Posts Tagged ‘religion’

The Guardian and the Times take up the White Man’s Burden

Posted: April 2, 2011 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, culture
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Looking at these stories I can’t help but think of this poem:

Take up the White Man’s burden–
Send forth the best ye breed–
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild–
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child. Kipling 1899

What else can one think when you see headlines like this:

NYT:

Afghans Avenge Florida Koran Burning, Killing 12

Think about what that headline implies, AVENGE. Words mean things. AVENGE suggest a just retaliation for an act. This suggests that the New York Times finds their acts a legitimate response to the burning of a Koran.

Over at the Guardian they actually have a poll asking who is responsible for these actions and as of this moment 9:44 a.m. EST 46% of the respondents blame the killings on Terry Jones.

I don’t have a lot of respect for Jones but I wonder, would those same people who blame him for the killings blame the “artist” who put up the painting of Christ/Palin and Christ/monkey up if he was attacked by a violent Christian Cult?

What’s the bottom line, both the Times, and the Guardian have concluded that we can’t expect better from the people and those who are busy blaming Jones for these murders consider the Afghans inferiors “half devil and half child”. We CAN’T expect civilized behavior from such people.

How is such an attitude by these papers any different that Kipling’s?

I’m not outraged over the burning of the Koran, I’m outraged at the murder of innocent people and the Fatwa against an US citizen for free speech, and if you consider yourself civilized you should too.

Still nothing to see here, just dead Christians

Posted: March 6, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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Let’s pretend that Romeo and Juliet was not a story of Capulet and Montague but was instead the story was of an Egyptian Muslim and an Egyptian Christian. It might have gone something like this:

This incident was triggered by a relationship between 40-year-old Copt Ashraf Iskander and a Muslim woman. Yesterday a “reconciliation” meeting was arranged between the relevant Coptic and Muslim families and together with the Muslim elders it was decided that Ashraf Iskander would have to leave the village because Muslims torched his house.

The father of the Muslim woman was killed by his cousin because he did not kill his daughter to preserve the family’s honor, which led the woman’s brother to avenge the death of his father by killing the cousin. The village Muslims blamed the Christians. (emphasis mine)

The Muslim mob attacked the church, exploding 5-6 gas cylinders inside the church, pulled down the cross and the domes and burnt everything inside.

So let’s get this sequence straight:

1. There is a relationship between a Christian and a Muslim.
2. Muslims torch the Christian’s house for it.
3. In order to achieve “reconciliation” the now homeless Christian leaves.
4. The Muslims promptly start killing each other.
5. The Muslims decide it’s not their fault they are killing each other, it’s the fault of the Christian community.
6. Muslims start attacking Christians and torching churches.

Am I the only one who is willing to say aloud that this is insane and barbaric?

But Egyptian’s Christians shouldn’t worry after all the new Egypt recognizes that every in an Egyptian first.

The Church of St. Mina and St. George was torched, and its clergy are unaccounted for. The fire department and security forces failed to respond to Coptic pleas for help during the arson attack.

Or not.

But that was just a family thing, it’s not like the Muslim Brotherhood is going after Christians too:

…this week members of the Muslim Brotherhood, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” stormed a Christian school on Thabit Street in downtown Asyut and attempted to take it over. Egyptian security forces, including an army unit, intervened and routed out the Brotherhood members. The school had been built by Presbyterian missionaries in the early 1900s, and is now directed by Presbyterian Pastor Naji. Christian leaders from this southern area expressed a deepening sense of insecurity as the Muslim Brotherhood emerges from the underground.

At least in this case the army (which doesn’t have a great love of the Muslim Brotherhood) stepped in.

Expect to see a lot more of this and expect it to be ignored by the MSM, at least as long as the dead are Christians.

Christians need not apply

Posted: February 28, 2011 by datechguy in culture, internet/free speech
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Be aware folks this is coming here if at all possible.

But Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation ‘should take precedence’ over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.

The landmark case heard that the couple, who are now considering an appeal, argued their rights are being ‘trumped’ by those of homosexuals under equality legislation.

Outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Mrs Johns stood alongside her husband as she said: ‘We are extremely distressed at what the judges have ruled today.

‘All we wanted was to offer a loving home to a child in need. We have a good track record as foster parents.

‘But because we are Christians, with mainstream Christian views on sexual ethics, we are apparently unsuitable as foster parents.

One question, forgetting the absurdity and the religious blacklisting of Christians, would this same judge be willing to make the same judgment if a Muslim couple wanted to adopt?

HA!

This is how the holy spirit works

Posted: February 27, 2011 by datechguy in catholic, personal
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As anyone in business can tell you one of the things you notice in hard times is that the bills you owe always tend to come on time but the checks that you have coming tend to lag a bit.

When your business is your primary source of income the cash flow issue is a source of a lot of worry and tension, particularly with a new business. It can eat you alive.

This morning when I got up more snow was falling, I just got a big batch of bills and was feeling very low. I headed to mass with my son to church and almost got stuck going up the hill. When we got to Mass today’s Gospel Was Matthew 6:24-34 where Jesus says:

No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment ton? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

During his sermon after the Gospel Fr. Bob pointed out that this doesn’t mean do NOTHING, it means do instead of worrying when you can and when you can’t, put it in Christ’s hands. As he said in the Bulletin:

Worry is like a rocking chair–you pass the time but you don’t go anywhere. That was one of my grandmother’s favorite sayings. Those old folks had a lot of wisdom, you know.

Whenever we are faced with a dilemma and we find ourselves worrying, that’s the time to step back from the situation and ask ourselves: “Is there anything I can do about it right now?” If there is , do it. You’ll feel better. If there is nothing you can do, then what good will worrying do? Nothing at all.

“But I have to do something! I’m a nervous wreck!” So, that’s when we pray for serenity and peace. As Jesus taught, “Seek, first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you besides.” If our prayer life is in order, everything else will follow as God directs. “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take are of itself.”

It’s quite a coincidence that this would be the Gospel today when I was even talking to my oldest about the family financial issues and wondering if the my own set of bills were going to be paid on time. Then again I would suggest it isn’t a coincidence. The Holy Spirit knows what you need and tends to put you in the right place at the right time, if we only have eyes to see it.

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