February 11, 2007
Texas' largest Baptist group is taking a rare step into environmental advocacy, working to block Gov. Rick Perry's plan to speed the approval process for 18 new coal-fired power plants.The Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is mobilizing Baptists against the coal-fired plants and urging the convention's 2.3 million members to voice their opposition to state lawmakers.
"A lot of people felt like our industries, our policy leaders, are going to take care of these big issues like air quality, (and) it's not going to be something our local people are going to have to get up every day and worry about," said Suzii Paynter, director of the commission. "It can't be left to big interests to make these decisions in our behalf."
Mind you, I'm not taking sides on the issue of coal-fired plants in this post -- there are good arguments on both sides of the issue, and I won't rehearse them here. What I am pointing to is the hypocrisy of those who argue that tax exempt religious groups shouldn't be involved in public policy debates -- right up until those groups make common cause with them.
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February 10, 2007
Among the casualties of the Iraq war is a little-known religious faith called Mandaeanism that has survived roughly two millennia and whose adherents believe that John the Baptist was their great teacher.While there were more than 60,000 Mandaeans in Iraq in the early 1990s, only about 5,000 to 7,000 remain. Many have fled amid targeted killings, rapes, forced conversions and property confiscation by Islamic extremists, according to a report released last week by the New Jersey-based Mandaean Society of America.
For those who have an interest in the many forms of faith that man's religious nature has taken, I encourage you to look to the article cited above.
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February 09, 2007
I do, however, have a problem with this statement by the would-be censor who is using the ACLU to fight impose his views on the rest of society.
The current display’s reference to the Bible’s book of Leviticus amounts to “thinly veiled hate speech disguised as religion, to give it some modicum of respectability it doesn’t deserve,” [retired attorney Bill] Hugenberg said.
Gee -- differ with Hugenberg over religion doctrine and you are a bigot. What a narrow-minded, intolerant view of the world!
Sounds like hate speech to me.
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Israeli police stormed the grounds of Islam's third-holiest shrine Friday, firing stun grenades and tear gas to disperse thousands of Muslim worshippers who hurled stones, bottles and trash in an eruption of outrage over Israeli renovation nearby.
Where I come from, that isn’t worship – that is a riot. And when you go to a religious service where the get you all hyped up to riot, that doesn’t constitute a peaceful religion.
And I'm curious as to which one "mainstream" Muslim organizations will denounce -- the riot instigated by Jew-hating clerics, or the attempt to restore a walkway that provoked it?
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February 07, 2007
A French court case shining light on the gray area where free speech and religious sensitivities overlap opens on Wednesday when Muslim groups sue a satirical magazine that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.The Grand Mosque of Paris and the Union of French Islamic Organizations accuse Charlie Hebdo of inciting racial hatred by reprinting the Danish caricatures that sparked violence in the Muslim world last year.
Politicians, intellectuals, secular Muslims and left-wing pressure groups have lined up behind Charlie Hebdo, arguing that Muslim groups have no right to call for limits on free speech.
"I just cannot imagine the consequences not only for France but for Denmark and Europe if they lose the case," Fleming Rose, the Danish editor who first published the cartoons, told a news conference with Charlie Hebdo publisher Philippe Val.
"It would turn back the clock decades, ages."
However, an opinion poll on Tuesday showed 79 percent thought it unacceptable to ridicule a religion publicly and 78 percent ruled out parodies of Jesus Christ, Mohammad or Buddha.
"Are the French rediscovering the sacred?" asked the Catholic weekly Pelerin which published the poll. "Are they renouncing the critical spirit that has inspired a French tradition since Voltaire and the Enlightenment?"
So in a spirit of support for the inalienable right to freedom of speech, I join the French newspaper Liberation in extending this act of solidarity with publishers, editors, and staff of Charlie Hebdo.
more...
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February 04, 2007
Over at American Thinker, James Arlandson has written the first of four articles on such studies, designed to help the average person with no advanced theological studies understand the ins and outs of New Testament textual criticism.
This article is the first in a four-part series on New Testament textual criticism. It provides the basics on this science and art, answering such questions as these:o Did scribes make errors as they copied down holy Writ?
o If so, what kind of errors are they?
o Why wouldn't God protect his Word from such errors?
o What's the goal of the science and art of textual criticism?
o Should we even engage in criticism of the Bible? Isn't that blasphemous?
o Should I trust the New Testament?These questions and more are explored in a basic Question and Answer format, for ease of understanding.
The ultimate goal in this four-part series is to provide a foundation for the readers' knowledge; then we will understand the critics who often mislead the general public about the complete reliability of the Bible.
Frankly, I find this first installment to be a great primer for those with limited background in the field, as it is clear, concise, and balanced. I'll link to the rest as they come along.
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), 
(, 
PP, 
), January 31, 2007
In a poll conducted five months ago, and broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 TV, nearly 25% of British Muslims said the July 7, 2005, terror bombings in London, which killed 52 innocent commuters, were justified. Another 30% said they would prefer to live under strict Islamic Sharia law rather than England's democratic system.Now, one in four justifying terror may not be a majority, but it certainly isn't a "small fringe" either.
In other countries, the figures are no less unsettling. A survey published in December found that 44% of Nigerian Muslims believe suicide bombing attacks are "often" or "sometimes" acceptable. Only 28% said they were never justified.
According to the annual Pew Global Attitudes Survey, released in July 2006, "roughly one-in-seven Muslims in France, Spain and Great Britain feel that suicide bombings against civilian targets can at least sometimes be justified to defend Islam." The report also found that less than half of Jordan's Muslims believe terror attacks are never justified. In Egypt, only 45% of Muslims say terror is never justified.
Now you may argue that these views are not representative of Islam – but they are not the views of a tiny minority, either. Rather, such views are clearly those of a large minority of the Muslims in the world, and must therefore be grappled with as a part of a larger reality – one in which appeals to the more “high minded” views of Islam are likely to be ineffective given the more radical views of the jihadi pigs and their supporters.
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January 30, 2007
Toilets in one London prison are getting a face-lift — or rather, a change in direction — to accommodate Muslim inmates who can't use them while facing Mecca, a British newspaper reported.Government officials ackowledged using tax dollars for the changes to the facilities, but maintained that moving the toilets was part of "on-going refurbishment," according to an article in The Sun.
Islamic code prohibits Muslims from facing or turning their backs on the direction of prayer when they use the bathroom. Muslim prisoners complained of having to sit sideways on toilets so as to not break code.
Personally, I’m for turning them all towards Mecca. If the inmates don’t like it, they can hold it until their release – or consider not engaging in criminal conduct so that they don’t come back again.
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January 27, 2007
Islam bars women from becoming head of state, Egypt's top Muslim cleric or mufti, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, ruled in an official fatwa or religious edict published."Under Islamic sharia (religious law), a woman cannot be head of state because it is one of the duties of the position to lead Muslims in prayer and that role can only be carried out by men," said the fatwa carried by leading state daily Al-Ahram.
Gee -- does this mean a vote for the Hildebeast is a vote against dhimmitude?
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January 23, 2007
TOM Cruise is the new “Christ” of Scientology, according to leaders of the cult-like religion.The Mission: Impossible star has been told he has been “chosen” to spread the word of his faith throughout the world.
And leader David Miscavige believes that in future, Cruise, 44, will be worshipped like Jesus for his work to raise awareness of the religion.
A source close to the actor, who has risen to one of the church’s top levels, said: “Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure.
“Like Christ, he’s been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was right.”
Cruise joined the Church of Scientology in the Â’80s. Leader L Ron Hubbard claimed humans bear traces of an ancient alien civilisation.
UhhhhhÂ… yeah.
But then again, what do you expect of a hoax made up by a hack science fiction writer?
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January 21, 2007
Now there is a document available that makes this evil undeniable.
The military regime in Burma is intent on wiping out Christianity in the country, according to claims in a secret document believed to have been leaked from a government ministry. Entitled "Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma", the incendiary memo contains point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state.The text, which opens with the line "There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practised", calls for anyone caught evangelising to be imprisoned. It advises: "The Christian religion is very gentle – identify and utilise its weakness."
Its discovery follows widespread reports of religious persecution, with churches burnt to the ground, Christians forced to convert to the state religion, Buddhism, and their children barred from school.
Human rights groups claim that the treatment meted out to Christians, who make up six per cent of the population, is part of a wider campaign by the regime, also targeted at ethnic minority tribes, to create a uniform society in which the race and language is Burmese and the only accepted religion is Buddhism.
The term for such a program is "genocide".
Will people of good will speak out?
Will world leaders?
Will the United Nations?
More to the point -- will anyone do anything to stop it?
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January 18, 2007
However, there is one issue related to that upbringing that should be raised with the Senator/Presidential wannabe. It relates to the fact that he was raised a Muslim -- and the consequences of his having renounced that faith and become a Christian. Does he feel threatened due to his status as an apostate Muslim? As an apostate Muslim, is he willing to condemn the sharia law provisions that require death for an apostate.
The odds are high that he will answer no to the first and yes to the second. As an oily politician, he will try to squirm out of a clear definitive yes with no wiggle room. But it should not be difficult for a smart journalist to get him to agree without reservation that Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states...
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief.
...applies to MuslimsOnce Obama condemns the Moslem tradition of death for apostasy, then he can be asked:
The Koran famously quotes Allah as saying in chapter (sura) 2, verse 256 that there should be ‘no compulsion in religion.' Yet numerous sayings of Mohammed known as hadith which form the basis of Islamic Sharia law quote Mohammed as saying ‘If a Moslem discards his religion, kill him.' So are you telling Moslems that Allah was right but Mohammed was misquoted, and their Sharia law tradition on apostasy is wrong?
You can see how much fun there is to be had with this.
Now I don’t particularly like the “gotcha” tone of the above excerpt, but I do think it is a valuable question to raise in the context of a Presidential campaign.
I also think there is one more to raise. If elected, would his status as a Muslim apostate interfere with his ability to conduct foreign relations with the Muslim world – not because of any wrongdoing on his part, but based upon the rigid chauvinism and intolerance of Islamic culture in matters of religion.
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January 17, 2007
SYDNEY'S most influential radical Muslim cleric has been caught on film calling Jews pigs and urging children to die for Allah.Firebrand Sheik Feiz Mohammed, head of the Global Islamic Youth Centre in Liverpool, delivered the hateful rants on a collection of DVDs called the Death Series being sold in Australia and overseas.
"Today many parents, they prevent their children from attending lessons. Why? They fear that they might create a place in the their hearts, the love, just a bit of the love, of sacrificing their lives for Allah," Sheik Feiz says in the video.
"We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam. Teach them this: There is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a mujahid (holy warrior). Put in their soft, tender hearts the zeal of jihad and a love of martyrdom."
* * * "The peak, the pinnacle, the crest, the highest point, the pivot, the summit of Islam is jihad," he declares in the film, before denouncing "kaffirs" (non-Muslims).
"Kaffir is the worst word ever written, a sign of infidelity, disbelief, filth, a sign of dirt."
In an excerpt from a video lecture series called Signs of the Hour, Sheik Feiz then ridicules Jews as pigs.
Not that he is an extremist – for Feiz stated just a few weeks ago that Islam in Australia isn’t about such things.
"There are no sheiks preaching chaos there. No one is telling people to raise arms against the Australian community," he said.
Yeah – just us pigs and kaffirs.
Religion of Peace.
My.
Ass.
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January 15, 2007
Which is not to say the article doesn't have a promising beginning.
Danny Leydorf's world was about to be turned upside down, and he couldn't wait.The extroverted teenager had shined at the mostly evangelical Annapolis Area Christian School since kindergarten, but now he wanted to test his faith in a more diverse world. With hopes of becoming a lawyer or politician, he badly wanted to understand people who didn't think like him.
"I feel like I exist to be interacting," the lanky, towheaded 19-year-old said eagerly one day last summer, shortly after his graduation, "and part of that is just getting out there."
So he'd deliberately picked a large, secular college: the University of Maryland. But the week before he was to leave, the wider world dealt him a blow.
And that blow is, in my opinion, the story that the article misses. Here it is.
"I hate evangelical Christians," read the Facebook.com profile of his roommate-to-be, who had seemed so perfect on the phone. He loved politics and "The Simpsons," like Leydorf, and they even had the same views about how to set up the room. Could it still work?
Excuse me -- the focus of the article remains Danny Leydorf's experiences? Shouldn't the Washington Post instead be writing about "The New Intolerance" at institutions of higher education?
Or is the level of intolerance towards Christians in our elite media institutions so high that those who report and edit there cannot even recognize such bigotry for what it is? And are those readers who do not recognize the bigotry in the roommate's words really suffering from their own bigotry-induced blind-spot?
By the way -- I still encourage folks to read the article, despite this obvious flaw.
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The letter "X" soon may be banned in Saudi Arabia because it resembles the mother of all banned religious symbols in the oil kingdom: the cross.The new development came with the issuing of another mind-bending fatwa, or religious edict, by the infamous Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice — the group of senior Islamic clergy that reigns supreme on all legal, civil, and governance matters in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The commission's damning of the letter "X" came in response to a Ministry of Trade query about whether it should grant trademark protection to a Saudi businessman for a new service carrying the English name "Explorer."
"No! Nein! Nyet!" was the commission's categorical answer.
Why?
Well, never mind that none of the so-called scholars manning the upper ranks of the religious outfit can speak or read a word of English. But their experts who examined the English word "explorer" were struck by how suspicious that "X" appeared. In a kingdom where Friday preachers routinely refer to Christians as pigs and infidel crusaders, even a twisted cross ranks as an abomination.
Let's see -- in the last several years we have had ice cream treats and basketball shoes pulled from the market because there was some vague resemblance between a design and some holy Muslim phrase. Out in California, a College republican group faces sanctions for abusing a Hamas flag because, unbeknownst to them, it contains the name of Allah. What next -- ill the right of those who follow the false prophet Mohammad to be free from offense require that the Western world drop the letter X (and, one would presume, T as well) because of their similarity to a Christian religious symbol?
Read the article for some of the other wonderful things this organization does in the name of Islam:
* declaring the world flat and immobile -- in 1974.
* forbidding the construction of churches in Saudi Arabia for 8 million guest workers -- and forbidding them to worship at all, in public or in private.
*forbidding women to work as sales clerks -- in stores that cater exclusively to women.
* restricting travel by women within the country or abroad.
Yep -- love those Wahabbis! And to think that their Saudi patrons are spreading their version of Islam around the world (including in this country) as the normative version of the faith.
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January 14, 2007
LIKE any religious community, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (better known as the Mormons) will always cherish the locations connected with its foundation story. Not only the places in New York state where its prophet, Joseph Smith, said he received a vision of God (in 1820) and then a new set of scriptures, or the faith's spectacular headquarters in Utah, the state where Mormon pioneers found refuge. Also dear to Mormon hearts are parts of northern and central England where, soon after Smith had his visions, the faith won many converts.In those early days, people in Britain who accepted Mormon teaching were told to sail west and join the growing band of “saints” who were preparing for the second coming of Jesus, an event which was expected to happen soon, and in the new promised land, the United States.
But now, after a century of spectacular growth, the Mormon movement is flowing in the other direction: while it continues to be centrally directed from its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, the faith has gained a foothold in virtually every country in the world—and the American share of church membership has fallen. In the north-west of England, for example, the Mormons want their converts to stay put and use their spanking new meeting-house and temple; and their keen young missionaries are as likely to be British or Danish (even, in one case, from Greenland) as American. And there is hardly anywhere (not even Mongolia, see picture) where the proselytisers do not reach.
It is a fairly balanced article, though one that does not go into much depth on theology. Still, articles like this are important for those who want to actually have some understanding of that faith. And while I think the final few sentences make a rather clumsy comparison, I encourage folks to read it.
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Outraged by Jimmy Carter's controversial new book, the nation's largest organization of rabbis yesterday pulled out of a planned visit to the former President's human rights center in Atlanta.The Central Conference of American Rabbis, representing nearly 2,000 Reform rabbis, said it was protesting Carter's latest book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," which many say unfairly criticizes Israel.
Their statement is quite biting.
REFORM RABBIS CANCEL VISIT TO THE CARTER CENTER DURING RABBINATEÂ’S UPCOMING ANNUAL CONVENTION IN ATLANTA THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS, THE WORLDÂ’S LARGEST GROUP OF JEWISH CLERGY, CITES FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTERÂ’S BOOK, PALESTINE: PEACE NOT APARTHEID
New York City (January 11, 2007) –The Central Conference of American Rabbis
(CCAR), which represents nearly 2,000 Reform rabbis, the world’s largest group of Jewish clergy, issued the following statement about the cancellation of a visit to The Carter Center during the CCAR’s March 2007 convention in Atlanta, Georgia:For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent – Isaiah 62:1
“Our sadness emerges from our respect for the way that President Carter has largely used his retirement years. Many Reform congregations have participated in Habitat for Humanity-- one of America’s great examples of tikkun olam (repair of our world through social justice)-- which Mr. Carter has helped to popularize. So, too, The Carter Center has been an institution of dialogue and honest brokering in the name of statesmanship. In many ways, President Carter has demonstrated a gentle spirit and a commitment to such basic Jewish ideals as tzedek (justice) and chesed (loving kindness).
But with the publication of President CarterÂ’s latest book, Palestine: Peace Not
Apartheid, we firmly disassociate ourselves from Mr. Carter and The Carter Center.Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid contains numerous distortions of history and
interpretation, and apparently, outright fabrications as well. Its use of the term
“apartheid” to describe conditions in the West Bank serves only to demonize and delegitimize Israel in the eyes of the world. Its praise of such radical Arab “leaders” as Yaser Arafat and Hafez el Assad, and his attempted rehabilitation of such terrorist groups as Hezbollah and Hamas demonstrate either a clear anti-Israel bias, extreme naiveté, or both. In the light of the many mainstream critiques of his book, President Carter has made several public statements implying that something akin to a “Jewish conspiracy” has discouraged conversation about the Palestinians’ plight. These statements are not only false; they make subtle use of classic anti-Semitic themes, unbecoming for any fairminded person, much less a former President of the United States and Nobel Laureate.We wish that President Carter had used his moral authority to press the Palestinians into a more rigorous pursuit of peace, to condemn terror unequivocally, and to decry the corruption and failures of Palestinian leaders. Instead, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid is pervasive, biased and unfair anti-Israel propaganda. It ignores the facts of history, legitimizes the intransigence of extremists, and thus, further diminishes the prospect of real peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians.
We call upon Mr. Carter to better educate himself and his readers as to the true root causes of the Palestinian peopleÂ’s dire plight, and once again to dedicate his efforts to promoting peace, not prejudice, in the Middle East.As the rabbinic body of Reform Judaism, the largest denomination of religiously
affiliated American Jews, our cancellation of the visit to The Carter Center reflects our continuing commitment to Israel, Zionism, and America’s role in the establishment of a just and lasting peace between the State of Israel and all her Arab neighbors.”
Once can only reach one of two conclusions as one looks at the continuing stream of outrage over Carter's book and statements -- either there is something fundamentally flawed (and probaby anti-Semitic) in Carter's work, or there really is a vast Jewish conspiracy to silence criticism of Israel in America.
However, given the number of responsible and respected voices speaking out against Carter, the reality is that there is really only one reasonable conclusion that people of good-will can draw.
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January 12, 2007
A leading mosque in London is selling DVDs that proclaim the coming mass extermination of Jews around the world on a "day of judgment." It also attacks Christian groups and the United Nations.The London Central Mosque, also known as Regent's Park Mosque, is "the spiritual focal point for Muslims" throughout Great Britain, the European Jewish Press reported. It is also home to the Islamic Cultural Center, which educates Muslim children.
The report said that a British television station will air on Monday a documentary on Muslim extremism in Britain, and will report the selling of the DVD.
The DVDs are being sold at the London Central Mosque Shop. One excerpt shows a preacher, Sheikh Feiz, imitating the sounds of a pig and referring to the Jewish people who will be killed on the "day of judgment."
Another preacher, Sheikh Yassin, states that United Nations missionaries and Christians conspired to inject an AIDS virus in inoculations against diseases in Africa.
I’m sure there is some perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this, as we are most sincerely assured that the quotes are taken out of context and don’t really mean what they seem to mean – even the ones that are in perfect harmony with Koranic prophecies regarding the fate of the Jews.
After all, Islam is the Religion of Peace.
My.
Ass.
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January 09, 2007
Pace University administrators threatened to sic the cops on a Jewish-student club if it went ahead with plans to screen a critically acclaimed film about radical Islam, the head of the group charged yesterday.Michael Abdurakhmanov, president of Pace Hillel, said two deans warned that showing the documentary film would implicate club members as suspects in two hate crimes involving the desecration of the Koran at the university's lower-Manhattan campus last fall.
In addition, Abdurakhmanov said an assistant dean physically restrained him as he attempted to defend the film and his group in a meeting with administrators.
"The message was pretty clear, if you show this film, you're going to incriminate yourself," Abdurakhmanov said.
Now Pace is where someone desecrated a couple of Korans last fall – and partially for that reason the group was forbidden to show the film in October after Muslim students complained. Now the administration is threatening to investigate the group and its members if the film, Obsession, is shown, on the argument that the “anti-Islamic” film implicates the group in the desecrations. Interestingly enough, the university is not nearly so interested in investigating Muslims over the appearance of swastikas around campus.
Abdurakhmanov, a 20-year-old psychology major from Brooklyn, said neither he nor any member of his club had reason to believe they were suspects in the Koran incidents until the dean of students, Marijo Russell O'Grady, suggested it."Her words were if you show this film, the police will be looking into your records further," Abdurakhmanov said.
Maybe there is a need to start investigating the Muslim group that is objecting to the film. After all, their objection to the showing (and the free speech rights of Hillel) would seem to implicate it and its members in the anti-Semitic activities that have occurred on campus. In addition, an objection to a documentary about terrorist groups would appear to implicate the Muslim Student Association and its members in terrorist activities.
At least if you follow the logic of Pace administrators .
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January 04, 2007
A survey by researchers at Villanova University has found that 85 percent of Roman Catholic dioceses that responded had discovered embezzlement of church money in the last five years, with 11 percent reporting that more than $500,000 had been stolen.The Catholic Church has some of the most rigorous financial guidelines of any denomination, specialists in church ethics said, but the survey found that the guidelines were often ignored in parishes. And when no one is looking, the cash that goes into the collection plate does not always get deposited into the churchÂ’s bank account.
“As a faith-based organization, we place a lot of trust in our folks,” said Chuck Zech, a co-author of the study and director of the Center for the Study of Church Management at Villanova.
“We think if you work for a church — you’re a volunteer or a priest — the last thing on your mind is to do something dishonest,” Mr. Zech said. “But people are people, and there’s a lot of temptation there, and with the cash-based aspect of how churches operate, it’s pretty easy.”
Specialists in church ethics said they believed this was the first study to assess the extent of embezzlement in a denomination.
The reality is that most large organizations face some sort of attempt at embezzlement at some point. A local public university just lost a lot of money to a crooked professor. The school district where I work recently had a case involving an accounting clerk siphoning off enough funds to pay the salaries of three or four first-year teachers or a couple of computer labs. The Episcopal Church lost millions a couple of years ago to a crooked staff member in their national office. What I'm saying is that financial fraud happens wherever there is lots of money floating around.
Indeed, I'd love to see what a study of other denominations would show.
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January 03, 2007
Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
"He wanted to use a Koran that was special," said Mark Dimunation, chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, who was contacted by the Minnesota Dem early in December. Dimunation, who grew up in Ellison's 5th District, was happy to help.
Jefferson's copy is an English translation by George Sale published in the 1750s; it survived the 1851 fire that destroyed most of Jefferson's collection and has his customary initialing on the pages. This isn't the first historic book used for swearing-in ceremonies -- the Library has allowed VIPs to use rare Bibles for inaugurations and other special occasions.
Ellison will take the official oath of office along with the other incoming members in the House chamber, then use the Koran in his individual, ceremonial oath with new Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers' belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself," said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.
Whatever one’s view of Islam, it is hard not to see this as a well-intended move to pay homage to the founding principles of America – and the men who established the nation whose Constitution Ellison will swear to uphold.
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Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
"He wanted to use a Koran that was special," said Mark Dimunation, chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, who was contacted by the Minnesota Dem early in December. Dimunation, who grew up in Ellison's 5th District, was happy to help.
Jefferson's copy is an English translation by George Sale published in the 1750s; it survived the 1851 fire that destroyed most of Jefferson's collection and has his customary initialing on the pages. This isn't the first historic book used for swearing-in ceremonies -- the Library has allowed VIPs to use rare Bibles for inaugurations and other special occasions.
Ellison will take the official oath of office along with the other incoming members in the House chamber, then use the Koran in his individual, ceremonial oath with new Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Keith is paying respect not only to the founding fathers' belief in religious freedom but the Constitution itself," said Ellison spokesman Rick Jauert.
Whatever one’s view of Islam, it is hard not to see this as a well-intended move to pay homage to the founding principles of America – and the men who established the nation whose Constitution Ellison will swear to uphold.
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In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in "mass killing" late in 2007."I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."
Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.
Robertson said God also told him that the U.S. only feigns friendship with Israel and that U.S. policies are pushing Israel toward "national suicide."
But given that the predicted tsunamis hitting the US didn’t happen in 2006, I think we can safely categorize Robertson – and disregard this claim.
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December 26, 2006
However, in the interest of fairness, I believe I should at least post something taking the contrary position -- especially since a wonderfully written and reasoned piece by Rabbi Schmuley Boteach appeared in today's Jerusalem Post arguing that Carter is not, in fact, an anti-Semite. Rather, the book reveals a different problem with Carter's world-view..
But with the publication of Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, [Carter's] ignorant rant against Israel, many in the American Jewish community believe that Carter is not just a loser but an anti-Semite. I disagree.Jimmy Carter is not so much anti-Semite as anti-intellectual, not so much a Jew-hater as a boor. The real explanation behind his limitless hostility to Israel is a total lack of any moral understanding.
Carter wants to do what's just. His heart's in the right place. He just can't figure out what the right is. He is, and always has been, a man of good intentions bereft of good judgment. He invariably finds himself defending tyrants and dictators at the expense of their oppressed peoples. Not because he is a bad man, but because he is a confused man.
Aonfused? How so? After all, Carter is often presented as one as the major do-gooders out there, a man with a deep sense of right and wrong. Indeed, many folks have argued that Carter is what our greatest elder statesman. How, then is Carter confused? Quite bluntly, it is a confusion based in a fundamentally flawed view of right and wrong.
CARTER SUBSCRIBES to what I call the Always Root for the Underdog school of morality. Rather than develop any real understanding of a conflict, immediately he sides with the weaker party, however wicked or immoral.Israel has tanks and F-16's. The Palestinians don't. Therefore the Palestinians are being oppressed. Never mind that the Palestinians have rejected every offer to live side by side with Israel in peace and elected a government pledged to Israel's annihilation. Their poverty dictates the righteousness of their cause even if their actions speak otherwise.
That makes a certain sense. Cuba is weaker than the US -- therefore Castro is a good guy. North Korea is weaker than the US and South Korea -- therefore Kim Jong-Il is not a dictator and is fully justified in seeking nuclear power and weapons while his people starve. Hugo Chavez is supported by the poor of Venezuela, and he is therefore not a bad guy despite his anti-Americanism and evidence of vote fraud int he election Carter certified. Indeed, it even explains why Carter undercut the Shah of Iran and was rendered impotent in the face of the taking of American hostages in Iran -- as a US ally, the Shah was the obvious villain in Iran and Khomeni was a force for good, and any significant action against Iran would have been evil because of the power differential between the US and the Iranians, no matter how grave the provocation. And that confused moral calculus does clearly explain why Israeli self-defense against Palestinian terrorism constitutes a moral evil (greater even than the Rwandan genocide) in Carter's eyes.
Which, of course, absolves Carter of the charge of anti-Semitism in Boteach's book.
No, Carter is not anti-Semitic so much as a man whose lack of judgment and shallowness render him absolutely incapable of telling right from wrong.Carter's obscene comparison of Israel with apartheid South Africa ignores the fact that Israel is the first country to airlift tens of thousands of black Africans to become free and full citizens in its borders, a phenomenon that has no precedent in the history of the world.
But by saying that the Palestinians are being subjected to apartheid Carter has grossly maligned not Jews, but black South Africans. Whereas black South Africans inspired the world with their humane capacity for forgiveness and peaceful coexistence with their white brethren, even after having been so egregiously wronged, the Palestinians have unfortunately embraced murderous hatred and racism. Arab newspapers routinely publish grotesque caricatures of Jews, and the Palestinians teach kindergarten children to grow up and blow up Israeli buses.
Nelson Mandela rose to become the world's greatest statesman with his articulation of brotherhood and reconciliation. But Yasser Arafat fathered international terrorism and stole hundreds of millions of dollars from his own people.
Which leads to one conclusion: Before one runs around the world as a global do-gooder, one should first develop the ability to identify the good.
In other words, Carter's moral compass is broken, and his words and actions must therefore be understood in light of that character flaw.
So I'll concede that the good rabbi may have a point -- Jimmy Carter does not have Jew-hatred in his heart, but has simply lost his ability to distinguish good from evil (if he ever had it). But given that his current book, recent column, and other statements echo the statements of Jew-haters over the centuries, the argument can still be made that even if he is not motivated by animus towards Jews, his recent activities have been functionally anti-Semitic. So while my criticism of the man may be seen as unfair by some, I stand by my criticism of his position -- and ask if the difference is one that really makes any difference.
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December 25, 2006
2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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Police in Houston and Fort Bend County are investigating two incidents in which Jewish holiday decorations were vandalized.Investigators do not know if the cases are related but the regional director of the Houston Anti-Defamation League, Martin Cominsky, said he is concerned about the incidents.
"Our hope is that the spirit of the holiday won't get destroyed and that people will understand that we are trying to create a community of respect and destroying other's religious symbols is not the model for that," Cominsky said today.
Cominsky said it is not unusual to have vandalism against holiday and religious decorations.
"Nativity scenes are sometimes destroyed," he said.
"I am concerned that any individual would try to destroy the religious symbol of another," Cominsky said.
The latest incident happened about 9 p.m. Sunday in the 5100 block of Loch Lomond in Meyerland at the home of Brian Cweren .
Cweren said he heard a noise coming from the front yard and looked outside and saw his inflatable menorah had been deflated and was on the ground.
A surveillance camera installed by Cweren captured an image of a man getting out of a Chevrolet Tahoe and walking onto the front yard. The man used something to puncture the menorah then jumped into the Tahoe and sped away.
Cweren said he called police and while he was on the phone the man returned and punctured an inflatable bear.
The man escaped before officers arrived.
Meanwhile, the Fort Bend County Sheriff's office is trying to determine who destroyed a plastic menorah at the entrance of the Lakewind subdivision in the New Territory development.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson said the incident was reported about 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Homeward Way and Kendall Creek.
A menorah made from plastic pipe and adorned with lights had been smashed, Carlson said.
Police do not know if the two incidents are connected but Carlson said Fort Bend investigators will touch base with Houston police.
Cominsky said the incident in New Territory comes one year after some Jewish residents were frustrated because the neighborhood's holiday decorations only include Christmas items.
"And so a resident appealed to the homeowner's association (this year) and got permission to put up this menorah," Cominsky said.
As I Christian, I offer my solidarity in anger and offense at these acts of violation of symbols of the Jewish faith. It is my sincere hope that the perpetrators are caught and brought to justice quickly for these unacceptable acts.
And may my many Jewish friends, acquaintances, and readers be blessed by God during this holy season, and my they recognize that they and their faith are held in great esteem by the overwhelming majority of Christians.
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December 21, 2006
Rival groups of monks wielding crowbars and sledgehammers clashed Wednesday over control of a 1,000-year-old monastery in a community regarded as the cradle of Orthodox Christianity, police said.Seven monks were injured and taken by boat to receive medical treatment. They were released after several hours. No one was arrested, but three monks were banned from re-entering the Orthodox sanctuary of Mount Athos, on a self-governing peninsula in northern Greece.
Esphigmenou monastery is the scene of a long-running dispute between Orthodox Church authorities and rebel monks who occupy the site. Both Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, leader of the Orthodox Christian church, and Greece's highest administrative court have ordered their eviction, but the monks refuse to budge.
The rebel monks vehemently oppose efforts to improve relations between the Orthodox Church and the Vatican.
The fighting broke out between the rebel monks and a group of legally recognized monks.
The outsiders attempted to force their way into the monastery's offices in Karyes, the administrative center, to begin construction of a new building. The occupying monks attacked them with crowbars and fire extinguishers.
Esphigmenou's rebel abbot, Methodius, said his monks were provoked.
"We were attacked and had to respond," he said. "They should be ashamed to call themselves men of the cloth."
In October, a court in the nearby city of Thessaloniki handed down two-year suspended sentences against nine monks and former monastery members for illegally occupying Esphigmenou's offices.
A pity that the rebel monks show neither submission to the leaders of their church nor charity towards their fellow Christians.
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December 17, 2006
A few Fort Collins merchants are adding a Jewish menorah to their holiday displays following a decision by the city last week not to include one in the city's display.Despite a renewed request by Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, of the Chabad Center of Northern Colorado, the Downtown Urban Renewal Authority stuck with limiting the city's display in Old Town to nutcrackers, Christmas trees and elves.
"I showed them a video of every president lighting a menorah at the White House," said Gorelik. "It's so unfair to promote only one religion, but I don't think they reconsidered it for a moment."
This is the second year Gorelik tried and failed to sway the city.
So, on Dec. 21, as in past years, Gorelik will light a menorah in celebration of Hanukkah at the Old Town display, but after the ceremony it will be moved to a nearby pub's lighting display.
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., will attend this year's menorah lighting.
Gorelik said more than a dozen other Fort Collins businesses and a school have called him about putting a menorah in their holiday lighting displays.
The eight days of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, mark the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. after a long war. There was only enough oil for single night's light, but the oil lasted for eight nights.
Phil Pringle, who owns Pringle's Wine and Liquors in Fort Collins, said he's going to add a menorah to the holiday decorations at his shop.
"I'm Catholic, but I'm a great proponent of free speech," said Pringle. "Instead of being so antiseptic, I'd like to see the city be more tolerant."
Pringle said he understands the city's legal concerns, but believes symbols that reflect other religious beliefs could be included in the city's display.
"I have no problem with Kwanzaa or pagans. I wouldn't object to a winter solstice display," said Pringle, who has owned the liquor store for 24 years.
Gorelik said he has supplied several businesses with menorahs and said it's the city's Christmas trees that caused the dispute.
"This is not initiated by the menorah, it's initiated by the Christmas trees," he said.
The city should have included a menorah in its holiday decore -- and it should have also included a Nativity scene, out of recognition of the reason for the season. But I will remind Rabbi Gorelik that the menorah is, strictly speaking, a religious symbol whereas the Christmas tree is not -- a principle long upheld by American courts.
But most important, we see the inclusion -- indeed, the welcoming -- of Jews and their holiday traditions by average people, a reality not found many other places on this globe.
UPDATE: The New York Times has great coverage of this story today.
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December 14, 2006
Two Christian pastors found to have vilified Muslims under Victoria's religious hatred law won their appeal and hailed the decision as a victory for free speech.The Court of Appeal ordered the case to be reheard at the original tribunal, before a different judge and with no further evidence. It set aside the orders for public apologies in newspaper advertisements and for the pastors not to repeat their remarks.
Last year Judge Michael Higgins found that Pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot and Catch the Fire Ministries vilified Muslims at a seminar on jihad in Melbourne in March 2002, in a newsletter and a website article.
He said these suggested that the Koran promoted killing and looting, that Muslims wanted to take over Australia and terrorists were true Muslims.
Justices Geoffrey Nettle, David Ashley and Marcia Neave overturned that finding but rejected the appeal that the Racial and Religious Vilification Act was unconstitutional.
They ordered the Islamic Council of Victoria, which brought the original complaint, to pay half the appellants' appeal costs but left the costs of the original hearing to be decided by the judge who rehears the case.
On what basis was the original decision overturned? This one – a distinction that I think is very important.
Justice Geoffrey Nettle said Judge Higgins equated hating Muslims' religious beliefs with hating Muslims because of their beliefs. This was not so — many people might despise Pastor Scot's perception of Christianity, yet not dream of hating him."No doubt the purpose of the act is to promote religious tolerance. But the act cannot and does not purport to mandate religious tolerance," he said in his judgement.
Indeed, Judge Higgins had held that quoting the Koran to prove a negative point about Islam constituted religious vilification of Muslims – effectively arguing that the truth was not only not a defense in such cases, but was evidence of the offense having been committed.
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Two Christian pastors found to have vilified Muslims under Victoria's religious hatred law won their appeal and hailed the decision as a victory for free speech.The Court of Appeal ordered the case to be reheard at the original tribunal, before a different judge and with no further evidence. It set aside the orders for public apologies in newspaper advertisements and for the pastors not to repeat their remarks.
Last year Judge Michael Higgins found that Pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot and Catch the Fire Ministries vilified Muslims at a seminar on jihad in Melbourne in March 2002, in a newsletter and a website article.
He said these suggested that the Koran promoted killing and looting, that Muslims wanted to take over Australia and terrorists were true Muslims.
Justices Geoffrey Nettle, David Ashley and Marcia Neave overturned that finding but rejected the appeal that the Racial and Religious Vilification Act was unconstitutional.
They ordered the Islamic Council of Victoria, which brought the original complaint, to pay half the appellants' appeal costs but left the costs of the original hearing to be decided by the judge who rehears the case.
On what basis was the original decision overturned? This one – a distinction that I think is very important.
Justice Geoffrey Nettle said Judge Higgins equated hating Muslims' religious beliefs with hating Muslims because of their beliefs. This was not so — many people might despise Pastor Scot's perception of Christianity, yet not dream of hating him."No doubt the purpose of the act is to promote religious tolerance. But the act cannot and does not purport to mandate religious tolerance," he said in his judgement.
Indeed, Judge Higgins had held that quoting the Koran to prove a negative point about Islam constituted religious vilification of Muslims – effectively arguing that the truth was not only not a defense in such cases, but was evidence of the offense having been committed.
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A high school choir was asked to stop singing Christmas carols during an ice skating show featuring Olympic medalist Sasha Cohen out of concern the skater would be offended because she's Jewish.A city staff member, accompanied by a police officer, approached the Rubidoux High School Madrigals at the Riverside Outdoor Ice Skating Rink just as they launched into "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and requested that the troupe stop singing, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday.
Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 U.S. National Champion, had just finished her performance at the rink on the downtown pedestrian mall, and was signing autographs.
Choir director Staci Della-Rocco said she complied with the request "because a policeman told me to stop. I didn't want to have a big old huge scene in front of my kids," according to the newspaper.
The city staff member, special-events employee Michelle Baldwin, could not be reached for comment. City Development Director Belinda J. Graham confirmed the incident.
Now for what it was worth, Ms. Baldwin seems to have been acting outside of the scope of city policy.
"This request was simply made by a staff member who was attempting to be sensitive to the celebrity guest, without considering the wider implications ... or consulting with her supervisor for guidance," Graham said in an e-mail to the newspaper.Mayor Ron Loveridge called the incident "unfortunate."
"You kind of wish people do a little checking first. You certainly have my apology," he said, referring to the choir members.
But that Baldwin even thought the request was appropriate – and that the officer was willing to accompany her to silence the group – should tell you just how far some folks are willing to go to ensure that everybody except Christians are receive “tolerant” and “sensitive” treatment.
Oh, and as for Sasha Cohen, she never requested that the songs stop, nor does she object to hearing Christmas carols. Seems to me that the city employees involved could take a lesson from the person in whose name they were acting.
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December 13, 2006
A Jordanian man has shot dead his daughter and her fiance on rumours that the couple had engaged in premarital sex.The suspect has confessed to the authorities "that he shot the couple after his wife informed him she had heard from neighbours that her daughter and her boyfriend had been having sexual relations," the Jordan Times reported, quoting a police officer.
The father said he was "infuriated" by the rumours and apparently decided to kill the couple to cleanse his family's honour, the official said.
The suspect was arrested and charged with murder on Saturday, two days after the killing of his 21-year-old daughter and her 23-year-old fiance.
An autopsy revealed that young woman was a virgin, the report added.
Since January, more than 12 women have been killed in similar "honour crimes" in the conservative Muslim kingdom.
Hundreds of Muslim women die each year at the hands of family members for offenses such as alleged premarital sexual activity, being the victim of rape, or being alone with an unrelated man. How soon until we start seeing such offensive practices become common place here?
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December 08, 2006
Hot on the heels of Mel Gibson and Michael Richards, radio personality Don Imus let loose with his own barrage of antisemitic vitriol on the November 30 broadcast of his “Imus in the Morning” show.That morning, the program, which is produced in New York by WFAN and simulcast on MSNBC, was going to host a group of gospel singers known as the Blind Boys of Alabama. In anticipation of their appearance, Imus recalled reservations voiced by station supervisors prior to an earlier appearance by the group.
“I remember when I first had ’em on a few years ago,” Imus said. “The Jewish management at, whoever we work for, CBS, were bitchin’ at me about it.” WFAN is a subsidiary of WCBS radio.
“We had a meeting in my office,” Imus continued. “They were furious, but of course I don’t care what they say and never have.”
At this point, the show’s executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, a regular on-air presence, said of the Blind Boys, “Even if you wear a beanie, how can you not love these guys?”
“I tried to put it in terms that these money-grubbing bastards could understand,” Imus replied. “I said: ‘They’re handicapped, they’re black and they’re blind. How do we lose here?’ And then a light bulb went off over their scummy little heads.”
Imus co-host Larry Kenney, an impressionist who appeared earlier in the program as the Rev. Jerry Falwell, then said: “They probably were trying to push a more Semitic group on you. I don’t know, maybe the Paralyzed Putzes of Poland, or something like that.”
“You can’t believe what goes on behind the scenes, at least with me with these people,” Imus said. “And fortunately, I don’t care.”
Imagine that line coming from a commentator like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or Bill OÂ’Reilly. There would be a public uproar, even more vitriolic than the furor over Mel GibsonÂ’s drunken tirade. Why hasnÂ’t ImusÂ’ clearly offensive comments provoked an outrage.
Oh, that’s right – Imus is seen as a friend by the liberals, so he gets a pass regardless of how offensive his statements are.
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A COUNCIL has sparked fury by virtually shutting a swimming pool on Sunday afternoons for “Muslim-only” sessions.All women are banned — and non-Muslim men may swim IF they follow the strict Islamic dress code of swim shorts that hide the navel and extend below the knee.
Croydon Council in South London runs the sessions at Thornton Heath leisure centre between 4.45pm and 6.45pm.
Similar slots are laid on for Muslim women outside opening hours, where bathers must be covered from the neck down to the ankle.
Locals who flock to the areaÂ’s only major leisure centre each week are furious.
Member Daniel Foley, 44, said: “I turned up and saw a sign saying it was closing early for Muslim afternoon — I couldn’t believe it.”Nearby Croydon Mosque defended the move. It said: “Muslims are not allowed to show off intimate parts of their body. This is non-negotiable. Muslims have as much right to go swimming as anyone else.”
Croydon Council said: “We are keen to ensure sports facilities are there for everyone.”
But what the Council doesn’t realize is that their decision doesn’t ensure that the facility is there for everyone. Rather, it segregates and separates, limiting access to the general public during times when the facility has customarily been open to them. I’m certain that the Council would not consider a “Whites Only” swim time to accommodate those who object to being surrounded by non-whites, or a “Christians Only” swim time. Until and unless the facility is rented out to a Muslim group for such exclusive use, the facility ought to remain open to all in the name of tolerance and equality of all the people of the area.
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December 06, 2006
Residents of a southern Somalia town who do not pray five times a day will be beheaded, an Islamic courts official said Wednesday, adding the edict will be implemented in three days.Public places such as shops and tea houses in Bulo Burto, about 124 miles northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, should be closed during prayer time and no one should be on the streets, said Sheik Hussein Barre Rage, the chairman of the town's Islamic court.
Those who do not follow this edict "will definitely be beheaded according to Islamic law," Rage told The Associated Press by phone. "As Muslims, we should practice Islam fully, not in part, and that is what our religion enjoins us to do."
He said that the courts are announcing the edict over loudspeakers in the town.
Let's just call it the "Religion Of Hack Your Opponents To Pieces".
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The Vatican will move to resume relations with China after more than half a century if religious freedom is allowed but it will not abandon China's diplomatic rival Taiwan, an official said on Tuesday.The Vatican, which Taiwan sees as an important ally as it fights for international legitimacy against China, would seek to restore an apostolic nunciature in Beijing for the first time since the Communist Party began ruling China in 1949, said Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, charge d'affaires at the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Taipei.
But the Vatican would seek to keep a delegate in Taiwan, he said. Taiwan split from China in 1949 after the civil war that brought the Communists to power, and the Vatican went with it.
"Holy See's position is quite clear and is known to the Taiwanese government," Madtha said. "The Holy See would maintain its delegate in Taipei. The Holy see will not abandon Taiwan."
Thank you, Holy Father, for standing up against Communist oppression, as your sainted predecessor did before you.
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December 04, 2006
Christ is missing from Christmas in this small town. The community's holiday display has a manger with shepherds, a guiding star, camels and a palm tree, but no baby Jesus, Mary or Joseph.The parks superintendent said Jesus was left out because of concerns about the separation of church and state. But Mayor Dick Callaway said it was done for purely technical reasons: "It's not easy to put a light-up representation of a baby in a small manger scene, you know."
In recent years, some communities around the country have dropped nativity scenes after the displays were challenged as unconstitutional. Some communities have tried to head off legal problems by incorporating nonreligious symbols, or symbols of more than one faith, to avoid the appearance of endorsing one religion over another.
David Cunningham, parks superintendent in this town of 11,000, initially insisted St. Albans' display was not even technically a manger scene because he was concerned about possible lawsuits. But the mayor said such anxieties were unwarranted.
"We have a manger scene," the mayor said.
No, you have a parody of the Christmas story -- take it down, and keep the city offices open on Christmas Day. Oh yeah, and prepare to lose the next election, for we Christians will not be mocked by this patronizing insult to our faith.
UPDATE: Jesus is back -- but he will be "Abandoned Baby Jesus", with no Mary and Joseph.
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December 03, 2006
The widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan saw a Wiccan symbol placed on a memorial plaque for her husband Saturday, after fighting the federal government for more than a year over the emblem.Roberta Stewart, widow of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, and Wiccan leaders said it was the first government-issued memorial plaque with a Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle.
More than 50 friends and family dedicated the plaque at Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, Nev., about 45 miles east of Reno.
They praised Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) for his role in getting the Nevada Office of Veterans Services to issue the plaque in September. The agency cited its jurisdiction over the state veterans' cemetery.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the symbols of 38 other faiths for use in national veterans' cemeteries; about half are versions of the Christian cross.
The Jewish Star of David, the Muslim crescent, the Buddhist wheel, the Mormon angel, the nine-pointed star of Bahai and an atomic whirl for atheists are also permitted, but not the pentacle.
VA officials have said they are rewriting rules for approving emblems, but the process requires a public comment period.
About 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans, according to 2005 Defense Department statistics, and Wicca is one of the fastest-growing faiths in the country. Its adherents worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community. Some consider themselves "white" or good witches, pagans or neo-pagans.
Patrick Stewart and four other soldiers died Sept. 25, 2005, when their Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
I'm just sorry it took so long to do the right thing here.
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December 02, 2006
All snout and tail, the pink and brown pigs contentedly rooting in the wire pen behind Craig Baker's stone shop seem piggishly comic. They're racing pigs, after all, and that's got to be funny.But few in the sprawling subdivisions along Baker Road are laughing.
These pigs are subtle weapons, here to show the new neighbors — the Katy Islamic Association — they aren't entirely welcome. Tension has been growing in this west Harris County community since September when the Muslim group announced it had purchased 11 acres south of Interstate 10 to build a mosque, school, community center and athletic facilities.
Hard feelings started when Baker met association officials, who, he said, advised him he should move his stone shop.
"They told me it was time for my family to pack up," said Baker, whose family has occupied its land since the early 1800s. "They said a mosque and a marble shop didn't go too good together."
Angered by the perceived insult and aware of Islamic dietary laws banning pork consumption, Baker responded by announcing he would stage weekly pig races on his Muslim neighbors' holiest day of prayer.
Ordinarily, I would oppose anyone making new neighbors, especially a house of worship, unwelcome in such a manner. But it strikes me that Baker's actions don't make any sense absent some sort of provocation from the Katy Islamic Association. After all, why would a successful and respected businessman, a life-long resident of the community with roots in the area that go back to the early nineteenth century, take actions that are likely to alienate as many folks as they please?
The new neighbors are offended.
But aren't pigs on the property line racing on a Friday night a little offensive to a Muslim neighbor?"The meat of a pig is prohibited in the religion of Islam," said Katy Islamic Association member Youssof Allam. "It's looked upon as a dirty creature."
Yeah, there's that and also that Friday night is a Muslim holy day.
"That is definitely a slap in the face," said Allam.
But is it really any more of a slap in the face than telling a man to close up his business and move away? Or beginning construction on the property without applying for -- much less being issued -- the appropriate permits? It seems to me that there is a real problem here with regard to the conduct of the Katy Islamic Association.
There are, of course other concerns from the local community.
"It's not an appropriate place to have a mosque or church," said resident Barbara Simpson.It isn't going over real well.
"As a house of worship, they shouldn't be disturbing the peace and tranquility of 15 homes," said resident John Wetmore.
Neighbors tell us they're concerned about traffic and drainage and a little fear of the unknown. Some of the homeowners even offered to buy the land back for more than a million dollars. The K.I.A. doesn't seem very interested in the offers.
"We're not going anywhere," said Katy Islamic Association member Alvi Muzfar.
And frankly, I don't find any of those arguments convincing. After all, this is a developing area in which the road will, sooner or later, be widened to accommodate the additional residences. A house of worship in the area is not, as County Commissioner Steve Radack points out, in any way incompatible with the area. And the drainage issues will be dealt with in the permitting process, just as they would if there were a new sub-division put in. So I see no reason NOT to build the mosque complex, and urge the community to welcome their new neighbors.
But I also urge the Katy Islamic Association to make amends with Craig Baker for whatever offense they caused, wittingly or unwittingly -- at which point I hope Baker will send his piggies to market or donate them to the Katy ISD FFA program.
And I repeat what I have said here in the past -- even though I have serious problems with the tenets of Islam, though long experience I know that most Muslims are decent, hard-working, peace-loving people. They are welcome here in this country as citizens and friends, with an absolute right to the liberties guaranteed in our Constitution. But they do not have to impose Islamic practices and values upon the rest of us, nor do they have a right not to be offended by others acting contrary to Islam. After all, religious freedom is a two-way street.
UPDATE: Here is evidence of bad faith on the part of KIA.
For now the KIA has been ordered to halt all building on their property because the organization has been issued a notice of permit violation by the Harris County Building Permits division.“A violation is in place and they have to stop all construction until they offer information we have asked them for and until they have a permit issued,” said Raymond Anderson, Manager of the Harris County Permits Division.
“If they do not confer with our policies in place they could be referred to the (Harris County) District Attorney's office.”
Seems to me that the neighbors might very well have some things to be concerned about.
And notice, please, that the spokesman for the group refuses to answer questions about the comments to Craig baker. If they were never made, why no denial?
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November 28, 2006
A public Christmas festival is no place for the Christmas story, the city says. Officials have asked organizers of a downtown Christmas festival, the German Christkindlmarket, to reconsider using a movie studio as a sponsor because it is worried ads for its film "The Nativity Story" might offend non-Christians.New Line Cinema, which said it was dropped, had planned to play a loop of the new film on televisions at the event. The decision had both the studio and a prominent Christian group shaking their heads.
I wholeheartedly echo this comment by a spokesman for Willow Creek Church, a large church in the Chicago area.
"The last time I checked, the first six letters of Christmas still spell out Christ."
And so do the first six letter of "Christkindlmarket" -- which I believe means "Christ Child Market" in German.
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