Who would have thought that non-believers in America are actually on the increase.  I find it sad though that non-believers in America have had to become an organised special interest group just to be recognised and respected.

It is much nicer here in Australia where your religion or lack of religion is not such a big deal and people are generally respected for who they are and not necessarily judged by their religious belief systems.  Possibly Muslims do get a raw deal in this respect even here in Australia, but I hope that is a situation that can be reversed through greater interaction between people of the different belief systems and by doing so we can then understand each other better.    

Michelle Goldberg: As secularism spreads, the US is beginning to embrace its non-believers | Com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfr...

In recent years, non-religious Americans have won a modicum of public acknowledgment. Not long ago, politicians insulted them with impunity or at best simply overlooked them. But the heightened public religious fervour of the Bush years led the country's infidels to organise as never before, turning atheist authors like Sam Harris into celebrities and opening lobbying offices in Washington, DC, just like religious interest groups do. Politicians have responded. In his inaugural address, Barack Obama – doubtlessly realising that secularists constitute a big part of his base – described America as a "nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus ... and non-believers." Even Mitt Romney came to express second thoughts about leaving atheists and agnostics out of his high-profile campaign speech on faith. The United States is not Europe – it will likely be a long time before we have a publicly agnostic president – but it is becoming more tolerant of the godless. It has to be: no religious group in the United States is growing as fast as those who profess no religion at all. The latest American Religious Identification Survey, which Trinity College published last week, shows that the number of non-religious Americans has nearly doubled since 1990, while the number of people who specifically self-identity as atheists or agnostics has more than tripled. An astonishing 30% of married Americans weren't wed in religious ceremonies, and 27% don't expect to have religious funerals. This suggests whole swaths of the culture are becoming secular, since one can assume that non-believers in religious families often acquiesce to traditional marriage rites and expect to be prayed over when they're dead. The irony, though, is that even as the country becomes more secular, American politics are likely to remain shot through with aggressive piety. What we're seeing is not a northern European-style mellowing, but an increasing polarisation. In his recent book Society without G...

While the US media was focusing on its historical election on November 4^th 2008, Israeli troops killed six Hamas gunmen in a raid into the Gaza Strip and by doing so broke the four month truce between Israel and Hamas.  The cynic in me would say that Israel may have taken advantage of the timing, as it wouldn’t be the first time a government or an organisation has taken advantage of a major distraction in order to carry out an action with little scrutiny.

The incident occurred as follows: Israeli troops crossed into the Gaza Strip late at night near the town of Deir al-Balah. The Israeli military said the target of the raid was a tunnel that they said Hamas was planning to use to capture Israeli soldiers positioned on the border fence 250m away. Four Israeli soldiers were injured in the operation.  One Hamas gunman was killed and Palestinians launched a volley of mortars at the Israeli military. An Israeli air strike then killed five more Hamas fighters. In response, Hamas launched 35 rockets into southern Israel and no one was injured. The violence represented the most serious break in a ceasefire agreed in mid-June.

The major U.S. news wire Associated Press (AP) reported the attack, which threatened the ceasefire, but the report was carried by only a handful of small newspapers around the country.  The November 4th raid also appears to have been unreported by the major U.S. television news programmes which is a concern given that about 70 percent of U.S. citizens say their main source of international news comes via television news.

When the incident was reported in the US, the news outlets failed to report the possible significance of the raid. In comparison a number of English language foreign news organisations did publish articles suggesting that the raid may have jeopardised the ceasefire (Lull Arrangment**). Examples include: Britain’s Guardian and the Independent, Canada’s Canwest, and Australia’s The Age.

Because this raid into Gazan territory went virtually unreported in the US it has been easy for Israel to place the blame on the broken ceasefire solely on Hamas.  It has been very easy for public opinion to be swayed into having the opinion that, Israel has every right to defend itself from hostile attack. This is an opinion that has been widely expressed throughout the media, on blogs, in chat rooms and in comments sections of news articles.  It is true Israel does have that right, but so too does Gaza have the right to protect itself from hostile attacks into its territory.

The United Nations charter preserved the customary right of a state to retaliate against an "armed attack" from another state. The right has evolved to cover nonstate actors operating beyond the borders of the state claiming self-defense, and arguably would apply to Hamas. However, an armed attack involves serious violations of the peace. Minor border skirmishes are common, and if all were considered armed attacks, states could easily exploit them -- as surrounding facts are often murky and unverifiable -- to launch wars of aggression. That is exactly what Israel seems to be currently attempting.  Israel had not suffered an "armed attack" immediately prior to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.  Israel cannot claim self-defense against this escalation, because it was provoked by Israel's own violation.   An armed attack that is not justified by self-defense is a war of aggression. Under the Nuremberg Principles affirmed by U.N. Resolution 95, aggression is a crime against peace. (Read Professor George E Bisharat’s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal for the International legalities of this current conflict)

It is unfortunate that the game of “tit for tat” between Israel and Hamas then escalated out of control.  Hamas increased rocket fire, Israel responded with Air Force attacks, firing at Hamas and other squads within the Gaza Strip near the border. In return Hamas responded with rocket fire to retaliate for their losses and continued daily sporadic fire, to which Israel closed the border crossings, exerting pressure on Hamas and the Gaza Strip residents. That led to shortages of basic goods in the Gaza Strip and to disruptions in the supply of various types of fuel; however the electrical power was not cut off.   Hamas stated that it would end the Lull Arrangement with Israel on December 19^th citing that the arrangement had been seriously eroded since November 4^th.  Days after the end of the ceasefire Hamas launched 80 rockets against Israel in one day.  No Israeli was killed or injured, however Israel then decided to launch a full scale military campaign in Gaza. 

It is a sad indictment on many US media outlets that they failed to report the end of the Lull Arrangement accurately.  When Israel launched its current military offensive against Gaza on the 27^th December, most major US media outlets blamed Hamas for breaking the ceasefire on Israeli territory and refusing to extend the ceasefire on its current terms beyond its formal December 19^th expiration.

The lead editorial in the Washington Post the day after Israel began its massive air assault stated, "Israel's air offensive against the Gaza Strip yesterday should not have been a surprise for anyone who has been following the mounting hostilities in the region, least of all the Hamas movement, which invited the conflict by ending a six-month-old ceasefire and launching scores of rockets and mortar shells at Israel during the last 10 days."

In an appearance on NBC's talk show 'Meet the Press', Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, also a candidate for prime minister in the Israeli February 10^th elections, stated a very one sided view of the events leading up to the Israeli assault, “About a half a year ago, according to the Egyptian Initiative, we decided to enter a kind of a truce and not to attack Gaza Strip.  Hamas violated, on a daily basis, this truce. They targeted Israel, and we didn't answer."  

It should be noted that the view of Livni flies in the face of the truth as reported by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center of Israel which reports that up until the 4^th November Hamas was careful to maintain the ceasefire (see below under “The Lull Arrangement”)

See the following article for more information: US-MIDEAST: Media Eyeless in Gaza at Key Moment

The Israeli assault on Gaza has now caused the death around 1000 Palestinians; around 4400 Palestinians have been injured and there has been an immense loss of property, leaving tens of thousands of Gaza’s citizens homeless.   The toll is still climbing.  Around two-thirds of Gaza’s 1.5 million people have no electricity, and 500,000 have no access to running water. The World Food Programme says it’s providing aid to 80 percent of Gaza’s residents.  Both Israel and Hamas must agree to a ceasefire to prevent anymore needless casualties.

This current Israeli military campaign will not bring peace to Israel.  This operation and continued oppression through the ongoing siege of Gaza will continue to radicalise the youth of Gaza, providing Hamas with an endless supply of recruits.

For peace to occur many things will need to happen.

Past acts of aggression and harm will need to be acknowledged so that emotional healing can begin.

All parties will need to accept that all citizens have a right to live in peace with proper facilities.

All sides of this conflict will have to stop the violence and establish a sense of trust.

As trust is developed Israel will have to relax the siege situation in Gaza and open the borders and make travel for Gazans hassle free.

Hamas was elected by a democratic process and the world’s governments need to recognise this fact.  However in return Hamas has to behave like an elected government and govern for the best welfare of its citizens and that means it must not allow actions which can be interpreted as acts of terrorism.

Israel will need to continue to remove illegal settlements.

All parties need to be honest with their reporting and stop the false propaganda campaigns.

Other countries need to stop playing favourites and treat Israel and Palestine fairly and even-handedly.

All media outlets both domestic and international have a responsibility to report the facts and not omit essential facts.

International special interest groups who do not have the best interests of the Israelis and the Palestinians in mind need to butt out.

Fundamentalist religious groups (Christians, Muslims and Jews) will need to stop fighting over pieces of so called Holy Land.

The list for a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine is of course immense, but if all parties embrace the true spirit of reconciliation then peace is possible.

** The lull arrangement was based on unwritten understandings and called for the cessation of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Hamas committed itself to enforce the arrangement on the other Palestinian terrorist organizations which had not expressed their opposition (some organizations opposed it, some were reserved). The cessation of the fighting was supposed to lead to the opening of the crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to initiate negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit, the abducted Israeli soldier, and to lead to discussions about the opening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt  

The lull arrangement brought relative quiet to the western Negev population and the Gaza Strip during its first months. As of June 19, there was a marked reduction in the extent of attacks on the western Negev population. The lull was sporadically violated by rocket and mortar shell fire, carried out by rogue terrorist organizations, in some instance in defiance of Hamas (especially by Fatah and Al-Qaeda supporters). Hamas was careful to maintain the ceasefire. The IDF refrained from undertaking counterterrorism activities in the Gaza Strip, taking only routine defensive security measures along the border fence. Between June 19 and November 4, 20 rockets (three of which fell inside the Gaza Strip) and 18 mortar shells (five of which fell inside the Gaza Strip) were fired at Israel   That was significantly fewer than the rockets and mortar shells fired during the six months preceding the lull, during which 2,278 rockets and mortar shells were launched (an average of 380 a month).  During the lull the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip were open most of the time (Israel closed them for short intervals in response to rocket fire). Scores of trucks delivered large quantities of consumer goods through the Karni and Sufa (and later Kerem Shalom) crossings on a daily basis, including supplies of commodities Israel had previously not permitted into the Gaza Strip, such as cement and iron. Hamas leaders admitted that there was an improvement in the supply of goods and that civilian life was returning to normal. Life also returned to normal in the western Negev towns and villages for the first time in the period preceding the lull.

Well the Financial Armageddon has hit America.  The outlook is grim.  The world economy is collapsing.  But never fear our Saviour is releasing yet another book to help guide us through these dark and troubling times.

Pastor John Hagee self promoted spiritual leader on End Times prophesy is releasing his latest book titled, “Financial Armageddon.” 

Order your copy now as this book will be highly sort after.  Release date is November 11^th and it will be available in all self-righteous book stores throughout the Pro-American/Real-Christian parts of the USA.  This book will not be available in Massachusetts and Connecticut and will only be available in California if Proposition 8 is successful on November 4^th.

Pastor John Hagee is such a leading authority into the workings of both the world’s and the US economy that it just took him three weeks to complete this insightful book. Take no notice of economists with legitimate qualifications in economic analysis, for Pastor Hagee has the inside information straight from God. 

Pastor Hagee points out in his latest masterpiece of literature, “This Financial Armageddon is God’s plan for the world and it is just another sign that the End Times are near, so please for your own salvation buy my book!”

Pastor Hagee’s book is a straight forward look at our failing economy and being the humble man that he is, he takes no pleasure in saying to the unbelievers in this world, “See I told you this would happen, but oh no you wouldn’t believe me!”

As one reviewer states,

"Pastor Hagee is uniquely qualified to write a book like this," said Tessie DeVore, executive vice president of the Strang Book Group. "His insights into what is going on within the global economy are solid and should be taken to heart. Financial Armageddon is ripped from today's headlines and answers the questions of why our current economic crisis is happening and what will happen next."

Pastor Hagee explains to readers how they can protect both his and their own finances in these troubled times, “The first step is to buy my book and the second step is to keep sending in your donations to my mega-church, Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and have unending faith and then I will personally make sure my God will look after you.”

Pastor Hagee explains how this economic collapse must happen for his End Time prophesy to come to fruition.  “This is a sign that the Anti-Christ is here today and he is establishing his New World Order.”

Pastor Hagee’s book “Financial Armageddon” also includes well thought out arguments in separate chapters explaining how certain groups and organisations have also had a hand in America’s collapse.  Groups include: the homosexuals and their agenda, the ACLU, the Pro-Choice movement, Jewish Voice for Peace, Orthodox Jews United Against Zionism, the feminist movement, the Catholic Church and the very real threat of Socialism.

The launch date for “Financial Armageddon” has been delayed until after the US election because Pastor Hagee still has one final chapter to add to his book and the content of the chapter will depend on the outcome of the election.  If Obama wins the election the final chapter will be titled, “The Anti-Christ has taken his thrown.” If McCain wins, the chapter will be titled, “One Nation under a Christian Theocracy. Our Nation is saved, hallelujah!”

Please note this post is partly a piece of satire.  For those wishing to know more about Hagee’s latest book go to Christian Retailing and Amazon: “Financial Armageddon” 

It is Sunday in Australia and I believe probably one of the most appropriate sermons preachers throughout the world should be teaching today should be one of fighting against human urges of racism, bigotry, prejudice, hate and the spread of lies.

We see racism throughout the world and it doesn't matter which country you go to you will find racism if you look hard enough.  We have racism here in Australia, some places are defintely more racist than others. 

Quite often racism is kept quiet behind closed doors, their talk of racism is only discussed with those they know also share their views.  For the rest of the world, they have a different persona and they come across as being fair and accepting of people no matter what their race or colour maybe.

I was saddened to see this video of white Christians in an American small country town displaying such vivid displays of open racism.  This is just one small town, however it is not an isolated occurrence as I read enough comments on the web to know that this is not just a fringe view. It is not the view of many Americans, but it is the view of enough Americans for it to still be a concern.  We in other countries need not feel smug, as what we see on this video and on other videos on the web is not something restricted to America, but a world wide problem. 

Although it is saddening to see, I think it is something we all need to see. How can we confront such behaviour if we are completely blind to it.  We need our eyes opened and we need to take stock of ourselves to make sure we also do not harbour similar feelings.

After seeing this behaviour I have realised that I did indeed learn things of value from growing up in a Christian church.  Many experiences shape us and I have been positively influenced by many philosophies and experiences, including attending the "Uniting Church in Australia" for a good part of my life and having a mother and a saintly grandmother who were brought up in the "The Salvation Army" tradition.  The very fact that the story of "The Good Samaritan" immediately sprung to mind after seeing such open displays of racism from Christians, is testimony to the fact that I did learn some very good lessons from my Christian background.  After learning these lessons from a Christian church I continually find it difficult to comprehend the actions of some Christians in regards to their ill treatment of others.

Also:

Is it not a Christian's duty to find out what is the truth and what are lies and to then only spread the truth?

Is it not also a Christian's duty to point out to others when they are being deceived or when they are spreading falsehoods?

I know that the negative actions of these people are not the actions Jesus expects of his followers and I am sure many Christians are saddened to see such behaviour from fellow Christians.

So I would hope that ministers, preachers, priests, pastors both in these communities and throughout the world over, have the strength to tell their parishioners that these actions are not the actions of good Christians and go against the fundamental teaching of Jesus; which was to love one another as thyself.

If you truly do "love your neighbour as yourself" bearing in mind that Jesus defined a neighbour as anyone anywhere,  then it is impossible to be racist, it is impossible to spread falsehoods about others and it is your duty to find out the real truth about others and not just base your opinions on hearsay.

None of us are perfect and we will all falter, but surely there must be a standard of behaviour that is to be expected of people and many of us are currently way below that standard and really need to lift our game.

In respect to the US election, I am sure there are people on both sides of the great divide who are behaving badly, this message is not just directed at the people in this video but to everyone.  We need to live with one another if we are to make this world function at its best, there maybe difficult times ahead for our world and we have not got a chance of successfully moving forward if we continue to be divided.

Have a good and peaceful Sunday.

This is a follow up post from: "Praise the Lord! Hoard the Ammo! Hey save some for us!"

Obviously this list is not exhaustive, but these are the reasons I found while searching the net as to why some** Americans are stockpiling guns and ammo.

Some Americans are stocking up on ammo because:

• Eighty percent of America’s military is overseas and they don’t have enough police officers and they will need more than cans of Spam to protect them from those who want to harm them.

• Bush is likely to bomb Iran.

• It is hurricane season.

• Americans are preparing for a Russian invasion via their state of Alaska. 

• Plenty of ammo will be needed for the coming food shortage riots.

• The financial Armageddon has arrived.

• Ammo prices are about to go up.  They have been going up for sometime and of course when demand goes up, shortages occur then the price goes up.

• Republican voters are worried and are uncertain about their future if Obama wins because they believe:

1. Obama is a terrorist.
2. Obama is a Muslim.
3. Obama is a one man terrorist cell.
4. Obama is a traitor.
5. Obama is a citizen of another country.
6. Obama is an Arab.
7. Obama isn’t the right kind of Christian.
8. Obama is a baby killer.
9. Obama will become Osama bin Laden.
10. Obama is a miracle baby of two gay men.
11. Obama isn’t patriotic.
12. Obama is associated with yet to be formed and yet to be named groups.
13. Obama is a liar.
14. Obama is a Marxist communist.
15. What the latest false email tells them to believe.

• Republican voters are worried and are uncertain about their future if Obama wins because:

1. His biological father was black and his mother was white and they have never had a black president before and they are not about to have one now.
2. Obama lived in Indonesia for part of his childhood.
3. Obama’s middle name is Hussein.

• Republican voters are stocking up on ammo because they believe if McCain and Palin win the Democrat voters will revolt and protest violently.

• The Muslims are going to invade.

• It is their God given right to stock up on ammo and guns.

• The Constitution says that it is ok to stock up on ammo and guns.

I did not make up any of these reasons, these are the beliefs of some Americans.

**Please note 'some' Americans in the main refers to the people I like to refer to as those of the Far Flung Religious Right (FFRR) which are not the majority of Americans.

Last weekend I went back to my original hometown to visit my family for my mother’s birthday.  My youngest brother has taken up shooting vermin such as rabbits and foxes on our family farm.  During a conversation he mentioned that when he was last at the local gun shop to buy some ammunition he was told that ammunition has been in short supply, and one of the reasons is because Americans are stockpiling ammunition.

The notion of Americans stockpiling ammunition was not something foreign to me as I read on a post here at Vox about six months ago where a number of American’s from the far flung religious right (FFRR) were stockpiling ammunition in case of a Muslim invasion.  I have to admit, the notion of a full scale military invasion by Muslim’s into the USA seemed rather outlandish to me.  The logistics of such an invasion just seemed to be so immense that I just could not see any Muslim country being able to pull it off.  The distance between the USA and countries with large Muslim populations seems to me to be a sufficient deterrent to such an invasion. Maybe it should be us Aussies who should be manning ourselves with guns and ammunition for fear of a Muslim invasion given we are extremely close (about 500kms) to the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, that being Indonesia with a population of about 200 million Muslims.  However, even if everyone in Australia became armed, I don’t think our 20 million Aussies would have much of a chance.

Before assuming that some Americans are currently stockpiling ammunition I wanted to be sure that they were in fact hoarding ammunition.  After doing some extensive scanning of the net it seems that some Americans have already got their stockpile, are stockpiling and are also suggesting to others that they should also stockpile guns and ammunition. 

An important note to anyone who is thinking of stockpiling, it is important to rotate your ammo supply so that your ammo does not become faulty with time.  There is no point in having plenty of ammo which doesn’t want to work when you need it most

So the question is why are some Americans stockpiling ammunition?

I have compiled a list of possible answers and you can decide for yourself as to why some Americans are stockpiling ammo. 

More than one answer IS correct and probably more are correct than you can imagine!

Some** Americans are stocking up on ammo because:

1. The NRA is about to have a national convention in Alaska and during the breaks its members will be having organised hunting trips with the sole purpose of shooting all of the polar bears and any other animals (including environmentalists) which may hamper drilling for oil in Alaska.

1. The NRA is about to have a national convention in Alaska and during the breaks its members will be having organised hunting trips to flush out any Russian spies who may have swam across from Russia.

1. Eighty percent of America’s military is overseas and they don’t have enough police officers and they will need more than cans of Spam to protect them from those who want to harm them.

1. Bush is likely to bomb Iran.

1. It is a Christian value to have plenty of ammo.

1. It is hurricane season.

1. American Muslims have decided they need to have enough ammo to protect themselves from possible violent attacks after 28 million copies of the DVD “Obsession” were distributed in newspapers in some of the swing states in America.

1. Americans are preparing for a Russian invasion via their state of Alaska.  Canada has not been informed.

1. Plenty of ammo will be needed for the coming food shortage riots.

1. The financial Armageddon has arrived.

1. It is hunting season.

1. Ammo prices are about to go up.

1. After watching the intense anger at McCain and Palin rallies, Democrat voters are preparing to defend themselves in case Obama wins and Republican voters start a civil war.

1. Republican voters are preparing to start a civil war if Obama wins because they believe:
1. Obama is a terrorist.
2. Obama is a Muslim.
3. Obama is a one man terrorist cell.
4. Obama is a traitor.
5. Obama is a citizen of another country.
6. Obama isn’t the right kind of Christian.
7. Obama is a baby killer.
8. Obama will become Osama bin Laden.
9. Obama is a miracle baby of two gay men.
10. Obama isn’t patriotic.
11. Obama is associated with yet to be formed and yet to be named groups.
12. Obama is a liar.
13. Obama is a Marxist communist.
14. Obama is an Arab.
    
15. Whatever they want to believe.
16. What the latest false email tells them to believe.

1. Republican voters are preparing to start a civil war if Obama wins because:
1. His biological father was black and his mother was white and they have never had a black president before and they are not about to have one now.
2. Obama lived in Indonesia for part of his childhood.
3. His middle name is Hussein.
   

1. Republican voters are stocking up on ammo because they believe if McCain and Palin win the Democrat voters will revolt and protest violently.

1. The Democrat voters are stocking up because they just might revolt and protest violently if it looks like the election results were rigged.

1. The Muslims are going to invade.

1. It is their God given right to stock up on ammo and guns.

1. The Constitution says that it is ok to stock up on ammo and guns.

1. All of the above.

1. I have no F%$#ing idea why because I am a lame, pussy liberal without a clue and worst of all I am an Aussie Pot - Bellied Pig (but a very cute pig).

1. Other: ____________________________________________

The following came in an email just the other day so I thought I would post it with this post.

Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a Redneck?


Here is a little test that will help you decide.

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a masked man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, raises the knife, and charges at you.

You are carrying a Glock cal 40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do?  

Democrat's Answer

Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!

Does the man look poor! Or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? Could we run away?

What does my wife think? What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?

What does the law say about this situation? Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?

Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?

Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?

Should I call 9-1-1 ?

Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.

This is all so confusing! I need to discuss with some friends over a latte and try to come to a consensus. 

Republican's Answer:

BANG! 

Redneck's Answer:

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click....
(sounds of reloading)

See: "The real reasons some Americans are stocking up on Ammo" for the answers.

**Please note 'some' Americans in the main refers to the people I like to refer to as those of the Far Flung Religious Right (FFRR) which are not the majority of Americans.

Imagine a world in which the Children of Abraham were reunited.  It would have to be a much nicer and safer place than what it is at the moment.  All of the world’s problems would not be solved, but we would be well on the way.

Regrettably we have a long way to go before this will happen.  It could happen; there is no doubt about it.  Unfortunately we have too many misguided people in the world at the moment who seem to believe fighting is the complete answer to peace. Others seem to believe another solution is to alienate people and restrict their freedoms. To me there seems to be a lot of counter productive solutions to peace.

Here is an example and this is from people who claim that their religion is one of love and they make claims such as these in regards to what a real Christian is:

"They truly follow the tenets of Jesus. Things like "love your neighbor", "pray for them that despise you and say all manner of evil against you", "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", "if someone slaps you on the left cheek, turn your right cheek to him, also" and "if someone takes your cloak, give to him your tunic, also". Those are Jesus' words, and that is a religion full of love for your fellow man."

Currently here at Vox (thanks to paikea for highlighting this and posting a very interesting article titled: Muslim True/False) there is a petition being promoted to put forward a proposed US Constitutional Amendment.  This amendment would include that: 

“The preaching of Islam in Mosques, Schools, and other venues is prohibited. The subject of Islam may be taught in a post high school academic environment provided that instruction include discussion of Islam’s history of violence, conquest, and its ongoing war on democratic and other non-Islamic values.”

Yes it does seem rather harsh.

The proposal also states:

“Whereas; the United States of America was founded on the ideals of individual rights, including the individual right to practice one’s religion of choice, or no religion, and that there would be no compulsion of religion, nor state sanctioned religion, nor a ‘religious test’ for participation in the body politic;

Whereas; Islam includes a complete political and social structure, encompassed by its religious law, Sharia, that supercedes any civil law and that Islam mandates that no secular or democratic institutions are to be superior to Islamic law;”

From what I can gather about the United States the first paragraph is correct, unless you listen to some of the people from America’s Religious Right and then it seems they would dearly love to change this paragraph.  We have all heard about the pillars of the 10 Commandments being set up in public areas on American soil and the big kerfufel that it has caused.  If there is no state sanctioned religion, then there should not be the establishment of such a practice.   But listen further to a statement from someone who stated they would sign this petition, but had doubts of its effectiveness due to the wording of the petition:

“I think a better possibility to enact an Amendment to the Constitution declaring America a nation with a Judeo-Christian heritage without establishing any particular Jewish sect (Orthodox, Conservative or ) or Christian Denomination (Variations of Protestantism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox etc.) as a State religion.  This would simultaneously deal with Secular Humanism war on Christianity and radical Islam.”

Now I could be totally wrong, but this statement doesn’t exactly match up with the statement:

“Whereas; the United States of America was founded on the ideals of individual rights, including the individual right to practice one’s religion of choice, or no religion, and that there would be no compulsion of religion, nor state sanctioned religion, nor a ‘religious test’ for participation in the body politic”

Although the comment doesn’t say there should be an official state religion, it does indicate there is intent to restrict freedom of religion and non-religion.   Let’s face it if it was possible, the Religious Right would declare the US a Christian nation in an instant if it had the power. 

This brings me to the next paragraph I included above,

Whereas; Islam includes a complete political and social structure, encompassed by its religious law, Sharia, that supercedes any civil law and that Islam mandates that no secular or democratic institutions are to be superior to Islamic law;”

This may or may not be the case in regards to Islam, however when it come to the Religious Right in the US, what sort of laws would we expect to see in the US.  The answer is simple we would see strict laws based on their version of Christianity.  To illustrate my point I only need to draw your attention to an article such as this, “God’s Choice for President”.  So who would the Religious Right’s God choose to be the next US President, well naturally McCain and why would God do such a thing, only two factors come to mind apparently, the issue of abortion and gay rights – yes that is it, I kid you not!  It seems God is not concerned about social justice issues, healthcare, poverty, the environment, racial harmony, equal rights and the endless list of things I thought were major concerns to a “Christian” God.

The Religious Right also seems to need to make up its mind.  I have noticed that when it suits, Christianity is described as a religion of peace and then they will do a back flip and bash the more socially conscious Christians over the head with their Bibles and say, "Christianity is not a religion of peace, because Jesus didn’t come to bring peace," and they will then go on and quote the following Bible passage:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34-39)

It is an interesting passage.  I actually like this passage, for me it means Jesus came here to shake the people up and get them thinking and get them out of their selfish and corrupt ways.  The church at the time needed a good kick in the pants. The people needed to start doing good work to help others and to become more loving and compassionate.  That at least is partly the meaning of the passage if it is read in conjunction with the other messages Jesus conveyed throughout the NT.  To me the sword is not to be taken literally.  However, I have heard Christians use that “sword” to defend the right to carry a gun, go to war, use violence, justify capital punishment, and a host of other violent acts. 

It is interesting how Islam is always portrayed as being spread by the sword, and yet here we have a quote in the Christian Bible and it is Jesus who is carrying a sword.  So it actually makes sense that when this passage is taken literally it has been used to spread the religion of Christianity throughout the world.  At present Islam is conveniently portrayed by Christians as being spread by the sword, and by making that claim they are inferring that Christianity has always been spread peacefully - I guess by some gentle process of osmosis.  But this is not true, the correct history of the world indicates otherwise.   Christianity has been spread throughout the world by the sword, by the gun, by oppressive tactics and  by an endless array of violent actions. In short, Christianity was spread by empire building throughout the world. 

I can now refer back to this quote mentioned earlier,

“I think a better possibility to enact an Amendment to the Constitution declaring America a nation with a Judeo-Christian heritage ............. ..... ....... ......"

There is an obvious flaw in this statement, an obvious omission.   Who were the people here before  the Judeo-Christian heritage was forced upon them?  Of course it was the Native Americans, who had their own heritage and their own beliefs systems. Were the Native Americans treated well by their Judeo-Christian conquerors?  No, in the main history also proves this to be incorrect.  

I am sure that if the Jews, the Moors, the “witches” and the “sodomites” could have put together a petition outlawing Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition they would have (So there is no bias here are two references one a Jewish perspective another a Catholic perspective).  I have heard modern day Orthodox Jews speaking of Christianity with utter disdain, and if you watch the video, “The Hidden Story of Jesus” which I have included below, you will actually witness how much disdain they have for Christianity and the wrongs they feel Christianity has done to them.

More from the proposal, “Whereas; Islam preaches that it and it alone is the true religion”

Of course no other religion has EVER proclaimed such an audacious statement has it.  I have been told many times that Christianity is the one true religion, and not only the Religious Right makes that claim.  In fact the scripture I quoted above from Matthew essentially says that Jesus is the ONLY way, and if you deviate away from Jesus then your life will be lost.  They are powerful words, powerful enough to make parents scared that their children's lives will be lost if they deviate away from the path, and that kind of "terror" can make people do terrible things to other people if they believe another is leading their child astray. It explains why so many Christian parents are devastated to find out their child is gay, for they believe their child is forever forsaken.

I would say that the majority of people belonging to all religions will make similar claims in regards to their religion being the one true way.  It stands to reason; otherwise they wouldn’t practice the religion.  But it shouldn't mean we shouldn't be able to get along.

Now for me the past is the past.  Terrible things have been done throughout history in the name of religion and also in the name of various political ideologies.  I have only brought up the past because some seem to like to bring up the past as a weapon against various religions, and my point is to say that no religion has an innocent past.  What matters to me is the present and the future, so I would love to move on.

This is my opinion for what it is worth.  I believe the Muslims who are being violent and intolerant in the name of Islam are misguided, as were the Christians/Jews/Hindus and other belief systems of the past who were violent and as are the Christians/Jews/Hindus and other belief systems who are violent or intolerant in the present.

This now brings me to the title of this post and that is, "Reuniting the Children of Abraham". This documentary is an interesting look at how it is possible to cross the barriers which impede peace on a personal level.  Petitions aimed at oppressing a whole people are not the answer to achieve peace in a country; projects such as these which aim to break down personal barriers to peace are the answer.  It is difficult to wage war against a friend or some one you know and respect.

“Abraham, of the Old Testament, was the founding patriarch of a new, monotheistic faith, which included Jews and later Christians and Muslims.  One of his two sons is historically tied to the founding of Judaism, the other to the founding of Islam.

The Children of Abraham Project, which is an effort by individuals and interfaith organizations in the Detroit Metro area, to educate Jews, Christians and Muslims as to their common ancestry, and encourages them to work together for tolerance, peace and civic betterment.  The process involves watching a play in which teenage actors, some who helped write the play, act out scenes from the Biblical story.  This is interspersed with contemporary accounts of religious and ethnic prejudice based on personal recollections.  The play has allowed audiences to speak freely about their fears and prejudices and to walk in another's shoes. 

The Project is a powerful experience that gives hope to the idea of these three religions being able to find their common heritage as a reason for mutual religious respect and spiritual healing in the future.”

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Another interesting documentary is The Hidden Story of Jesus.  What really struck me about this documentary was by taking Jesus as an example; it was possible to see how much most of the religions have in common.  I believe looking for what we have in common, instead of looking at our differences; will in fact help us to become more closely connected as a society, and more accepting of our differences.

This is not a documentary for Christians to be afraid of, as I do not believe it would diminish your faith in anyway. 

For me personally it actually enhanced my faith in humanity.

I have an email program which has e-cards attached to it.  Today I decided to send a condolence card,  but I needed to download some as I didn't have any already downloaded.  So I went to choose an appropriate card and this is where I was dumbfounded with my choice, or should I say lack of choice!

Dictionary definition of condolence:

Often, condolences. expression of sympathy with a person who is suffering sorrow, misfortune, or grief.

1. Sympathy with a person who has experienced pain, grief, or misfortune: paid a visit of condolence to the grieving family.
2. An expression or declaration of such sympathy.

Now the above definition is what I always assumed condolence meant.  Well it seems that it must also have another meaning since 2001.  It also seems that in the main only a certain select few in the world wide population deserve a condolence card that has meaning.

I am unable to show you images so I will try and describe the selection of cards I had to choose from:

Card 1: A lit candle with the words, "In memory of our loved ones."  Not a bad card but it really didn't express what I wanted to say.

Card 2. A picture of the Statue of Liberty with the words, "We shall overcome."  No not really what I had in mind at all.

Card 3. A picture of the USA's flag with the words, "We will never forget".  Once again it really didn't fit the person's situation that I wanted to send this card to.

Card 4. This time a combined Statue of Liberty and the US flag picture with the words, "Freedom will prevail."  Obviously not in the condolence card industry!

Card 5. A pink rose, with two columns in the centre and then written in pink, "9.11" and underneath this image the words, "We'll Always remember."  I think you can see a theme developing.

Card 6.  Two red vertical columns with the following written in each respective column, "September" and "11"  and underneath this image, "A day of remembrance".

That is it!  They were the ONLY choices I had.  I kid you not.

So I now assume that the definition of condolence goes something like this:

Once a word mainly used to describe, sympathy with a person who has experienced pain, grief, or misfortune. However since the 11th September 2001 the main use of the word is in reference to the terrorist attacks committed against the United States of America on American soil.  The word condolence is now an American patriotic term which encompasses the themes of strength, remembrance of American loss on the 11th Sept 2001, freedom and ultimately American triumph.

Now don't get me wrong, what happened on the 11th September 2001 was a horrific event, however it is not the only event in world history that has caused loss of life.  Every life lost no matter what the circumstances or what country you hail from is worthy of sympathy and empathy and a suitable condolence card.

What I came across today is totally bizarre.
 

This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war...  All Quiet on the Western Front.  A novel by Erich Maria Remarque about WWI.

In what has been described as one of the most remarkable stories of the entire Iraq war, a reporter from the Army Times has given perhaps the first inside account of how an Army unit committed mutiny and refused to carry out orders in Iraq.

The incident occurred in Adhamiya, a district in northeastern Baghdad, where soldiers in the 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, were stationed. The 2nd Platoon had lost many men since deploying to Iraq eleven months before. After an IED attack killed five more members of Charlie 1-26, members of 2nd Platoon gathered for a meeting and determined they could no longer function professionally. Several platoon members were afraid their anger could set loose a massacre. They decided to stage a revolt against their commanders that they viewed as a life-or-death act of defiance.

Kelly Kennedy of the Army Times, who was embedded with Charlie Company has written an incredible four part series titled “Blood Brothers”.  It is an in depths look at the day to day experiences, horrors, frustrations of a company of soldiers deployed in Iraq. The series also briefly looks at the problems faced by soldiers when they return from Iraq.

Although it is a lengthy series including video interviews and photo galleries, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone interested in the war in Iraq.

Blood Brothers

The complete saga

Part 1: To Adhamiya and back

Part 2: ‘I’ve seen enough. I’ve done enough.’

Part 3: ‘Not us. We’re not going.’

Part 4: Picking up the pieces

Extras

‘Nothing was done.’

Getting the pain out in the open

Leadership in the midst of loss

Building a life after escaping death

See photo galleries and video of Charlie 1-26

Another interesting series I came across a while ago and didn’t have the time to post it was the story of America’s pin up marine, “The Marlboro Marine”.  From American hero of Fallouja to a virtually forgotten man back home.

The Marlboro Marine

2 comments

The Marlboro Marine: Two Lives Blurred Together by a photo.  - Nov 2007

The Marlboro Marine: Video

Battles After the War: Photo Gallery

Rescue operation aims to save a wounded warrior  - Nov 2007

Rescue Mission: Photo Gallery

A searing snapshot into the soul - May 2006

Marine Whose Photo Lit Up Imaginations Keeps His Cool - Nov 2004

Iconic Marine Is at Home but Not at Ease  - May 2006

It seems to me that some people forget that “Supporting the Troops” should continue long after the car bumper sticker fades.  Also support shouldn’t be conditional on a returned soldier’s political point of view towards the war, the socio-economic background from which they came or whether they come back glorified heroes and/or broken men and women.

A familiar story is of young men without very good job prospects joining the armed forces to make a difference, to be some one their fellow citizens and their government will be proud of, only to find that once they return they are just forgotten pieces of meat.  They also go to Iraq with good intentions, to make a difference but the reality is very different, as this excerpt from Blood Brothers shows.

“The surviving platoon members comforted each other that their friends died looking out for their brothers. They told each other they would have done the same. They cried and beat their fists into walls. They knelt in the sand and bent their heads and tried to convince themselves Iraq was worth it.

But that was hard because they no longer believed they were fighting for Iraq. They had, once, a long time ago. Before they had seen the Iraqi bodies with their heads dipped in acid, before the children tossed grenades at them.”

It is no surprise that morale is down as they don’t know what they are fighting for or even who their real enemies are.  The statistics indicating the Iraqi feelings towards the American presence is not optimistic either.  In a poll conducted in August 2007 Click here for full report with charts and questionnaire.

79% of Iraqis oppose the presence of coalition forces in the country.

80 % of Iraqis disapprove of the way U.S. and other coalition forces have performed in Iraq.

57% of Iraqis now call attacks on coalition forces “acceptable.”  Acceptability of attacks on U.S. forces also varies by locale, peaking at 100% in Anbar, 69% in Kirkuk city and 60% in Baghdad, compared with 38% in Basra and just 3% in the northern Kurdish provinces.

WITHDRAWAL – 47% now say the United States and other coalition forces should leave Iraq immediately, while 34% say U.S. forces should remain until security is restored.

We also seem to forget that these “Brave Warriors” are in fact mortal men and women who will in the majority of cases carry a heavy burden when and if they return home. They will most likely be physically and/or psychologically wounded.  Highlighting the heavy burden these veterans carry is the high rate of suicide amongst veterans. In 2005 the suicide rate among the American general population was 8.9 per 100,000, the level among veterans was between 18.7 and 20.8 per 100,000. That figure rose to 22.9 to 31.9 suicides per 100,000 among veterans aged 20 to 24 - almost four times the non-veteran average for the age group.

It takes a lot of courage to go out time after time on a patrol wondering if you or your mates will come back and it is a great feeling when you are a fresh young combatant to be called a “Brave Warrior”, a term which seems to be bandied about quite a lot by the ‘patriots’ among us.  But that term very soon becomes a yoke around a soldier’s neck when the symptoms of PTSD begin to surface, for to admit one has PTSD is to admit that they are not the “Brave Warrior” everyone expects them to be, and seeking help becomes a form of shame and a sign of weakness in their eyes and possibly the perceived eyes of those around them and that of their proud nation.  They are not weak, they are just human and need as much support as they can get.  The fact is that many of these soldiers are barely out of school and are being placed into situations where they could never have imagined the horror and terror they would encounter. 

In WWI and WWII there were definite and clear objectives and it was a priority to bring the troops home as soon as possible.  But this war in Iraq is not like those wars and when the troops on the ground cannot see a clear objective and they cannot see an end in sight to this war, then I think there is a problem.

He knows they had his back, and he said Spc. Ross McGinnis proved it when he gave up his life by throwing himself on a grenade to save four friends.

“We all say, ‘I don’t know what I would have done,’” he said. “But every single one was willing to die for somebody else.”

That makes it all the harder to come back and feel like the war will never be won.

“I don’t think it’s ever going to end,” he said. “For every one we kill, three more are going to pop up. We can defeat each network, but they’ll just go somewhere else. We used to make fun of the soldiers in Baghdad when we were in Fallujah and Samarra. Then it was Ramadi. Now it’s Baghdad. It’s almost like we’re chasing our tails.” For a time, he said, soldiers will make an area better, but the Iraqi people “don’t keep it better.”

It should also be remembered it is not just the combat troops who pay the price for war, so to do the families who belong to these men and women, as does the wider society either directly or indirectly through the financial cut backs in welfare, health, education and other areas caused by the financial cost of war.  Obviously we should not forget the innocent victims in the combat zones.

In my opinion war should ALWAYS be a last resort because in reality there are no victors in war, but way too many wounded souls on all sides.

There is no glory in war.

Edited 27/12/07 11.40am AEST