News Flash — OKC City Council Elections — MAPS = Tower of Babel

So says the spiritual leader of city council candidates Adrian Van Manen & Clifford Hearron, his church's candidates for Wards 6 and Ward 8 city council elections just 3 days from now.

Their spiritual leader is Tom Vineyard, pastor of the Windsor Hills Baptist Church. In an unsolicited letter to and published in the the February 25, 2011, Oklahoman, he said,

I'm glad that Van Manen and Hearron are focusing upon bolstering our police and fire departments. If you study the Bible, you'll see that God instituted human government in order to protect and defend, not to burden citizens with higher taxes to fund projects not necessary to maintaining peace and safety. OKLAHOMA CITY RESIDENTS WOULD BE WISE TO REMEMBER THAT THE FIRST 'MAPS PROJECT' IN HUMAN HISTORY ENDED WITH GOD CONFUSING THE LANGUAGES AT THE TOWER OF BABEL.

HOLY SHIT! Does that mean that downtown MAPS projects are the equivalent of the Tower of Babel, and that we are on the verge of losing our ability to communicate with each other in Oklahoma City? My friends will no longer understand my language, and I will no longer be able to understand theirs? Sweet Jesus, say that it isn't so.


Credit for the animation in the above goes to Messed-Up Bible Stories.

For reference, the full text of Vineyard's letter to the editor and the King James Version (the only acceptable Bible at Windsor Hills Baptist Church, according to its website) of Genesis, Ch. 11, v. 1-9, which picks up after God destroyed all life but for the people, critters, and bugs that were in Noah's ark, are both shown below.

Vineyard's Letter History's first 'MAPS' project was the Tower of Babel Oklahoman Published: February 25, 2011       'Forum flight: Some challengers to Oklahoma City Council keep low profile' (Our Views, Feb. 22) focused on Adrian Van Manen and Cliff Hearron not attending a forum for city council candidates, but it passed over two other candidates who also weren't at the event. Since the number of Ward 6 and Ward 8 residents in the forum audience isn't known, it makes sense that Hearron and Van Manen would rather knock on people's doors in their wards and talk to actual voters.       I'm glad that Van Manen and Hearron are focusing upon bolstering our police and fire departments. If you study the Bible, you'll see that God instituted human government in order to protect and defend, not to burden citizens with higher taxes to fund projects not necessary to maintaining peace and safety. Oklahoma City residents would be wise to remember that the first 'MAPS project' in human history ended with God confusing the languages at the Tower of Babel.       Rev. Tom Vineyard, Oklahoma City       Vineyard is pastor of Windsor Hills Baptist Church and a leader in the tea party movement, which supports Van Manen and Hearron.

Genesis, Ch. 11, v. 1-9       1  And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.       2  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.       3  And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.       4  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.       5  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.       6  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.       7  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.       8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.       9  Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

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