church members that it is acceptable to ask questions and to express doubts and frustrations. “Asking questions is not a lack of faith.”

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/08/its_ok_to_ask_questions_interi.html

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/08/the_rev_richard_shahan_jailed.html

http://topics.al.com/tag/Karen%20Louise%20Shahan/posts.html

http://www.cbs42.com/2013/08/10/update-pastor-takes-administrative-leave-after-wifes-murder/

Pastor's Wife Found Murdered

Karen Shahan, the wife of pastor Richard Shahan, was found murdered in her home in Homewood, Alabama (USA) on 23 July, 2013.  Richard Shahan is the Children and Families Pastor at The First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama.  The police are not releasing any information about the case at this time.  When more information is available it will be posted on this blog.

First Baptist Church was an important player in the civil rights struggle in Birmingham in the Civil Rights Era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s.  The Baptist Church of the Covenant split from First Baptist  in 1970, primarily over whether or not to admit Winifred and Twyla Bryant, who are black, as members of the church. Read the history of the controversy in the links below.

http://fbcbirmingham.org/

http://www.bcoc.net/templates/System/details.asp?id=43147&PID=579177

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/First_Baptist_Church_of_Birmingham

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Baptist_Church_of_the_Covenant

http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Temple_Emanu-El

Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest

Read about the Ariel Castro kidnapping case in these links.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/ariel-castro-had-ropes-an_n_3237412.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/castro-berry-cleveland/2140619/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57583428/ariel-castro-cleveland-kidnapping-suspect-helped-look-for-missing-girl/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320564/Ariel-Castro-pictured-Suspect-Amanda-Berry-Gina-DeJesus-Michelle-Knight-kidnap-arrested--BROTHERS.html

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/tv_station_reports_berry_dejes.html

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/05/16/letter-asks-prosecutor-to-charge-ariel-castro-over-five-forced-abortions/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/05/10/ariel-castro-cleveland-kidnapping-rape-charges.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57583620/michelle-knight-told-cops-ariel-castro-threatened-to-kill-her-if-amanda-berrys-baby-died/
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/0510/Could-Ariel-Castro-be-tried-for-murder-Case-would-be-unprecedented

The prosecutor in this horrible case is about to stir up a hornet’s nest.  Ariel Castro stands accused of kidnapping three women and holding them against their wills for ten years.  He repeatedly raped and sexually abused all three, impregnating two of them.  One of the women was impregnated five times.  Castro ended each of the five pregnancies by starving and beating the woman.  One child, now six years old, was born to another of the hostages.

Abortion and the question of when a fetus officially becomes human are sharply divisive issues in the United States at this time.  There are already arguments beginning over whether Castro’s termination of the pregnancies constituted feticide or homicide.  If the killings are declared to have been homicides, then Castro is eligible for the death penalty.  But, if the killings are declared to have been homicides, then the fetuses will have been declared to have been human.  Obviously, for supporters of abortion rights, this just will not be acceptable.

This places the abortion supporters into a tight spot.  Virtually everyone is agreed that Castro’s crimes against the three women (they were still legally children when he abducted them) are heinous and evil.  Abortion supporters may be forced into a corner where they have to downplay the seriousness of some of Castro’s crimes.  It is a corner of their own making.

This is, of course, a religious issue, but I believe that an atheist could come to the same conclusion that I have: the killings of the fetuses were murders.

Film Comment: The Road to Perdition

"My father's only fear was that his son would follow the same road ...," the road to perdition.  The word "perdition" is of Indo-European origin through Latin.  The main idea of the word is "loss."  In Christian theology, the word is used of loss of the soul, eternal damnation, utter ruin, and destruction.  It can be seen as a synonym for Hell.

The film, The Road to Perdition (1998), is set in Depression era 1931 and tells the story of Michael Sullivan,  a crime mob hit man, a paid assassin, whose son accidentally witnesses one of his murders.  The mob bosses are not pleased and want the boy killed so that he cannot tell anyone.  The killer dearly loves his son and takes steps to protect him.

Based on a black and white graphic novel (comic book), this excellent and suspenseful film stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as the hit man and is loaded with other top level actors: Stanley Tucci, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, and Paul Newman.)  The story is concurrently loving, tender, violent, and depressing.

The film is based on the idea of "the sins of the fathers," a biblical concept.  We teach our children how to act by our example.  Even if we do not wish for our children to follow our example, our actions do not affect only us but can have effects on our families and friends for generations.  Often, once they are set in motion, the consequences of our actions cannot be avoided.

Feticide Laws

On Tuesday, 23 October 2012, police in Walker, Louisiana (USA) responded to a 911 call to find that a man, possibly under the influence of psychoactive drugs, had stabbed his seven month pregnant wife and cut the baby out of her body.  There is an unconfirmed report that the child was stabbed in the head. 

The mother survived but the baby died.  The father has been charged with one charge of feticide and one charge of attempted second degree murder.  Second degree murder is a non-premeditated killing from an attack so dangerous that a result of death is a real possibility.

Thirty-eight of the fifty United States recognize the “unborn child” as a human homicide victim.  The laws vary in their details, with some covering differing periods of a pregnancy.

In 2004, then United States President George W. Bush signed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act which views unborn children as humans if they are injured or killed during the commission of a list of specific federal crimes, including terrorism.

The United States courts have declared that these laws do not apply to legal abortions.  My question is, “Why not?”  Is the only difference that the murdered child is wanted and the aborted child is not? 

Ethical Complicity

It should be emphatically pointed out to those who use illegal mind-altering substances that they are ethically complicit in all the crimes committed to get their drugs into their possession: smuggling, beatings, theft, extortion, bribery, and murder. And those who binge drink need to be constantly reminded of the horrible results of binge drinking: cirrhosis, fetal injury or death, domestic violence, broken family relationships, body-mangling automobile accidents and other emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual carnage.

An Armed Man Walks Into Your Church ...

Last Sunday a man armed with an assault rifle and multiple other weapons walked into a church service in Fairhope Alabama (USA) and sat down, with his wife, in one of the pews.  Naturally this stirred some alarm among the congregation and someone used their cell phone to notify the local police.

The man was arrested and carried to the local jail, but his wife was not charged.  The man was found to have controlled drugs in his possession and had numerous other unregistered weapons in his home.

How would your church respond, especially if the man had begun to shoot?  What about armed men attempting to steal the morning’s collections?

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/jul/02/6/armed-daphne-man-arrested-church-ar-4073647/

The case has caused a lot of discussion.  Here are some of the opinions:

1.     Armed guards should be posted at the doors of the church.

2.     There should be no armed guards, but the church members should carry concealed weapons.

3.     The church should affirm its refusal to allow weapons within its premises.

4.     The church should provide self-defense classes.

5.     The church should discuss the issue and decide on evacuation routes and defensive measures.

6.     Arming the church will probably result in accidental shootings.

7.     Totally banning weapons may result in legal challenges.

8.     Do we really want to kill someone in our church?

9.     Does the Christian have a right to self-defense?

10. Would church members reject being “saved” by an armed security guard?

11. It is better to have an electronic security and alarm system than an armed guard.

12. Should Christians be entirely pacifist?

13. Is there a difference between “murder” and “kill”?

14. Could not fifty unarmed men (or women) overpower one man with a gun?

15. 2 Corinthians 2:10

16. Should we fear man or fear God? Proverbs 29:25

17. We are called to be an example of Jesus.

18. Jesus was never armed.

What do you think? 

Film Comment: At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul

Jose Mojica Marins (b. 1936, Brazil) is a director/actor of what would be known in the United States as independent, non-studio films, and is credited with producing the first Brazilian horror films.  Marins’ entire life has revolved around films; his father ran a movie house in Sao Paulo and the family lived in an apartment above the theater.

Though he has made and appeared in many other films, Marins is almost exclusively known for one recurring character, Ze do Caixao (Coffin Joe), who is always portrayed by Marins.  The character is so popular that he has appeared in films, on television,  in comic books, and in documentaries.  Mentions of Coffin Joe occur in numerous songs, magazine articles, and film reference books.  He even has been parodied in the short film, The Blind Date of Coffin Joe. (2008)

Coffin Joe is the embodiment of the amoral man dedicated to one thing and one thing only, himself.  Joe first appears in the 1964 film,  A Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma (At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul).  The film will not be confused with Citizen  Kane but is undeniably powerful.

There is an almost constant stream of eerie background noises, including ominous music, screams, animal sounds, and echoes.  The feeling of the film is quite intense and aggressive, pushing itself at you.  Just like Coffin Joe himself.

You Tube appears to have blocked this video.  Try this link instead.

Coffin Joe is an undertaker in a small, very superstitious town in rural Brazil.  Joe is a sadistic and brutal man who believes in nothing and enjoys the fear, disgust, and open hatred shown to him by the townspeople.  He believes himself to be infinitely superior to  all of them, For him, they exist only for his pleasure and for the accomplishment of his desires.  They are his slaves and he brutalizes them to force their obedience to him.

The one thing that Joe wants above all else is immortality, to be remembered forever.  Since he does not believe in God or the Devil and knows that he will eventually die, Joe decides that his name must live forever; in order to ensure “the continuity of blood” he decides that he must have a son, a perfect son.

To produce a perfect son, Joe is willing to commit murder, rape, torture, or any other brutality.  He is the totality of everything which is evil about the self.

The Christian view is that the self is the problem.  The Bible assumes that everyone loves themselves and it never says that we should hate ourselves.  What it does say is that we should love others as we love ourselves.  Romans 13:9-10, John 13:34-35, Colossians 3:12, Philippians 2:3, 1 Peter 5:5, James 3:13-18, 4:7.

Instead of prosperity (the heretical doctrine of the Prosperity Gospel), the Bible promises that we can expect opposition even from our own families and sometimes, persecution.  Matthew 10:34, 16:24-25.

Film Comment: The Bad Seed

Maxwell Anderson's broadway play, The Bad Seed, has been filmed three times; the 1956 original, a 1963 version made in Turkey, and a made-for-television 1985 film.

The 1956 original looks like a staged play because it is directly based on the Broadway production and features the cast of the stage version.  This gives the film a very claustrophobic feel, a good thing in a classic horror film.

To her horror, a loving mother (Nancy Kelly) slowly comes to the ghastly realization that, Rhoda, her cute little eight year old daughter (Patty McCormack) is a cold-blooded psychopathic killer.  Though she loves her daughter and her daughter obviously loves and trusts her, she decides that the only way to stop the murders and to spare the little girl a life in detention, is to kill her child.

All the violence in this film is offscreen and we never see the aftermath of Rhoda's murders.  We only see her blonde pigtails and her cute smile.  This is evil masquerading as innocence.  The Bible describes Satan as beautiful (Isaiah 14:13,14, Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4).  If he were hideous or frightening we would run from him.  He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
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Similarly themed films: Devil Times Five, Bloody Birthday, The Good Son, Bad Ronald, The Omen, The Children

What They Think of Us: Brief Bible Blunders #10

This is a video posted on You Tube in which an anti-Christian laughs at our "stupidity." He (she?) thinks this is a "gotcha" in which Jesus contradicts Himself. Well .... no.


In the first Bible quotation (Matthew 5:21-22), Jesus does one of His "but I say ..." clarifications in which He equates belligerent and belittling behavior toward another person with murder. Jesus took the Hebrew Scriptures and traditions and reinterpreted them. He placed His statements on a par with them. This is one of the reasons the Jews of his time thought He was a blasphemer. Only God could do what He did.


In the second quotation (Matthew 23:17), Jesus calls a group of religious leaders "fools." Did he violate his prior statement? If He was, as the world believes, just a man, yes. If he was, as Christians believe, fully Man and fully God, then, no. He was merely speaking the truth as He did in other situations.

"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke 12:20

Good Can Come From Tragedy

Regardless of anyone's opinion on the death penalty (and sincere Christians worldwide are divided on the issue), a beautiful thing happened during the 16 June 2011 execution of Eddie Duval Powell at the prison in Atmore, Alabama (USA).  Duval was executed for the brutal 1995 rape, sodomy, and murder of seventy-year-old Mattie Wesson during a home robbery.

Duval died by lethal injection, holding the prison chaplain’s hand.  Before the execution, he was described as talkative and calm.

Executions in Alabama may be observed by the victim's family and by the family of the person being executed.  Before the procedure began, Duval turned his head toward the observation room and said, "I would like to say I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused to my family and the victim's family. I've made peace with myself and God and hope everyone can move on from this situation." 

"While nothing can ever replace our Mother, Mother-in-law, Grandmother or Aunt, or replace the times we've missed, we take comfort in knowing that justice has been served in this case.  We would like to offer our condolences to the family of Mr. Powell. We truly understand the grief they are experiencing. It is our prayer that Mr. Powell has found forgiveness from our Lord Jesus and that he will spend eternity in Heaven."  The statement was signed by Mrs. Wesson’s sons and their family members.

There are consequences for actions, but even in horrible situations there can be forgiveness and redemption.

“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10

Go Ahead! Poke Me!

The other day I saw a rather corpulent young man wearing a tee shirt bearing the image of the Pillsbury Doughboy and the slogan, "Go Ahead!  Poke Me!"  The Doughboy is an advertising icon for the Pillsbury Company, a company which sells pastries, rolls, bread, etc.  In commercials featuring him, a finger pokes him in his round belly and he giggles.

That's not what the young man I saw had in mind.  From the scowl on his face it was obvious that he was daring someone, anyone, to say something about his size.   He looked as if he were carrying around a cloud of hostility, a  pervasive dark attitude, simmering belligerence.

The Bible doesn't deny the emotion of anger, Jesus became angry; His anger was Holy and justified.  The Bible does have something to say about unreasoning generalized bile and about true ill-wishing directed at another person.

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Matthew 5:21-22.


.................................................................
Concerning "Raca ," the word means "empty head," something like "idiot" or "stupid."

A Little Fable

I believe that "A Little Fable" is in the public domain.  If I am in error on this I will remove it immediately.

A Little Fable, by Franz Kafka.

""Alas," said the mouse, "the whole world is growing smaller every day.  At the beginning it was so big that I was afraid, I kept running and running, and I was glad when at last I saw walls far away to the right and left, but these long walls have narrowed so quickly that I am in the last chamber already, and there in the corner stands the trap that I must run into." "You only need to change your direction," said the cat, and ate it up."

When I was in college, there was a student there, a very free-spirited girl, who had a reputation for never missing a party.  She was friendly, never met a stranger, and everyone liked her.  Then, one day, she disappeared.

Eventually, her body was found and her murder was linked to a serial killer after one of his victims was able to escape.

Everyone was talking about the case.  When the idea was advanced that the girl contributed to her own murder by the situations in which she placed herself, one person became incensed.  "You're saying that she deserved to be raped and murdered!"  Others insisted that no, she did not deserve to be raped and murdered, but she did place herself into dangerous situations which she could have avoided if she had chosen to do so.

We sometimes create our own boxes, our own mazes, our own traps, our own prisons.  There is an old Southern saying (I've "cleaned it up" for this blog), "If you walk in the sewer, you will get sewage on your shoes."

We all make many choices and each choice we make in a particular direction, good or bad, makes it easier to make the next choice in the same direction.  It also makes it less likely that we will turn around and go back the way we came. (Remember our old friend, μετάνοιά/repentance, from the 9 February 2011 post?)

Each bad choice we make can limit our future choices and we can paint ourselves into a corner.  This is an American idiom which calls to mind the image of a man with a can of red paint who begins painting the floor as soon as he enters a room.  When he reaches the far corner of the room, the only way out is to walk back across the wet red paint.

The foolish mouse in "A Little Fable" made poor choices, increasingly boxing itself into one particular direction.  When it finally realized its error, it turned around, and there was the cat.

Bible Printer's Errors: The Murderer's Bible

Proofreading is very important.  Sometimes one word changes the entire meaning of a passage.  The Bible edition known to collectors as the Murderer's Bible (1801) is an example to prove the point.

WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE SAID: 

 "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." Jude 1:16

WHAT IT SAID:

"These are murderers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." Jude 1:16

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Mark David Chapman: (b. 1955, Texas) Chapman murdered former Beatle John Lennon in New York City on 8 December 2010.  He is incarcerated in Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York.

Richard David Falco: (b. 1953, New York; aka: David Richard Berkowitz, Son of Sam; .44 Caliber Killer) American serial killer and arsonist.  Between July 1976 and August 1977, he shot and killed six persons and severely injured several others, for which he received a 365 year prison sentence.  In 1987, he became a born-again Christian after reading Psalm 34:6. ("This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.")
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Pe Maung Tin: b. 1888, Burma – d. 1973) Pali and Buddhism scholar, educator, journal editor, librarian, writer, grammarian, and historian.  Anglican.

Tin Tin Myaing: (aka: Brenda Tin) Daughter of Pe Maung Tin.  French language scholar, librarian.  She lives in London.

Pu Thuam Hang:  Pu was a Chief of Khuasak and was the first convert  (1905) among the Zomi (Chin) in Chin State, Burma.