North Dakota
The God who blesses all people
“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7
These verses have been used to justify all kinds of land disputes in the Middle East. Indeed, I have heard people in Christian circles in our own country use this verse to justify their support for Israel in wars to preserve “their” God-given land, because the Israelites were the children of Abram (later called Abraham).
While that is true, Abraham was the father of two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Jewish and Christian believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Isaac. Muslim believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Ishmael. Therefore, the land God gave to Abraham, and his descendants is not Jewish land, Muslim land or Christian land. It belongs to all of these “cousins” who believe in God/Yahweh/Allah (etc.….).
One of the most alarming trends in the world of faith is the rise of religious nationalism. According to Wikipedia, “religious nationalism is the fusion of national identity with religious beliefs, where a nation is defined by a shared faith, and religion serves as a central pillar of its political and social life. It seeks to align government policies and laws with religious doctrines.” This happens among all of the cousins of Abraham’s descendants. There are Islamic nationalists, Jewish Zionists, and Christian nationalists, and they are all dangerous.
In the same way Zionists will claim the Middle East as given to them by God, religious nationalists use the beliefs and texts (Bible, Koran) out of context to rationalize their political views, policies and even wars. They attempt to convince people that one political viewpoint supports their faith, and others do not. In the United States, Christian nationalism is on the rise. Politicians repeatedly use scripture to support their policies and ideals, attempting to convince us that what they are doing is the “Christian” thing to do, when, in fact, quite often these policies and ideals not only have nothing to do with the Christian faith, but they also occasionally go completely against it.
I once heard a state politician say, “It’s my God-given right to carry a gun.” Say WHAT??? God did not give anyone the right to carry a gun. Period. That’s just foolishness. And nobody even commented about it, which tells me it doesn’t bother us to hear people say things like that.
Our faith in God, no matter which branch of the family tree we come from, should “inform” our political and ethical views, but we cannot become like other countries and base our laws on one religious belief or another. Especially in a country where we are diverse in our religious beliefs. This is not a “Christian” nation, a “Muslim” nation or a “Jewish” nation. It is a nation of people who come from all kinds of faith traditions, and we are promised the freedom to practice our religion, no matter what it is.
God gave the descendants of Abraham – all of the descendants of Abraham — blessings too numerous to mention. We can be grateful for those blessings without trying to claim all of them as our own.
Rev. Janel F. Kolar is the pastor at First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Dickinson, North Dakota.
North Dakota
NDSU Sets North Central Research Extension Center Field Day for July 15
FARGO, N.D. — Farmers, crop advisers, agribusiness professionals and community members are invited to a field day hosted by North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center on July 15. The annual event will provide the latest research-based information on crop production, livestock, soil health, pest management and agricultural markets from NDSU Extension specialists and researchers.
The annual field day highlights current research addressing the challenges and opportunities facing North Dakota agriculture.
“The NCREC field day is the opportunity to see how the research and Extension efforts at NCREC directly benefit producers,” says James Rogers, interim assistant director of NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center. “It is a great opportunity to interact with researchers and Extension specialists.”
Registration and the morning program begin at 8:30 a.m. with a pest clinic, educational display booths, and coffee and donuts. The official program starts at 9 with welcoming remarks and presentation of the NDSU Partnership Award. The morning continues with a market outlook presented by Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crops economist and professor, offering attendees insights into current agricultural market trends and economic conditions.
Participants will then travel by trailer to a series of field stops featuring the latest NDSU Extension and research recommendations:
- Forage and livestock management updates – Rogers and Lacey Quail, NDSU Extension livestock management specialist
- Weed control strategies – Brian Jenks, weed scientist at the North Central Research Extension Center
- Corn weed management updates – Joe Ikley, NDSU Extension weed specialist
- Soil health trailer demonstration – Carlos Pires, NDSU Extension soil health specialist
- Soybean and canola production updates – Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension broadleaf crops agronomist
- Hard red spring wheat variety research – Andrew Green, associate professor in NDSU’s Department of Plant Sciences
- Small grains disease management – Andrew Friskop, NDSU Extension plant pathologist
- Insect management updates – Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension entomologist
The field sessions conclude at noon with lunch, providing attendees an opportunity to visit with NDSU specialists and fellow producers.
For registration and additional information about the field day, visit ndsu.ag/NCREC-fieldday26 or contact the center at 701-857-7677.
— NDSU Extension
North Dakota
Today in History: July 12, 1932 – A rumor turned into not only one tornado but a flock of them
Today in History revisits the Tuesday, July 12, 1932, edition of the Grand Forks Herald and highlights a story of rumors growing in North Dakota about tornadoes obliterating cities, hail pounding crops into the ground, towns in ruins. Turns out the rumors were flying around faster than any wind in the forecast.
This Rumor Turned Into Not Only One Tornado, But Flock of Them
Townspeople at North Dakota Points Go About Affairs Undisturbed While Stories of Their Destruction Mount.
It started with a little rumor. It reached the proportions of a major tragedy, with three towns in North Dakota swept away, property and crops destroyed, persons killed and injured, (estimates to suit yourself), and ere it goes further the truth must out.
It’s a story about a person or several persons who started rumors that there were storms, yea verily, tornadoes, and cyclones of great proportions in the vicinities of Cando, Devils Lake, Towner and other points throughout the Northwest.
Early Monday came queries about the tornado that left Devils Lake’s business district a complete wreck. Through the afternoon, far into the night they continued, the questions varying in respect to the exact whereabouts of the storm.
There were those who heard that Towner had been razed; another who had talked with a traveling salesman, just in from Rugby by motor, who reported that Cando was in ruins; still someone else who was informed that crops throughout the entire district had been driven into the ground by hail.
By the hundreds these rumors came to the Herald for verification, more information. This is the dope:
The Devils Lake Journal reports only slight showers throughout the day, no wind, no hail, no damage.
The Towner railway agent says all is quiet along that front, no storms, not even any indications.
The Cando telephone operator gives the information that, contrary to rumors, all buildings are in their places, there are no dead or injured, the townspeople hadn’t heard about the storm.
Stories and rumors to the contrary, notwithstanding, the Northwest is not strewn over the countryside and blown to bits by wind. A few showers is the best it can do.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
North Dakota
The Crookston Masonic Lodge and Order of the Eastern Star present a donation check to Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota
The Crookston Masonic Lodge #141 and the Order of the Eastern Star #137 presented a $57,938 donation check to Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota during a ceremony at the Masonic Lodge on Thursday. The donation will help cover the costs for the next round of Honor Flights for 2026, with two flights scheduled […]
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