ASSMONKEY ALERT!!!
Everyone of these pieces of scheit should be transported to FATA or NWFP, Pakistan and then napalmed.
May they all burn in hell!
If President Obama apologizes one more time, he should be impeached.
When is Hamid Karzai going to apologize for the deaths of our soldiers!!! I won’t hold my breath.
Paper was burned. Paper and ink. That’s all. No one was burning Islam. No one was purposely attempting to offend Islam. Grow up Muslim World.
“There will be moments like this when you’re searching for the meaning of this loss. There will be moments like this when your emotions are governed by anger and a desire to strike back,” Allen said in comments NATO released Friday.
“Now is not the time for revenge. Now is not the time for vengeance. Now is the time to look deep inside your souls, remember your mission, remember your discipline, remember who you are.”
Listen to your leaders Assmonkeys!
Justinian (The Messiah) and Theodora (The Virgin) ~ The Creators of Roman Christianity
I believe that Jesus would gaze disapprovingly upon most of the Christians of this age.
I have my beliefs and am satisfied with them. For me, organized religion, worship of “holy” books such as the Bible or the Qu’ran, the post-Constantin Roman Christian concentration on the physical person of Christ rather than the message of Christ, the belief that Faith alone will get you to heaven and the stubborn clinging to a belief in a “Loving God” who condemns souls to hell will keep me away from what now passes for Christianity.
I believe in Christ as prophet of the Gods. For me, it is enough that he was a messenger who brought a message of Faith, Hope and Love to mankind. I do not need to sit in a church pew and moan ad nauseum how much I “LOOOOOVE JeeZus!” like some heifer in spiritual heat. It is not what one believes but how one incorporates ones beliefs into ones life that is important.
I know far too many Christians who talk a great game and then fall back on the Original Sin hoax stating that we are all sinners as an excuse for turning a blind eye to and doing nothing about the evils in this world.
Too many believe that as long as they believe in Jesus and accept him into their hearts as their savior that they are going to heaven. I believe that it is impossible to accept Jesus without accepting his message. The Ministry of Jesus was about work. The work of loving the world. The work of loving your neighbor. The work of accepting and not judging.
Each Christian vote for acts such as the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment is a repudiation of the message of Christ. Each Christian vote against the poor is a repudiation of the message of Christ. Each Christian vote against immigrants from South America is a repudiation of the life of Christ.
Christ was about helping the poor and welcoming everyone into the family of man. His life was not about keeping those poverty stricken Mexicans out of America. Christ was not about marginalizing homosexuals or the poor. Christ was not about sanctifying marriage for this group or that group.
30 years ago marriage was too sacred to allow a Black Man to marry a White Woman. Miscegenation was a great evil. Now, if you’re a good Christian, you must stop the homosexuals from ruining marriage. What’s next? Maybe they’ll actually tackle the real problem facing marriage. Adultery. I doubt that though. They’d have to fire 80% of the Preacher Men if they did that.
I missed that in the teachings of Christ. I missed where Jesus stated that only White Men can marry White Women and that no other marriage was valid.
These are some of the many reasons that I will never again be a part of Christianity.
The greatest reason is that I revere Christ and see that organization which claims to represent him as a repudiation of all that is good about the man and his message.
Having long ago verged from the path of Ieshua the Nazarene, Modern Christianity is a hot mess.
Suicide Bomb goes off in Market ~ Muslim World Silent
Qu’ran flushed in a toilet ~ Muslims Riot
Women raped and then deceived into becoming suicide bombers ~ Muslim World Silent
Terry Jones threatens to burn a Qu’ran ~ Muslims Riot
6 year old Afghan Girl used as suicide bomber ~ Muslim World Silent
Qu’ran rumored to be burned ~ Muslims Riot
40 Children saved by Combined Coalition/Afghan Force ~ Muslim World Silent
Qu’rans accidentally included in a burn pile ~ Muslims Riot in Afghanistan
Do any Muslims see the stupidity in this? Does anyone else?
Is the Qu’ran this important?
People wonder why I have no respect for religion.
To Muslims, it's sacred. To anyone else in the world, it's just a damn book.
1. Don’t spread rumours. Whenever you hear something which concerns your collective life, communicate it to the appropriate authorities so as to make them reach a correct conclusion after proper investigation:
(4:83) “When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they divulge it, although their attachment and obedience to the (Divine) System requires that they had only referred it to the Rasool (central authority) or those charged with authority amongst them (officers of the lower ranks); in case they refer it to them, the specialists could verify and ascertain the truth.”
Afghanistan, 21 February 2012
Afghans are rioting in Kabul and Bagram AGAIN. Blocking streets. Attacking innocent civilians and Westerners. Why? Another violent reaction to a perceived slight. US Soldiers inadvertently including Qu’rans in a pile of files and documents that were being burned.
While they were burning these materials, some local nationals were in the area. These local nationals (AFGHANS) noticed that there were Qu’rans and other religious materials being burned. Instead of asking why the soldiers were burning the material, the Afghans jumped to the worst possible conclusion. They stormed off the base and riled up the masses outside of Bagram and spread vicious rumors about the Soldiers of Bagram. By morning, the rioting had spread to Kabul.
The locals didn’t stop and ask the guys who were burning the stuff if they indeed knew what they were burning. They offered no advice or warning. They simply became enraged and started riots and protests. Typical Muslim behavior the world over. See something happening, become enraged and jump to conclusions.
AFTER the Qu’rans had been burned, the Afghans walked off the job and proceeded to spread the news that US Soldiers at Bagram were burning Qu’rans.
My question is this:
Why did the local nationals (AFGHANS) not stop the guys and tell them that they were about to burn Qu’rans? Why did they not inquire as to the nature of the Soldiers’ reasoning in burning the materials that included Qu’rans?
I’ve read the book and, therefore, I know what a Qu’ran looks like. A guy who has never seen a Qu’ran isn’t going to know that it’s a Qu’ran. It’s going to look like some book with squiggly ass writing on it in the middle of a bunch of other old papers, files and books with squiggly ass writing on it. If there are boxes of books and files and a few lower Enlisted guys are told to take the shit out to the burn pit and burn it, they’re going to take the shit out to the burn pit and burn it. I’ve thrown tons of old stuff into the fire pits in Bagram, Camp Stone and other places. If it’s old shit, I rarely look through it. I just start ripping, wadding and burning and throwing.
So Afghans watched a group of Soldiers burn some Qu’rans along with a bunch of other stuff. Having simply watched the Qu’rans burning and not offering any warning to anyone involved that they were about to burn the Holy Qu’ran, the Afghans spread the news that US Soldiers are burning Qu’rans. Kabulis and other Afghans are now out in force blocking roads, burning tires and rioting in general. As a result of this, one or two of Afghans and possibly, but doubtfully, a Coalition member or two will wind up dead or injured due to the stupidity of a couple of Afghans who could have forestalled all of this by simply saying; “Hey, do you know that those are Qu’rans that you are about to burn?”
Had an Afghan told the Soldiers this, not one Qu’ran would have been burned. Another thing that could have forestalled this would have been a little situational awareness on the part of the NCO or Officer who ordered the files to be burned. Having said this, the US Army should not be in the business of handing out religious books. If that is done at all, it should be in the hands of the various Chaplains in country.
Bottom line, though. It’s a fuckin’ book. If God had touched it or they were copies carried back from the Kaba’a or they were ancient manuscripts that were carried by Abu Bakr or Hussein and Ali, I could understand. But these were US mass produced copies of the Qu’ran. Not every copy of the Qu’ran is sacred. Some of them are just books that were mass produced. The Mullahs need to stop acting like and telling the Umma that all copies of the Qu’ran are sacred. Nothing that is massed produced is sacred. I don’t give a fuck if God himself hands each one out himself. If it’s massed produced, it’s about as sacred as a Happy Meal.
American and other Coalition soldiers have shed their blood in defense of Afghanistan. Shoulder to Shoulder or Shona ba Shona and Ooga pa ooga as the Afghans say. Coalition Forces have died defending the Afghans right to worship as they see fit. Americans, Canadians, British, Romanians, French and soldiers of other Nations have given their lives for the people of Afghanistan. The Afghans overwhelmingly express a desire for America and the Coalition to stay on past 2014. Afghans are fearful of a resurgent Taliban. Yet, the moment an American or a Coalition Soldier makes a mistake concerning their fuckin’ book, the Afghans go insane and jump to the worst possible conclusion.
The actions by these protesting Afghans dishonors every Soldier who has given his life for the cause of Afghan independence and security.
I have news for Afghans and Muslims world wide. The overwhelming majority of non-Muslims could give a fuck less about Islam or the Qu’ran. That includes the majority of the International Force fighting for your right to act like complete idiots each time someone pisses on or burns a Qu’ran. If it weren’t for the Coalition of Nations and their Soldiers including those who inadvertently burned the Qu’ran last night, Afghans would still be under the oppressive reign of the Taliban. Most of us in the West don’t care enough about Islam to burn a book which is essentially meaningless to us. However, the more ignorant that the more idiotic of the Muslim Faith act in “defense” of their religion, the more people dislike the Faith of Islam and the more likely people are to see Islam as an enemy of peace. The more Muslims react with this seemingly instinctively visceral insanity after any instance of supposed disrespect to the religion of Islam, the more likely folks are to see Islam as an exercise in intellectual and spiritual fallacy. The more likely regular folks are to see it as an enemy.
Muslims, grow the fuck up. Neither you nor your religion is entitled to respect. Respect is earned. If you’ll note, the Islamic world is the poorest region of the world. The Islamic world is one of the most illiterate regions on the planet. The world of Islam is one of the most violent regions in the world. The Nations of Islam are the most oppressive on the planet. Again, grow the fuck up.
Most people in the West know next to nothing about Islam. The one thing that nearly all people who have any awareness of Islam know is that many of it’s adherents are petty lunatics and are prone to riots and violence over any perceived insult to Islam, Mohommad or the Qu’ran. We don’t care about your religion. Keep it to yourself. As a non-Muslim, I am not obligated to show respect for your Faith. If I do show it respect, it is not because I am obliged to do so. That respect is due to the Muslims whom I have known over the years for whom I have respect. These folks earned my respect. The morons out there rioting over inadvertently burned Qu’rans burn away the respect that those folks earned from me. The majority of Muslims whom I have met are excellent people. I don’t see them doing this incessant rioting and whining over smallish slights to their religion. They realize that not everyone believes as they do. They realize that some folks out there make their religion look bad. The folks out there rioting over cartoons, inadvertently or purposefully burned Qu’rans and Fitna videos make all Muslims look foolish. These are the Muslims who make it possible for the World to look at the Muslim world as an illiterate, insane backwater that is not worthy or ready for self-determination or self leadership. These fools make the World of Islam ripe for exploitation. These fools make it possible for the Islamic world to be dehumanized on a grand scale. These fools make possible the Saddam Husseins, Hosni Mubaraks, Khomeinis, Ahmadinejads and Bashar al-Assads. These fools make it possible for the West to maintain relations with the House of Saud. The West would rather deal with these mad men than the mass of lunatics represented by the rioters of the Muslim World.
It’s extremely hard to defend Islam or Muslims when they act like fucking morons. Please stop acting like complete and utter morons!
Get a grip. It would help if Muslims actually read the Qu’ran which they hold so sacred:
(24:15-16) “When you received it on your tongues and spoke with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge, and you deemed it a trifle, while with Allah Almighty it was serious. And why did you not, when you heard it, say: It beseems us not to talk of it. Glory be to Thee! This is a great calumny”
Another celebrity dies, another group of bubbleheads use that celebrities death to make political statements about the downfall of society.
People die every day. The effect that a death has on the world is determined by the ways in which a person has touched the world in life. There are millions of people who are concerned over the troubles of Africa. At some point, though, Africa has to solve it’s own problems. Much like Afghanistan, the world can not force African Nations to start giving a damn about themselves and each other enough so as to solve their problems themselves.
Short of going in and slaughtering half of them and then solving their problems for them, what would these folks have the world do?
People are going to continue to celebrate talent and mourn the loss of such talented people. People are going to continue to see problems such as those in Africa as something far removed and not of their concern as long as these problems are remote. It’s all about proximity. That has nothing to do with our society. In many ways, it’s all to do with scale.
Who’s society are we talking about anyway? Romanian? European? Chinese? American? Islamic? Christian? Buddhist? Hindu? Zoroastrian? Byzantine?
How is mourning the death of a talented person a damnable characteristic of a society?
Millions of dollars are poured into Africa each day. Millions more will continue to be poured into Africa. This will happen year after year, decade after decade. Millions of people have sent money or traveled to Africa to help Africans. When does Africa start to help itself. It’s the same thing about which we have complained in Afghanistan. These people overwhelmingly will not help their own neighbors. Instead choosing to get theirs before they “get got.” The corruption levels in places Afghanistan and the countries of Africa are off the scale.
What would these people have us do? I see criticisms. I see no solutions proffered.
Any time anyone does attempt to force a Nation or a people to act a certain way, the very people who keep saying that we should do something start complaining about the way we are doing that “something.” If we simply pour money into these countries, they turn into Somalias or Rwandas. If we do nothing, they turn into Syrias and Lybias.
Is crying over 1 million dead Africans going to solve anything? If I take a moment out of each day and shed a tear over the deaths of millions of children and mothers in Africa, is this going to change the world? I think not.
With all of that in mind, why is the mourning of Whitney Houston by the people whose lives have been touched by her voice a statement of any sort on “Society?” The peoples of those societies mourn the death of a talented person who has touched millions of lives through song. How is that a great evil? How does that equal a “messed up” society?
with the Pittsburgh Steeler’s Mike Tomlin
Hood looks as tall as Wiltjer. Is the kid still growing?
This is cycling around the internets. I thought it interesting and looked it up on snopes. I know snopes is a fairly left leaning website. They, of course, took the diplomatic route. Instead of denying the veracity of the information presented, they simply stated “it’s more complicated than that…”
Joe and Jane America are being raped at the gas pump by BIG OIL and BIG GREEN. All the while, Congress sits on their hands on this issue. Instead of funding a massive scientific thrust to replace fossil fuels or simply opening places like ANWAR and the Gulf to drilling OR purchasing oil from our neighbors in Canada, Congress holds themselves hostage to special interests such as Exxon Mobile and other Petrol Industry Giants, OPEC and the Greens.
I don’t know if the email is actually from a guy with family in Alaska or if that’s just an emotional plug. It really doesn’t matter. America should drill for oil if we have access to it. We should not be slaves to the Saudis and other OPEC Nations. If we had no interest in Middle Eastern Oil, we’d not be embroiled in the Middle Eastern troubles. China, France, Russia and India could spill their own blood in defense of cheaper access to the Saudi throne.
I long for the day that we are no longer involved in the intrigues of the Wahhabi Princes of the Arabian Peninsula and the Idiocracy of the Iranian Revolution.
Read the email below:
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My daughter and son-in-law were in L. A. last week from their home in Anchorage . He is a foreman in the oil fields at ANWR. He has to fly his own plane to get to the job where he spends months at a time in the most God forsaken place this side of Siberia.
He confirmed everything that is in this story, and brought dozens of pictures for proof. Our environmentalist friends have forced gas prices up to an impossible rate, forcing us to buy oil from our enemies, for whatever reason that simply isn’t true.
There is enough oil in AMWR to supply the US at our present rate of usage for more than 200 years. The space that ANWR occupies in Alaska is equivalent to a postage stamp in the Mojave Desert.
If you won’t mind paying $5.00 a gallon in the very near future try to make sense of the following:
This is the best presentation on ANWR I have seen. I would like to add a little more information. A new pipeline across Alaska isn’t required since the location for drilling in ANWR is about 160 miles from the North Slope Prudhoe Bay pipeline where it would be connected. I did not know this.
Second the wildlife love the pipeline since it is heated and provides a shelter during the worst times during the winter.
Maybe another question should be asked. FIRST do you know what ANWR is?
ANSWER: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Now a comparison
And some perspective
NOTE WHERE THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AREA IS LOCATED
(it’s in the “ANWR Coastal Plain”)
THIS IS WHAT THE “GREENS” DISPLAY WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT ANWR and they are right these ARE photographs of ANWR.
ISN’T ANWR BEAUTIFUL? WHY SHOULD WE DRILL HERE AND DESTROY THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE? It would be an act of sacrilege.
WELL THAT’S NOT EXACTLY THE TRUTH!
Remember that map? The map showed that the proposed drilling area is in the ANWR Coastal Plain. Do those photographs look like a coastal plain to you? No! That’s because those pictures are not of the coastal plain. Those are pictures of the interior of ANWR. Those photos were taken hundreds of miles away from the areas which would be drilled if Congress weren’t beholden to Big Oil and Big Green.
This is the actual area wherein drilling is proposed.
This is what it looks like in winter.
This is what it looks like in the summer. It’s a barren wasteland. Devoid of life.
Below is a screen shot from Google Earth:
As you can see, the area in which they propose to drill is a barren wasteland. It’s devoid of any appreciable wild life. Nearly devoid of life completely.
Then they say that they are concerned about the effect of Oil Rigs, Equipment, Living and Office Space on the local wildlife.
HERE IS A PHOTO (SHOT DURING THE SUMMER) OF THE “DEPLETED WILDLIFE” SITUATION CREATED BY DRILLING AROUND PRUDHOE BAY *
Do the caribou look like they are fearful or starving? They don’t look in the least bit concern. Animals have a way of adapting for which the Big Green Propaganda Machine does not give them credit.
THAT SAME SPOT DURING THE WINTER.
THIS BEAR SEEMS TO REALLY HATE THE PIPELINE NEAR PRUDHOE BAY!
*The Prudhoe bay area accounts for 17% of U.S. domestic oil production.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE LYING ABOUT ANWR?
REMEMBER WHEN AL GORE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK TO ARTIFICIALLY RAISE GAS PRICES TO $5.00 A GALLON?
AL GORE AND HIS FELLOW DEMOCRATS and BIG GREEN MACHINE CRONIES HAVE ALMOST REACHED THEIR GOAL!
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN GOING ALONG FOR THE RIDE AT THE BEHEST OF BIG OIL.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
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It’s past time to run them all out of Washington. All of the Professional Politicians, their cronies and the lobbying scum.
VOTE OUT ALL OF THE INCUMBENTS!
And keep voting them out until they do the bidding of the people by whom they were sent to Washington in the First Place.
* I made a few alterations in style but left the substance of the email intact.*
When did Gay start to have only one meaning that is dominated by Homosexual society? Nearly every word in the English language has multiple meanings.
The word BALL, for instance, has at least 5 meanings. Do Ballers get offended when someone says that they’re “balling their girlfriend” or that they’re “having a ball?”
What’s next? Can we not use the word Queer in it’s original intent?
The original meaning of Gay is Happy. The original meaning of Queer is Funny.
Words evolve. Get the fuck over it. That’s goes for Hillary Duff and the rest of the Hollywood cultural fluff agents as well.
In the immortal words of Richard Pryor; “Have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up!”
The Hotter Disney Gal
Here is the other half of the abortion issue.
A woman gets pregnant. She has three choices:
a. Give Birth
b. Abortion
c. Adoption.
The man has no choice in the matter. Yet, this baby is a part of him as well. Even so, the woman can decide to murder the baby and the man has no choice in the matter. In my opinion, if it is only the woman’s choice as to what to do with “her body,” the man should have choices as well.
A man should be able to decide from the outset whether he wants to be a father or not. Just as the woman makes this decision. However, this is not what happens. If the woman wants to murder the baby, the man has no choice. Zero recourse. If the woman wants to keep the baby, the man has no choice and must pay for this child for the next 18 to 23 years. The man is basically held for ransom for 18 to 23 years of his life. He is at the mercy of the woman. He is expected to support this baby and, often times, the woman/mother.
I thought that we were all about equal rights in America. There is no equality in this relationship.
A man should have the right to decline Fatherhood in the exact same way that women are given the right to decline Motherhood. As long as abortion is legal, Fatherhood should also be a choice. If the man wants to have nothing to do with the woman and/or the baby, he should have that choice. Period.
Abortion = Choice
Even though it is the equivalent of legal murder.
Legal Abortion should be a choice given to men as well. A man should have the right to abort the child in a LEGAL sense. The man should be allowed to choose to not have the child in the exact same way as the woman has the right to choose to not have the child.
Anything less is discriminatory. Anything else is immoral.
If anyone secretly entices you–even if it is your brother, your father’s son or your mother’s son, or your own son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your most intimate friend– saying, “Let us go worship other gods,” whom neither you nor your ancestors have known,
any of the gods of the peoples that are around you, whether near you or far away from you, from one end of the earth to the other, you must not yield to or heed any such persons. Show them no pity or compassion and do not shield them.
But you shall surely kill them; your own hand shall be first against them to execute them, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
Stone them to death for trying to turn you away
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I agree with the Tea Partiers and Neo-Nativists.
Any religion that includes passages such as these
in their Holy Book should be banned from the
United States of America.
These are outdated notions in a world attempting to achieve universal peace and harmony. Any religion that claims to be
of love and peaceful would recognize that such talk is counter-
productive and would rid itself of such language.
By the way, that passage under the photo is straight
out of the Bible (Deuteronomy 13:6).
A most excellent passage from the New Testament would seem to apply here:
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Jesus of Nazereth
Matthew 7:5
No Conversion, Please: “I believe that there is no such thing as conversion from one faith to another in the accepted sense of the word. It is a highly personal matter for the individual and his God. I may not have any design upon my neighbour as to his faith, which I must honour even as I honour my own. Having reverently studied the scriptures of the world I could no more think of asking a Christian or a Musalman, or a Parsi or a Jew to change his faith than I would think of changing my own.” (Harijan: September 9, 1935)
All Religions are True: “I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.” (Young India: January 19, 1928)
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I wonder how many will have the courage to forward this on to friends and relatives. ; ) No guilt from me. Do as you wish. God won’t hate you. God won’t love you more. You won’t get good luck or bad. No car will come crashing through the front of your house and you won’t go bald or become impotent if you don’t forward this. You won’t lose your your job, your wife or your dog if you don’t forward this. You won’t win the lottery or a get laid if you do send it forward. You’ll simply have forwarded on something for others to think about.
The Heretic
(I sent this out as an email. I wonder if it will make it back to me someday as a forward.)
John Brown was a mad man. Of that, I have no doubt. Was he a Freedom Fighter? He died in the cause of freedom. He died fighting to end the oppression of the American Slave.
It’s all the rage today and for the past decade to attempt to label the people fighting for a cause as FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
Is a Freedom Fighter anyone fighting against a superior force? Is a freedom fighter anyone willing to fight against perceived oppression no matter the ideals for which that group is fighting?
Were Bolsheviks freedom fighters? Are Palestinians freedom fighters? Were the Viet Minh freedom fighters? Are the Taliban freedom fighters? Are Sunni insurgents who are backed by al Qaeda freedom fighters? Are the Hezbollah soldiers backed by Iran in the fight against Lebanese Christians and Israelis fighting for freedom? Are they freedom fighters?
They fit the definition of Wikipedia. Yet, are they fighting for freedom or the freedom to oppress as they see fit to oppress.
Hezbollah is an arm of the Iranian Revolution. They are fighting to establish an extension of the Shi’a form of Iranian oppression over the people of Palestine to include the Jews and Christians of the area. They would impose the Iranian Revolutionary form of governance over the people of Palestine. Hamas, Fatah and the PLA would impose their form of governance which would be Sharia Law on all and sundry in the area. Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Expression and Speech would be on the same level as that of Iran and Saudi Arabia if these folks win. Yet, many consider these groups to be “Freedom Fighters.”
I would make the assumption that to be labeled a Freedom Fighter, one must be fighting for freedom. Freedom being defined as:
: the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
Being released from something onerous. The absence of coercion or constraint. I would say destroying a nation that allows free speech and freedom of religion in favor of imposing a Religious Ideology would not qualify as fighting for freedom. We may as well reach back into history and call Hitler or Napoleon Freedom Fighters.
Geronimo fought for the way of life of his people. Freedom Fighter?
Che Guevara was called a Freedom Fighter. Some went so far as to call Fidel Castro a Freedom Fighter. Simon Bolivar WAS a freedom fighter even though in the end he attempted to establish himself as an Imperial Ruler. He fought to liberate the people of South and Central American from the Colonial oppression of Spain and other European Powers such as Portugal and the Catholic Church. George Washington could be categorized as a Freedom Fighter. He fought for Independence. He was offered absolute power and turned it down in favor of freedom and liberty. The Haitians during the Presidential Administration of Woodrow Wilson could be labelled such without stretching the term.
Woodrow Wilson who championed Self Determination was absolutely not a fighter in the cause of freedom. He championed Freedom and Self determination but only so long as you were White, Anglo Saxon and, preferably, Protestant. Ho Chi Minh, regardless of where he wound up, began as a Freedom Fighter. When Uncle Ho approached Woodrow Wilson, he was in the fight against colonial oppression. He fought for the liberation of Indo-China from French, then Japanese and then, once again, French Colonial control. Once Uncle Ho became the power in North Vietnam, he was no longer a Freedom Fighter. Not because he was “the MAN,” but because he sought to enslave his fellow Vietnamese with the yoke of Communism.
I would posit that no person who fought for Communism could ever be labeled a Freedom Fighter. Communism is a form of coercion. It is a form of constraint. It is enslavement of mind, body and soul. One can not fight for freedom and simultaneously fight for the cause of Communism.
Ho Chi Minh ~ fought against colonial oppression of both the Japanese and France then led North Vietnam in the fight to impose communist rule over the soveriegn people of the nation of South Vietnam. Freedom Fighter?
There are many confused folks out there who are wont to use the term Freedom Fighter when speaking of fighters in the cause of Allah. People fighting for the right to darken a land with the laws of Islam. Sharia Law. The imposition of Sharia law is the imposition of a set of laws that enslave mind, body and soul of whole peoples. The choice of religion is taken away. Nearly all choice is taken away in the lands of Sharia law. One must be Muslim or pay a tax for not being so. That’s no choice. One can not choose to leave Islam. The Sentence for leaving Islam is Death. Once one becomes a Muslim, to depart from the Umma is apostasy. Apostasy is a crime punishable by death. The plight of women in Islam is well known. It matters not if it is cultural or religious or a combination thereof. Women are chattel property in Islam. Women have no true rights. They must dress, act and think as the Patriarch demands. They must marry whom they are told to marry. They must act in accordance with the whims of men.
With this in mind, how can a Palestinian be called a Freedom Fighter. The man who fights for Palestine is fighting to impose Islamic Law over a people who may not want to have Sharia Law imposed on them. I’m sure the Christians of Palestine will not be content to live under Sharia law. The Jews of Palestine will not wish to live under Sharia law. Yet, this is the avowed goal. Palestinian Muslims wish to return Palestine to Islam. All of Palestine. The destruction of the Jewish State and the implementation of Islamic Law over all. Islam uber alles, so to speak.
The Maoists in Nepal and Tibet. Are these folks freedom fighters? I think not. They wish to impose Maoist Communism on the people of these two States. Having been successful in Tibet with the “assistance” of the Maoist Chinese, they fight on in Nepal by kidnapping tourists and holding them for ransom.
Mahatma Gandhi ~ led the non-violent cause of India towards independence from Britain. India then became a Communist Nation. Freedom Fighter?
We, in the West, too often support a cause based on faulty perceptions. Someone labels a group Freedom Fighters. Suddenly and without thought, Westerners jump on the bandwagon. We should put a little thought into our support of these groups. What group would you support in Iran if you were to choose? There are secularists groups in Iran. Secular Socialists. Secular Communists. Secular Islamists. These are the Islamists themselves who are moderate Muslims and wish for Iran to have a Secular Government and Religion to be extracted from the political sphere.
Who would we support if it came down to it? I think our government would be fooled again.
Personally, I’d rather have Saddam Hussein and his Ba’athist Party in control of Iraq than the fools emplaced by Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfield and George Bush. Anyone who espouses religious control of the people is a murderer in waiting. Pat Robertson as Imperial Christian Leader of the Christian States of America would be no different than the Ayatollah Khomeinii. Of that, I have no doubt. He would tell us that GoD ordered that all non-believers, heretics, infidels should be put down and we’d have Americans who would understand and obey those orders. I could see an American Basijji being imposed on us as well under a Christian Administration with the power to do so. Chastity police roaming the streets of LA, New York, Miami and New Orleans.
With that in mind, Freedom Fighters need to maintain their vigilance right here in America. We need not imagine or find foes outside of our borders. We have enemies of freedom right here in America.
Che Guevara ~ led the peasants of South America against the oppressive landlords and governments. Went on to fight for Fidel Castro and Communism. Freedom Fighter?
The Obama Administration is pushing hard to end internet freedom. That is, however, a bi-partisan issue. Members of both parties wish for this power. The same power held by Communist China. The power to shut down the internet on the mere suggestion of a threat to national security. Republicans are in on the scam to end internet freedom. They lie and say that they aren’t for it even as they were poised to vote for PIPA and the similar bills. Then the American People spoke out on the issue. The people of the United States who love their freedom spoke out and the people’s representatives, by some miracle, listened and acted accordingly. The Big Money of MGM, Sony, Virgin and the other Entertainment Moguls who would have stifled freedom in the name of profit were defeated. But! It’s only round One. They’ll come around again with their greed and demagoguery in the name of Profit and Greed.
Can America be considered to have fought for freedom over this past decade? We fought the Taliban in Afghanistan only to have a Sharia Constitution imposed on the people of Afghanistan. We destroyed the Ba’athist Regime of Saddam Hussein only to install a Constitution in Iraq that is based on Sharia Law. We installed a Government in Iraq via crooked elections that is full of infighting Thugs who are consolidating power into one or two people. I would be surprised by another Iraqi election. Afghanistan elected Hamid Karzai to continue his corrupt associations with Warlords and Muslim Thugs.
Was that “freedom fighting?” If it was freedom, it was short lived. It ended the moment that Religion took precedence over the will of the people.
All we did was throw out the dirty bath water and, then, jumped in the mud as we marveled over the immaculate mud around our ankles.
Freedom Fighters?
Was there ever a true instance of Freedom Fighters? I can not think of many instances in history wherein the people were truly fighting for universal freedom. The American Colonies fight against Britain? The Irish against Britain? Gandhi against Britain? Eastern European revolutions against the Soviet Union? The Arab Spring? All of these were marred by instances of people fighting for freedom while enslaving or oppressing others. The American Colonies fought to be liberated from the British Empire while enslaving millions and importing millions more from Africa to be enslaved.
I just thought this picture was cool. A Freedom Fighter should fight in the cause of FREEDOM. Fighting in the cause of oppression does not earn one the title of Freedom Fighter.
How can Americans, then, have been called Freedom Fighters? We fought for White Male Liberty while simultaneously enslaving millions, committing genocide and denying equality to Women. Americans destroyed and oppressed whole tribes of peoples across the North American continent. Is that Freedom Fighting? We then warred on Mexico because we wanted to take their land. Freedom Fighters? We then stole Hawaii and warred with Spain to take control of Spanish Colonies. Freedom Fighting?
But all of those instances pale in comparison to the fools who called the Communists Freedom Fighters. There were people in America who supported Mao and Lenin and Stalin and Ho Chi Minh. There were probably some misguided fools who supported Pol Pot.
Mao was at times called a Freedom Fighter. Stalin’s minions were called Freedom Fighters in Greece, Italy, South America among other places. These men enslaved millions and slaughtered and starved millions more. Unfortunately, FDR and Churchill had us fighting alongside that murderous Thug Stalin in World War II. We fought Germany to free Eastern European nations from Fascist oppression only to leave them to Communist Enslavement behind the Iron Curtain. In World War II, we allied ourselves with Satan in order to fend off beezlebub.
Were the Soviets who fought Nazis Freedom Fighters? Were Nazis who fought the Soviets Freedom Fighters?
These labels that we place on people are idiotic. No label can nicely and roundly fit a whole group of people. It’s no different using the label “hero” for all Service Members who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I can tell you for a fact that not all of them are heroes. A hero is someone who goes above and beyond duty. A hero is supposed to be someone extraordinary. A person who sits in an office on Camp Eggers or NKC for 12 months in Kabul, Afghanistan is no more extraordinary than a person who sits in an office in New York City for 12 months. I don’t care if they wear a uniform or a pair of cut off jeans short and a t-shirt.
Heroes. Freedom Fighters.
Is it all just nonsense? I often wonder. The plain fact is that if everyone is a hero, no one is a hero. Nothing is heroic. What do we call people who actually act in heroic manner? Uber-heroes?
If a freedom fighter can fight for Islamic Sharia or Communism or Slavery, then there is no such thing as Freedom. One can not freedom fight one’s way into universal bondage.
In America, it's called ObamaCare!
The Next Generation of Fighter will come from this Group. People who refuse to be wage slaves for Corporations.
We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.
~ Golda Meir
Do Muslims of the Middle East love their children? I am often perplexed by this question as it often seems as though Muslims hate with much more vehemence than they love. Muslims often seem to have a greater love of martyrdom than of life. This great love of martyrdom seems to extend to their attitudes and behavior towards their children.
Arabs, or rather Muslims, regularly send their children to their deaths as suicide bombers into crowded markets of their own people. They send their airplanes into towers in the cities of other nations. There is much evidence that Muslims have targeted women in Iraq. The offending parties find women who are easy victims. They rape these women. Another woman who is in on the scam will tell this woman that she is shamed, spoiled, worthless. She’s been raped, she’ll never find a husband. Never have a family. Better that she give her life for Allah and become a martyr. This victim then becomes victim again and is sent as a human missile into the midst of fellow Muslims to explode into so many pieces of wasted potential. Convinced in her grief and shame that by murdering these fellow Muslims that she will find paradise waiting for her in the hereafter.
Afghan and Paki Taliban often target young children. They give them a basket full of clothes and tell the child to deliver the basket to an Afghan National Police Check Point. Unbeknownst to the child, within the folds of the clothing is hidden a bomb. The package is detonated as the child is delivering the basket. Not after the package has been delivered, but, while it is still in the hands of the child. The Taliban blow the child into “martyrdom” and “paradise” along with the adult Afghans at the check point. Worse yet, they convince some of these children that the bomb will not kill them, but, that the bomb will kill only the infidel. These are crimes against humanity to the Nth degree. The Palestinians have not shied away from sending children off to martyrdom’s paradise either.
Iranian children during the Iran-Iraq War were “volunteered” for service on the front lines as mine clearers. Iranian Leaders asked the Umma, or faithful, of Shi’a Iran to send their children to the battlefields to be martyred for the Great Ayatollah Khomeini. For certainly, they were assured of paradise as martyrs for the Great Iranian Revolution. These children were rolled up in blankets and told to roll over the ground where the Military suspected or knew there were minefields so that the THE CHILDREN would detonate mines before the Iranian Army marched or drove their vehicles through. No, the children did not survive the blast, but, it was ok. They were on their way to paradise. I don’t know what a 12 year old Child would do with his or her 72 Virgins. These were Children! Aged 12-13.
It’s an honest question. It’s a simple question. Do Muslims love their Children? If Ayatollah Sistani tells the Muslims of Iraq to send theirr children into minefields, will “good Muslims” heed the call? If al Sadr or Khamanei tells “good Muslims” to send their toddlers into the road with a bomb strapped to their waist and they will be martyrs and go straight to paradise, will “good Muslims” comply?
A Muslim daughter dishonors her father. She is often murdered for this great crime. Often the incident that brings dishonor is conjured, a lie or simply a man wishing to possess a woman. Other times, the shame is brought on by the woman’s rejection of a male Muslim. Is the honor of a Muslim Father so great that his daughter deserves death for bringing dishonor? If a young Muslim woman marries a non-Muslim or is simply “too Western,” is that truly deserving of her death? Is a Muslim woman of so little value in Islam? Is the honor of a Muslim Man worth so much more than the life of his daughter or sister?
Is Muslim hatred for Israel, the West and/or the United States so great that it outweighs their love for their children? Are the lives of Muslim children worth less than a Great Victory over Saddam Hussein, the Great Shaitan or some other infidel?
Do Muslims love their children?
It’s a simple question. It should have a simple answer.
This has got to be the most rockin’, bad ass re-make in Rock n Roll History.
Love Bad Company but the heavy bass and the voice of Ivan Moody produce a sound so freakin’ heavy that the re-interpretation seems almost apocalyptic as if it FFDP are hearkening the end of the world. Incredible sound and even better in my new Beats headphones. I rock out to this every morning on the way to the gym for motivation.
I need more. FFDP should re-do the whole Bad Company catalogue. I’d pay for that.
Five Finger Death Punch often abbreviated 5FDP is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California . Formed in 2005, the group’s name is derived from classic oriental martial arts cinema. The band originally consisted of vocalist Ivan Moody, guitarist Zoltan Bathory, guitarist Caleb Bingham, bassist Matt Snell, and drummer Jeremy Spencer. Bingham was replaced by guitarist Darrell Roberts in 2006, who was then replaced by Jason Hook in 2009. Bassist Matt Snell departed from the band in 2010 and was replaced by Chris Kael in 2011.
Crazy Lookin’ Bastards!
I’ll Fly AwaySome glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away.To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away.I’ll fly away, O Glory, I’ll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I’ll fly away.When the shadows of this life have flown,
I’ll fly away.Like a bird thrown, driven by the storm,
I’ll fly away.I’ll fly away, O Glory, I’ll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I’ll fly away.Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away.To a land where joy shall never end,
I’ll fly away.I’ll fly away, O Glory,
I’ll fly away.When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I’ll fly away.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
On Death ~ Khalil Gibran
If I were President…
1. We get less than 20% of our oil from the Middle East. I’d halt this immediately.
2. That oil shortfall would be sourced from our own reserves and Canada. I’d even throw a bone to Venezuela in exchange for their withdrawal from OPEC.
3. I’d close all bases in the Middle East.
4. I’d place a base in Israel and Egypt. Keep the base in Turkey.
5. I’d tell Egypt and Turkey that they have choice. Either they’re with the West or their with the Muslim world. If they decide that they’re with the Muslim World, then we withdraw all support and all bases from those countries.
6. I’d tell Europe and Asia that America is no longer responsible and will no longer take action in the Middle East except in the case of defense of our allies.
7. The Allies in the Middle East would be designated as Israel because they are a Democracy as well as Egypt, Turkey and Jordan.
8. Our alliance with Egypt, Turkey and Jordan would be predicated upon Democratic reforms and their renunciation of a foreign policy based upon Islamic Internationalism. These countries can keep their Islamic Nationalism, if they chose to do so. That choice would mean our pulling all resources and support from their nations.
9. Support of Jordan and Egypt would also be predicated upon an agreement to assimilation all Palestinian refugees. All refugee camps would have to be closed down. Those refugees would have to be given full rights in the countries in which they are located. The US would assist with funding for housing and job training for these refugees at 50% of the cost. This Aid Package would be closely guided by a contractual auditor to ensure that the monies were being used to build infrastructure and not lining the pockets of corrupt officials. If bribes are insisted upon, funding would be withdrawn.
10. Continued support of Israel would be predicated upon a real peace plan with the Palestinians.
a. Israel would either permanently partition the West Bank and Gaza as sovereign nations and pull out completely leaving the Palestinians to their own fate.
or
b. Israel would annex the Palestinian areas and alter their constitution making Israel an officially and legally secular nation. Part of that constitutional reconstruction would be safeguards for all religions, creeds, ethnicities from persecution, etc.
There would be a ten year time frame to effect these changes with specific milestones in place. If these milestones are not met, we would pull all support for any or all of these nations.
We would offer the new Palestine Nation, if created, a package of aid in return for a turning away from Islamism. The US would provide financial and expert support in building a nation from the ground up. A referendum from the Palestinian people would be required to receive this Aid Package. In essence, the Palestinian people would be required to request it via said referendum and the leaders of Hamas, Fatah as well as members of any other quasi-governmental group recognized by the people. If the people did not vote for our assistance, the offer would be withdrawn. This Aid Package would also be closely guided by a contractual auditor to ensure that the monies were being used to build infrastructure and not lining the pockets of corrupt officials. If bribes are insisted upon, funding would be withdrawn.
The onus would then be on these nations. If they decided to go along with us, they would have our support. If not, we would withdraw from them and leave them to their collective fates.
I would have these treaties ratified by the US Congress and the United Nations.
There would be no military solutions offered. Either they come on line with us or we no longer have a reason to be associated with them. End of discussion.
As for the Gulf and their oil, that would be the responsibility of whomever wishes to continue to purchase oil from those nations. China, France, Germany…whomever it may be.
We would continue to patrol the ocean lanes for support of international trade. The Straits of Hormuz — no longer our problem. Saudi Arabia — keep with your Wahhabism/Salafism on your own shores or risk offending more nations.
Egypt seems to be progressing towards Democracy. This surprised me as I thought that the Muslim Brotherhood would take them in the direction of Islamic Sharia. This is a positive development. Jordan would need to step away from Monarchy and join the rest of the world in Democratic reforms.
Over the short term, these initiatives would seem expensive. Over the long term, these initiatives would save America and the Globe much in terms of blood and treasure.
This would be my solution.
In effect, we would be saying; “Join the World and we will support you. Remain in the Dark Ages and we will abandon you.”
I want out of the business of supporting corrupt and/or stubborn regimes. Whether that regime be Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Western Europe.
The next thing that I would do would be to withdraw all forces from Europe. The only way we would keep US troops stationed in Europe would be if at least 50% of the costs were funded by the country that wished for us to be there. All real estate used by the forces stationed in those countries would need to be loaned permanently at a cost free basis for the duration of the deployment to that country. A Status of Forces Agreement would have to be met whereby our Servicemembers would be subject to US Law and the UCMJ only while in country. All services for our Servicemembers would be provided without interference by the United States. All Servicemembers would be on a Tax Free Status in that country. That nation would also have to be a member in good standing of the Democratic Nations of the World.
If they are not willing to do this. No problem. We will simply not have a need to act in defense of their Nation.
I would also pull out of South Korea. On the way out, I’d tell China that if North Korea attacks, we would bomb the North into the dark ages. That would be my final and only dealing with North Korea. If the people of the North are too brainwashed, too stupid or too weak to fight for change, this is not the problem of the United States of America. Let China feed North Korea or South Korea if that be their desire.
I would pull all of our forces out of Japan. Japan doesn’t need us there and many of the people don’t want us there. Next, I would enter a treaty with the Philippines wherein we purchase land from them to station our Pacific Forces. I would base a Marine Expeditionary Unit and an Army Mechanized Infantry/Stryker Division there along with a Carrier Fleet being on Station at all times.
China would be warned that Japan is still our ally. Taiwan would be told to work out their differences with China. If China became bellicose and threatened invasion, we would act in defense of Taiwan. Unless the threat is based on Taiwanese provocation. In that case, Taiwan is on their own.
I would also make an alliance of mutual support with India. Our Armed Forces would conduct joint operations/exercises with India. If possible, I would allow for a treaty whereby US Forces would be permanently stationed in Southern India. This would hinge upon Indian acquiescence on the Kashmir debate.
I would withdraw all forces and support from Pakistan and Afghanistan. If Pakistan wanted our support, they would have to oust the Saudi Wahhabis and the Deobandi. Pakistan would also be required to sweep the FATA and NWFP of taliban influences. They would also be required to withdraw from the Kashmir debate. This would be the price of assistance from the US. No debate. No equivocation. If they want our support, they give up their dispute with India over Kashmir and halt support of all terrorism directed towards India.
India and Kashmir would be required to allow a full vote by the Kashmiri people. 1. Independence 2. Annexation by Pakistan 3. Retention by India
International Election Officials would oversee the vote. Any monkey business by either side and no deal. Kashmir should be able to decide it’s fate. Their fate should not be decided by Muslim terrorists or Indian Soldiers.
We would withdraw all support from Pakistan if this is not followed through to completion. With regards to India, we go to a neutral stance. India has no need of our support. They’re a viable nation in their own right.
Aside from moving away from the Defense of Europe, I would do nothing in Europe. They’re sovereign nations that can navigate their way through the world in their own rite. We should not be providing defense for them unless they are willing to subsidize it.
On patrolling the commercial sea lanes, I would require that other nations either subsidize fleet operations or provide support in the form of personnel and equipment. Either that or we protect only US shipping.
It’s time for the free ride to end. The Nations of the World (especially Europe) have enjoyed peace at the expense of the American tax payer for far too long. They decry our every move. It’s time for them to step up. The World doesn’t want Team America — World Police or so they say. Let them have their desire.
These actions would save American Tax dollars. They would remove us from the Middle East conflicts. They would place the onus on other nations to conduct their own defense and improve the lot of their own citizenry.
After these offers, blame for the sorry affairs of the world could no longer be placed at the feet of America. The primary sources of conflict would have been given a viable alternative. If they chose the path to peace, it would be with our leadership. If they chose the path to war, it would be at their own behest. The blame would lie with themselves.
Another thing that I think would be a positive is for an exchange program wherein a Battalion of another Nations forces would be given the opportunity to come to Fort Irwin, Texas to train with US Forces. I’d rotate the Nation on a regular basis. 6 Month rotations. This would be a tremendous opportunity for our Armed Forces and theirs. I’d offer this opportunity to India, Romania, South Korea, Hungary, Egypt, Russia, Thailand, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and other Nations with whom we would engage in treaties of mutual defense or with whom we wish to improve relations.
The last item on my agenda would be reforming the UN. That, though, is a whole other post.
That would keep us from any more of this:
Along with legislation mandating a Declaration of War in order to commit forces to a Ground Invasion of another country. I have no problem with bombing a perpetrating country into the stone ages. If there are viable targets. I would also work to repeal the prohibition against assassination of World Leaders. We could have saved a lot of money and lives by simply putting a .99$ bullet through the forehead of Saddam Hussein. We could save a bit more by spreading about 200 USD worth of lead throughout the Iranian, Hezbollah and Syrian power structures.
Warning! Profane as Hell!
Anyone who has bought into the DNC, the GOP, Mainstream Media will be offended. lol
I don’t know much about these guys. They are fairly well researched in their lyrics, it would seem. That said, it sounds like they forgot to go back to the beginning. Much of what is happening today finds it’s roots in past centuries back to the early part of the last Millennium. It’s very much centered in the African American experience, but, compelling from a general standpoint on American Politics and the American Media. Some of their ideology is erroneous. It seems as if they think that America created Israel. We didn’t. When Israel was created we weren’t really paying too much attention to it from a Political standpoint. Plus, they seem to make a common liberal-esque mistake is concentrating on the evil committed by Israel and ignoring the evil committed by the Arabs surrounding Israel (including the Palestinians themselves). No one is guiltless in the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Not the Jews and certainly not the Muslims.
All that said, I like it.
TURN OFF THE NEWS AND READ!!!
READ
READ
READ
Do American Christians have an inferiority complex?
The above photo would give that impression. Some person decided that he should create this picture and shoot it around the internet. Of course, he uses Islam as the juxtaposition. He might have used a group of Hindus praying or Buddhists in contemplation. Why not Wiccans? Satanists? Daoists?
It’s the obvious emotional ploy. Aside from the fact that no one really has a problem with Tebow praying in public except, perhaps, Jesus himself. The complaint that I’ve most often heard is from players on opposing teams. That complaint being that God is on their side, too. Why does Tebow think that he’s so special that God would intervene on his behalf and not theirs. Players pray in the NFL and NBA all the time. So much so that I get sick of them publicly thanking God for the big win.
To the photo!
What’s occurring in the two pictures?
#1 Muslims in an area designated for their daily prayers acting out one of their five daily devotionals to Allah in a Mosque. They’re repeating a set prayer in a place of worship. This same prayer which is memorized by all devout Muslims is offered by millions of Muslims daily. Five times daily. Muslims go to their Mosque or other designated area. If they’re not near a mosque a designated prayer area, they usually find some private place to pray. They lay down their prayer rug. They bow. They pray. Same prayer. Five times a day. Every day. The truly devout Muslims do this. Other Muslims pray when they feel like it or not at all.
Note that this prayer is occurring in a designated area in what I believe is New York City.
#2 Tim Tebow is on the sideline of a Football Stadium on National TV. He’s kneeling. He’s offering up a prayer to God. What is his prayer? For what are we to assume that he’s praying? World Peace? Universal Harmony? Not to embarrass himself and the Denver Broncos in a football game? Victory in a Football Game?
What’s he praying for?
I have no problem with the guy praying. I can understand why members of the other team would think that he’s grand standing when he prays in the middle of a game on the sidelines as if he’s David about to do battle with Goliath or Constantine about to meet the savages of Briton.
I can understand why so many people are making fun of him. It’s completely understandable. He’s made himself into a caricature of Christian arrogance and hypocrisy. He’s praying on the sidelines of a football game and his stance usually looks strikingly similar to a famous portrait of George Washington praying at Valley Forge.
He’s asking God to take time out of his busy schedule to help Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos prevail in a Football Game. A Football Game. Yeap. Never mind all those wars, the famine, the hurricanes, floods and tornadoes ripping through the world. God, please stop everything else and help me win this football game. It’s a bit ridiculous.
The players on the opposing team are probably sending up their own prayers. However, they’re not doing it in such a manner that the whole world can see them. They’re silently offering their prayers in the manner that Jesus himself said that Christians should offer their prayers. Prayers are personal and private. A prayer is a conversation between God and an individual. Does Tebow think that God is more likely to answer his prayers if he’s seen praying on National TV? Maybe he thinks God is watching the game on a satellite dish in Heaven.
I understand that he’s attempting to set an example. Be a good role model. I don’t know if that’s the way to do it. Maybe it is. If you take something personal and put it in the public realm, don’t be surprised and certainly don’t be thin skinned if other public people ridicule the act or, at the very least, call into question your motives. Perhaps ignoring the actual instructions of Christ is a good and Christian way of setting a proper Christian example for other Christians.
Let’s see what the Bible says about Prayer. This is what Jesus had to say concerning how and where to pray;
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
That’s Mathew 6:6.
It’s instructive to note that Jesus didn’t say to walk onto the sidelines of an NFL Game on National TV and pray in front of three or four million people. His basic instruction was to NOT showboat and to not make it a public spectacle. Jesus wasn’t a big fan of public spectacle. Perhaps, there has been a papal bull wherein the Acts of Tebow supercede the Life of Christ and the Bible.
Muslims are actually instructed to pray publicly. Mohammad had no problem with public acts of piety.
Jesus, however, instructed Christians to pray in their rooms.
Christians should ask themselves the question in the photo. What is wrong with that picture? The Bible has the answers. It’s called the Word of God by Christians. The answer is in the very words of Jesus when he instructed the Disciples on how to pray. The same time that he gave Christians the Lord’s Prayer.
But you good Christians knew that…didn’t you.
Sometimes, I have to wonder if Christians actually read the Bible. Perhaps, they’re too busy thinking of new and improved ways to be offended by Muslims to pay attention to the Life of Christ or his words. I must have missed that passage in the Bible that states “Thou shalt be offended.”
Christians have gone so far away from Christ that I’m surprised any of them own a Bible. Sometimes, it seems that too many Christians learned how to be “good” Christians while watching the Kingdom of Heaven.
Or Strategic Posturing?
