The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and thank Him for His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. Colonists held Thanksgiving services in Texas in 1541, in Florida in 1565, and in Virginia in 1607 and 1619, but it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of a Thanksgiving that includes prayers to God, a meal with friends, and a time of athletic competition.

The Pilgrims arrived in America in December 1620 and experienced a harsh winter of extreme hunger and starvation in which half of them died. The following summer, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (who later became their governor) affirmed, "God be praised, we had a good increase of corn. . . . [and] by the goodness of God, we are far from want."

The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their friends. Read On

Can you believe that the holiday season is here already? We can say all together...Where Did The Time Go?! Of course this month, we will take time to come together to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The turkey, parades, family dinners and football are the traditions of the day. Most families have the family member that will come with garments laced with turkey buttons, and the uncle that has quarters for every child in the house. For a day or two, it seems that everything is great at Grandma's house. What about the person that stands patiently for the carving of the turkey that is saying to themselves or feeling that they have nothing to be thankful for?

There is so much going on right now in everyone's lives no matter where or who you are. The politics, economy, state of the nation and of the world affects everyone. Some are just affected by watching it on the news everyday. Read On

THE KILLER The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in the Fort Hood massacre told a radical Muslim imam, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, in one of several e-mails exchanged between the two men, ABC News reported on Thursday.

An unnamed official "with top secret access" told the network 18 e-mails were exchanged between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, who encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Iraq, from Dec. 2008 until June of this year.

Other e-mails, the official said, included discussion of when jihad is considered "appropriate," and if it is acceptable for innocent people to die in suicide attacks.

"Hasan told Awlaki he couldn't wait to join him in the discussions they would having over non-alcoholic wine in the afterlife," ABC quoted the official as saying. Read On

Dr. Stephen Meyer is director and senior fellow of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute.  After completing undergraduate degrees in physics and geology and working in the oil industry, he went to Cambridge in 1986 to pursue a degree in the philosophy of science.  Fascinated with the question of how life began and the possibility of intelligent design, Meyer embarked on a journey to find the answer.  His book, Signature in the Cell, is the story of that journey.

1.  Darwinism has been around for 150 years.  How has the theory affected our culture?

Darwin, along with Marx and Freud, other 19th century thinkers, provided the basis of a comprehensive materialistic worldview. Read On

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