Wednesday Religious Assessment 1/17/07

Wednesday Religious Assessment

It's been a very interesting week or so for religious affairs in my opinion.

The Muslim Gandhi? - I don't know the veracity of this since this is the first time I've ever heard of this man. But the article did make me consider one interesting proposition. If an Islamic Gandhi or Martin Luther King came along, then would he receive the kind of popular media attention, either in Muslim circles or in the West, that could make the building of a non-violent Islamic movement possible, or would either Islamic media or Western media, or both, really wholly limit such a person's potential effectiveness?

Internet Porn Domains - I know the guy who actually came up with this idea. I've thought it a good idea from the first time I heard him mention it.

Executions - I'm hardly surprised North Korea executes Christians. I am rather surprised that word of such executions would leak out, especially the execution involving the North Korea Army General. If true this shows significant cracks developing within North Korea along several different vectors.

Religious Persecution

Muslim-Catholic Marriage

Collins, the HGP, God, and Evolution - I've read the book, a couple of months back. Although I don't agree with his position on everything about Science and God (I never agree with anybody on everything) I can say I found the book an excellent read, especially the parts about his personal background and both his religious and scientific experiences.

The Evangelical Black? - Since my wife is black I sometimes wonder if she feels this way, mainly because she is the only black at our church. Sometimes though I think she faces the reverse problem, sometimes I think she thinks people praise her just because she is the only black, or only black female.

The Collaborators

Hidden Spirituality in Holland








The Weak Christian - Can a weak Christian be effective at promoting Christian values to the Islamic world? According to Ali, no.

The House Church

Missional Apologetics - A rather fascinating new blog.










WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2007 (VIS) - The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionally celebrated every year from January 18 to 25, is due to begin on Thursday. The theme for the 2007 initiative is: "He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

The texts for reflection and prayer this year have been prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and by the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

"This year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity," says a communiqué released by the pontifical council, "brings together two themes, two invitations extended to Christian Churches and people: to pray and strive together for Christian unity, and to join together in responding to human suffering. These two responsibilities are deeply intertwined. Both relate to healing the Body of Christ (the Church), hence the principal text chosen for this year's week of prayer is a story of healing."

Each day of the Week will have a different theme:

January 18: In the beginning was the Word. "And God said..." (Gen 1).

January 19: The Saving Word of Christ. "He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak" (Mk 7: 31-37).

January 20: The Holy Spirit gives us the Word. "The Spirit ...will testify on my behalf" (Jn 15: 26).

January 21: The silence of the forgotten and the cries of the suffering. "If one member suffers all suffer together" (1 Cor 12: 26).

January 22: God's judgement on our silence. "Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these..." (Mt 25: 45).

January 23: Empowered to speak out. "But the woman ... came in fear and trembling ... and told Him the whole truth" (Mk 5: 33).

January 24: Forsakenness. "Why are You so far from helping me?" (Ps 22: 1)

January 25: Resurrection - glorification. "Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil 2: 11).

In the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls at 5.30 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, Feast of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul, Benedict XVI will preside at the celebration of Vespers to mark the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
.../PRAYER WEEK CHRISTIAN UNITY/... VIS 070116 (380)




Save This Page

Monday Political Appraisal 12/18/06

Monday Political Appraisal

Circumcised Heterosexual Males less likely to Contract HIV

Ipswich Ripper in Atlantic City?

Report From Iraq

AFIG in Africa

Watada in the Northwest

China, Trade, the Dems, and Isolationism

Culture Warfare

New North Korea Talks

Carter the Peacemaker? - I've always severely doubted Carter as a leader, from the days of his Presidency. But as a Peacemaker it has become apparent to me in the past five years or so that the very term is a misnomer when applied to the man. Peace doesn't seem to be his end, but rather his means.

Johnson Faring Well - Good. Politics ends where a man's life is at stake as far as I'm concerned. We'll live through a Democratic Senate, I hope he does as well.

Gingrich Should Run - Gingrich should run regardless of who has what, when, and where. The man should run regardless of any circumstance in either the Republican or Democratic parties. I'm not sure he could win but he is exactly the kind of man we should have as President.

Constitutional Showdown - Good. I'm looking forward to such a showdown.

Monday Political Appraisal 12/4/06

Monday Political Appraisal


Brownback-In?

Bolton Bolts - and who can blame him?

The Old War

The Race for a New Public Definition of Race

North Korea's New Scam

Bush Gets Shiited - then returns the favor

Burning Down the Mouse

Digg Gets Dugg

Sniping and Snooping

Conversio

San Panned

Over and Around

THE GLAIR - NORTH KOREA EXPLODES LIKELY NUCLEAR WEAPON

THE GLAIR - NORTH KOREA EXPLODES LIKELY NUCLEAR WEAPON

Jarod William Graham
For Missive News

Last updated: 7:05 AM
Monday, October 9, 2006


Late last night intelligence officials in Washington were warned by observational satellites and reconnaissance aircraft that it was possible, or even likely, that North Korea had tested and exploded a low-yield nuclear weapon. Such a weapon, if it were indeed nuclear in nature, would pose a grave threat to US security interests around the globe and could potentially threaten traditional US Allies such as Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and South Korea. In addition should the North Korean regime be able to export such nuclear technology then even North Korea’s traditional allies such as China and Russia could face the threat of nuclear blackmail from a rogue group, a terrorist agent, a potential coup attempt, or even an organized criminal group bent on extortion or financial gain.

Because of these dangerous and dire possibilities even nations normally seen as hostile to the United States or at least extremely competitive towards US interests have begun to unite with Washington for their own good to mobilize against the dark and looming threat of a nuclear North Korea. The idea of a nuclear armed North Korea which in addition has deployable, mass produced long range missile delivery systems has promoted swift and decisive action the world over.

France has agreed to immediately establish a commission to look into the idea of how to best counter the North Korean threat. According to the French Foreign Minister, acting in cooperation with the office of the French President, France is developing a plan of cooperation which will include devising highly punitive actions in the UN which will then be scuttled the day before such actions can actually be implemented. “France will,” in the words of the Foreign Ministry, “do our very best to convince the US and the rest of Europe that we mean business this time, and that we are the natural leaders of Europe. That we intend to crush this annoying little North Korean threat. Gullible nations such as Belgium, Austria, and many others will then follow us like sheep. The day before we are to take decisive action in the UN we will then shockingly neuter all possible real response by accumulating vetoes on the UN Security Council, including Chinese and Russian vetoes. Har! Har! Har! Then everyone will know once again why we in France call diplomacy the ‘true Art of France.’”

Canada too has pledged immediate aid to defend the West from possible North Korean threat by missiles and nuclear weapons. Canada has decided to launch a fleet of tugboats, not less than two, but not more than six, of their most modern tugboats to wherever they may be most needed. The tugboats currently sit in dry-dock awaiting orders on deployment. Said Canada’s Chief of Naval Operations, “We’re serious. You tell us where to go, we’ll get there eventually.”

A consortium of smaller European nations has decided to “worry indefinitely.” Asked by the press if they intended any other action the spokesman for the Green Party which heads this newly formed consortium replied, “Why, yes, we plan to pray to Mother Nature to help us all prevent littering, nuclear weapons, and global warming. Later in the year we also plan a Winter Solstice and Burning Man party and to march for human rights by burning down food factories. After that we all intend to get drunk, get high, turn on, and tune out. Plus, personally, I’m going to marry a goat from a nice Greek herd I’ve been looking at lately. Meeeowwwww!!”

Islamic clerical leaders have decided to do their part, and in a rare show of Islamic unity both Sunni and Shia clerics have called for, “the immediate hanging of Pope Benedict, the expulsion of the United States from all Islamic lands, the eradication of Israel, and for direct one on one talks between the Great Satan Bush and the Little Satan Kim. If we can get them talking seriously then they won’t notice when we quadruple the number of homicide bombings in Baghdad.”

But without a doubt the most decisive and helpful action so far has occurred within the august body of the United Nations. The UN has formed no less than three committees to study the problem. These committees have been assigned to work closely with Syria, which now heads the Human Rights Commission of the UN, with Iran, which now heads the Anti-Terrorism Commission of the UN, and with Cambodia, which now heads the Efforts for International Democratization Office of the UN.

The UN is expected to offer their findings within six months and to then recommend the formation of an international commission which will chair an attempt to create a diplomatic initiative possibly leading to 12, 15 or 25 member talks. The exact number of participants and what could realistically be achieved, if anything, is still a matter for future debate.


However, not every nation agrees that immediate action needs to be considered. Venezuela has decided that the nuclear test by North Korea probably signals that Kim and his top government officials aren’t keeping warm enough during the winter months. Said Hugo Chavez, “It’s very hard to keep warm in the winter if your peasants aren’t working hard enough. So it’s just natural you have to go nuclear just to stay warm. The real problem is Bush and the United States. Bush and the United States are the real sources of every problem in the world. Therefore Venezuela has agreed to sell North Korea Citgo gas and oil at one-tenth the going market rate and to give away gas and heating oil to the poorer members of the North Korean government and military. Then if North Korea ever intends to repay the favor by helping with our future nuclear program I’ll listen. I’ve got big plans for all of South and Central America, and besides, I’m not going anywhere because I’m confident I’m going to be re-elected every single time I allow an election.”

Fidel Castro offered a post-mortem statement which read, in part; “We agree with El Presidente Chavez.”

Top government officials in Mexico, speaking on condition of anonymity told this reporter, “We’re not really concerned about North Korea developing nuclear weapons. Anything anyone can do to stick it to the Gringo, dat’s okay by us. Besides we don’t really have anything valuable enough for anyone to want to blow up. The only way we would ever be in danger is if North Korea gave nuclear weapons to Arab terrorists and those terrorists were trying to sneak those weapons into the US through our country. Then some clumsy Arab terrorist blows himself up prematurely like they do all the time in Palestine. But what are the odds of that happening? … Oh, God!! Somebody get me a phone and a line to Washington! Instante! Instante!!”

Now the world waits to see exactly what can be learned about the situation in North Korea and what can realistically be done about the current state of affairs. It would be awfully embarrassing if the United Sates invaded and liberated North Korea, stopped starvation and tyrannical oppression, gave liberty and equality to the ordinary people of that nation, fed, sheltered, and helped educate the children and offered them a better and brighter future only to discover that North Korea had not yet truly developed viable weapons of mass destruction. Then the whole effort would have been a horrible historical waste.

© Missive News, 2006

The Glair - Welcome to Wonderland

The Glair - Welcome to Wonderland

Let me Posit a Theory.

Since the invasion of Iraq, and before in some cases, Syria has been acting as a communications facilitator between Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Al Qaeda.
After the invasion, when North Korea is publicly named as a member of the Axis of Evil the North Koreans attempt to establish communications with Iran and Al Qaeda, perhaps through shared smuggling and ICC contacts, counterfeiting operations, shipping, etc. This they succeed in doing in time.

Each party, Al Qaeda, Syria, North Korea and Iran develop programs to obtain Biological, Chemical and Nuclear weapons (as well as unconventional weapons, programs and tactics) and eventually begin to assist each other in their various projects. Periphery projects and objectives, such as Kashmir, disrupting allied efforts in Iraq, the attempted resurgence of the Taliban, etc. start to become absorbed into a more reunified and wide-scale set of operations. The North Koreans are looking for energy and oil and the smuggling contacts with Iran will make them less dependent on China and less responsive to Chinese diplomatic and economic pressures. Counterfeiting operations run through Middle Eastern banks which don't charge interest but which are excellent laundering operations and allow business profit joint ventures of various kinds can quickly move funds into and out of North Korea covertly and illicitly.

Diversionary operations are planned and launched, some overt, some covert. Mutual cooperation efforts and objectives are established. Syria spurs efforts in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel. North Korea in Asia. Iran spurs operations, some diversionary and some real in Iraq, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan, and against Israel. Al Qaeda launches attacks and raids in Kashmir, Western Pakistan, Afghanistan, by subsidiaries and franchises in Africa, Iraq, and assist attempted attacks in Europe and America. The Iranian government believes that these events are precursors to the return of the Mahdi and so are more than willing to assist with funding, with logistical support, by timing their attacks with those of their partners, etc. Syria acts a communications and logistical conduit through the Western Middle East, Iran through the Eastern Middle East, Al Qaeda through Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and North Korea in Asia.

The Axis of Evil has become a fully functional and cooperative Axis, still covert as to direct and obvious connections, but operating as a kind of unit nonetheless.

Or the attacks in India, Hamas and Hezbollah operations, attacks against Israel, Lebanon, the North Korean missile tests, Iranian funding and logistical support and nuclear efforts, the attempted Taliban resurgence, the Sudan and Somalia, the coming new round of attacks in Africa, Europe, Asia, Iraq, Israel, America, Pakistan/India, are all just interestingly timed but wholly unrelated coincidences. With no connection to one another other than temporal happenstance.

Welcome to Wonderland...

Jack