Dr. Firpo W. Carr – Page 6 – Los Angeles Sentinel

Michael Jackson & Jehovah’s Witnesses

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)July 23, 2009

Curious fans of Michael Jackson want to know what faith he embraced during the years just prior to his death. They’re intrigued with what sparked the Gloved One’s spiritual fire in the waning moments of his glorious life. Rumors swirl that although he was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses he secretly converted to Islam shortly before his death. For example, prior to his funeral one online article posed the question, “Will Michael Jackson’s Funeral Be Jehovah’s Witness–or Muslim?” (E! Online, July 2, 2009) So, the definitive question is: Was Michael Jackson Muslim, or was he one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

The Most Famous Rap Song Ever–in the Bible?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)July 16, 2009

Okay, what’s the most famous rap song of all time? Would it be one performed by Christopher Wallace, aka “Notorious B.I.G.” aka “Biggie Smalls”? What about rap songs by Tupac Shakur? Hello, was that Curtis Blow? What about that bash from Grand Master Flash? Could it be Kool Moe Dee? Did someone say L.L. Cool J? The list could ‘go on and on til’ the break of dawn.’ But, if you considered any of these notable rappers as having “rapped,” performed, or sang the all-time most popular rap song ever, you’d be way off the mark. Not a one of

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Abandoning Black Babies

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)July 9, 2009

Mothers of all races abandon their babies. And if social trends from incarceration to medical care are any indication insofar as African Americans are concerned, of the ones abandoned by their mothers, Black infants may be abandoned disproportionately. On the other hand, given the strong sense of family stemming from the days of slavery, this may well be a false assumption. Whatever the case, the phenomena of baby abandonment is not at all new-particularly among Africans and their descendents according to the book, Egyptian Erotica: The Essence of Ancient Egyptian Erotica in Art and Literature (2004) by El-Qhamid and Joseph

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Where is Michael Jackson Now?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)July 2, 2009

After all the allegations of prescription drug abuse; of child molestation and parental payoffs; of rumors of failing health; of rumors of a deteriorating face; of rumors of bleached skin; of financial woes, and a host of other charges, Michael Joseph Jackson is dead. Just typing these words rocks my soul; leaving the foundation of my very being unsettled. Though he’s been dead for a week now, I’m stunned as I type in a fog, alternating between fantasy and reality. I’m waiting for someone to wake me up so I can tell them about this awful dream I had of

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Every Black Manâ€™s a Criminal

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)June 25, 2009

When the Devil accused Job of serving God for selfish reasons he effectively accused everyone-not just Job-of having ulterior motives for praising the Lord. ‘If allowed to experience hard times,’ Satan asserted, the servant of God would abandon true worship and “curse” Him. God met this challenge by maintaining his expression of confidence in Job. Not to be outdone, the Devil countered that if he was permitted to make Job sick, that would do the trick. “A human would do anything to save his life,” said the Devil. “But what do you think would happen if you reached down and

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

First Lady or First â€˜Gorillaâ€™?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)June 18, 2009

Rusty DePass, a prominent long-time South Carolina Republican, has shown his true colors. He recently posted the following comment about an escaped gorilla in Columbia: â€œI’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors; probably harmless.â€ That’s right, First Lady Michelle Obama. He went on to say: â€œThe comment was hers, not mine,â€ claiming that she made a recent remark about humans having apes for ancestors. Media conglomerates with multi-million-dollar resources have yet to find the comment allegedly made by the First Lady. Such wretched reasoning has been codified, exemplified, and memorialized in the pages of supposedly impeccable literary works. Here’s

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

â€œChristianâ€ Medicine and the Cast & Crew at King-Drew

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)June 11, 2009

Can ancient prescription trump modern medicine? The faculty and staff at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science would do well to adopt the prohibition on blood transference from one of Godâ€™s creatures to another specifically for medical purposes as chronicled by the prominent African Moses as discussed in last weekâ€™s article. The argument on whether it animal blood or human blood is mute. Why? Because as Moses noted, God viewed them the same; hence, Moses used the same Hebrew word, dam, for both human and animal blood. To illustrate, allow me to ask you a question: When Yehowah Elohim

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

King-Drew & African Medicine

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)June 4, 2009

(Part 1 of 2) Ancient Egyptian medicine could have had a positive impact on the service record at Martin Luther King, Jr./Charles Drew Medical Center. Medical protocols penned by the African Moses thousands of years ago could also dramatically embellish the curriculum at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. Furthermore, the examination of two different schools of thought as represented by two prominent Egyptian notables will be held in juxtaposition. Aside from watching them tear down White Front back in the 60â€™s, and watching them build the King-Drew medical facilities from scratch not long thereafter, my interest has been

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Adam the African?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)May 28, 2009

The debate over the location of the original Garden of Eden rages on with no apparent end in sight. Encouragingly, what were once thought to be divergent paths hewn out by the Bible and Science in connection with explaining the origin of man are paths that actually intersect at the Garden of Eden. Deeper exegetical studies of the Bible working in tandem with remarkable scientific advances overwhelmingly support the conclusion that the nexus of the two paths is rather substantial. In plain English, Science and the Bibleâ€”more than ever beforeâ€”agree that all humans that have ever lived came from one

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Avoiding the Fate of Inmate Hate

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)May 21, 2009

(Part 3 of 3) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â There are steps you can take to avoid being on the receiving end of inmate hate. No, I donâ€™t stand to gain personally by your doing so. Neither am I going to try and sell you some sort of prisoner hate-level-monitor-gadget, and throw in a free pair of ex-con-detection-goggles if you order now. A letter or simple phone call will do. (Details below.) And I should say that alongside abusive guards who take the law in their own hands are some very conscientious prison personnel who dutifully go about their work in a very professional

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Societal Sin: Prisoner Revenge

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)May 14, 2009

(Part 2 of 3) The title of this piece provokes several questions: What sinâ€”a word with obvious theological implicationsâ€”has society committed? Why would prisoners seek revenge for societal sin? Why has Southern California been singled out as possibly going to hell? Before I answer these questions, youâ€™re probably wondering why my childhood schoolmate Ronald Hubbard (now Tshaka Ali as stated last week in Part 1) murdered his ex-wife and attempted to murder her boyfriend. Was it some hot steamy love triangle turned deadly? Not according to Ali. There was a combination of several factors that led to the demise of

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Prison Notoriety: Terror of Society

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)May 7, 2009

(Part 1 of 3) Your first thought may be that youâ€™ve done nothing to cause any ex-con to hate you. Well, ironically, thatâ€™s exactly why they hate you: youâ€™ve done nothing. You may be saying to yourself, â€œI donâ€™t even know any ex-cons!â€ Well, they know you, and as long as youâ€™re a part of society at large, they blame you. Iâ€™ll explain in a moment, but, before I do, let me give you a little background on Ronald Hubbard. You donâ€™t know Ronald, but we met as classmates around age twelve at Gompers Junior High School as it was

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

The Bible & Black Female Sexuality

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)April 30, 2009

The mystery, sexuality, and sensuousness of Black women have captivated the imagination of the world from time immemorial. For a certainty, long before European women donned corsets to mimic the hourglass figure of African beauties; or Elizabeth Taylor was guilty of stealing the identity of what is thought to be a Black woman in Cleopatra (1963); or Bo Derek sported African braids in “10” (1979); or White women permed their hair into afros; or the invention of artificial sunlight for White women in the form of sunlamps, sun beds, and tanning parlors so as to cheat nature in an effort

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

African Pirates vs. European Pimps?

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)April 23, 2009

In 1991 the government of Somalia collapsed. Since then its nine million people have been wavering on the brink of starvation. Like vultures circling a potential carcass, the World–particularly the Western powers–swooped in to feed off her vast African resources. When the feeble woman dying a slow, agonizing death attempted to ward off the merciless birds, they had the audacity to cry â€œfoul!â€ So far, the jury in the court of public opinion has heard only one side of the issue. But the Good Book says that â€œThe person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone

Dr. Firpo W. Carr

Why Blacks Suffer

Dr. Firpo W. Carr (Columnist)April 16, 2009

Hinduism calls it karma. Christianity proclaims: “You reap what you sow.” (Gal 6:7) Secularism touts the familiar expression, “what goes around comes around.” Comeuppance: “A punishment or retribution that one deserves.” To be sure, God told his people: “Your sin will catch up with you.” (Nu 32:23; New World Translation) This inescapable formula applies to the entire human family. But, we’re talking about us right now, and there is a growing sentiment that way back in the day when we were large and in charge, at some point we as Black people didn’t have much to be proud of. I