Real Government

Gene Redlin at Northern Gleaner clips posts from a favorite blog of his:

In the Magnificat, Mary prophesied...that rulers would be brought down from their thrones and the ordinary people would be able to govern themselves.

I'm glad to see Christians considering what the bible really has to say about government.

War In Iraq? What War? We've Already Won!

Remember on May 1, 2003 that President Bush declared victory in the war in Iraq? He did so from an aircraft carrier near San Diego, with a huge banner in the back that read, "Mission accomplished." Remember this? I certainly do, and I Googled a few stories, here and here.

But a strange thing occurred today. Bush claimed he wasn't satisfied with the progress of the war in Iraq. Here on Comcast News, he's quoted as saying, "I'm not satisfied either" and "Absolutely we're winning" and he said a fixed timetable for withdrawal "means defeat. You can't leave until the job is done". Also came this, "We're winning and we will win, unless we leave before the job is done."

Time just seems to go backward these days.

We Live In Joe DiMaggio's Home Town

Martinez, California, is a smallish town that is the birth place of two hugely famous icons of American culture. The less famous, if I were to judge, is baseball Hall of Famer, "Mr. Coffee" and husband of Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio. The house where he was born is still standing, just a few blocks from downtown proper, and is marked by a plaque. I'm not sure of his extended family, but there are a couple of businesses around named after the family name, one a restaurant and the other a barber shop.

The other product of our town is the world famous cocktail known as the Martini, its name derived from Martinez. Yep, it too was born here, and yes, there is a plaque on the sidewalk in front of what used to be the bar that invented it. Also, there is the home of naturalist John Muir.

Aside from this, Martinez is just your typical non-famous place. The county seat, its downtown is busy from 9am-5pm Monday thru Friday, period. Aside from a few liquor stores and biker bars, the downtown is fairly non busy. Heck, McDonald's closes at 6pm here.

It Doesn't Matter Whether Or Not Islam Is A "Peaceful" Religion

There's been a big flap in the media and on the internet over the past, say, five years about whether Islam is a peaceful religion or a violent one. It's a big enough debate over which to start a war. Even two of them. But I think the proposition is a fallacy, with too many people drawn into the debate. Debating this point using blanket statements only serves to add fuel to the fire.

Islam, not unlike Christianity, is not a cohesive whole, perfectly unified in its doctrines among its followers. It has sects and "denominations", if you will. They even war against each other in the name of Allah. My lifetime has seen this type of thing most strongly with the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. Hardly the best representation of Christianity.

Many point to the blood thirsty madmen who call themselves clerics that spew forth hatred, blood and death toward Israel and America and are on a rampage to conquer the world with the sword in the name of Allah, commanding all infidels to conversion or death, as evidence that Islam is violent. Do such evil men exist? Sure. Others point to millions of everyday people who claim Islam as their religion, who just want to live life and feed their families and carry on their traditions without problems as evidence that Islam is peaceful. Do such people exist? Sure. Their religion is viewed both ways by those who profess to be Muslims. I've heard several former Muslim religious leaders, now converts to Christianity, who testify that they were taught, and ended up teaching, that Islam conquers with the sword and that it is every Muslim's duty, according to the Koran, to kill non converting unbelievers. I've heard others who deny this claim.

What is true is that there are individuals within Islam that are violent or peaceful. I've known a number of Muslims in my life, and none of them have ever bombed my house, coerced me into conversion, held my family hostage at gunpoint. I've known people who have lived in Muslim countries, missionaries included, and they speak of the common people in peaceful terms. I've been invited to dinner, even as a stranger, into the house of a Muslim. He was more generous than most Americans. If these people were being unfaithful by not trying to kill me, if they were being disobedient to the Koran, then thank God for unfaithful Muslims.

But the real issue is that because Islam doesn't recognize Jesus as Lord, and denies that His Word is truth, it is not a true religion. It will not be able to stand. There is no Holy Spirit guiding its followers in its practices and worship. Its people cannot be unified forever. As Gentiles, they will in due time be converted to Christ (as I believe the bible teaches) before this world ends. They will be converted by the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and not by the sword of the Pentagon.

Political Ping Pong Mentality

I've been hearing in the news lately how Americans are fed up with the Republican Party and their scandals and wars and spending and spying on Americans. As a result the Democrats stand to gain greatly this election. But why?

Don't Americans remember that the Democrats screwed this country over so bad that they voted for the Republicans as a result? And the Democrats only had a chance to screw us because Americans were so fed up with Republicans screwing us after the Democrats screwed us because the Repub...

Are Americans really that stupid? Guess so.