Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wordpress Has Gone Belly-up
My apologies to those looking for an article at "A Christian Viewpoint."
I recently tried to update my wordpress blogging program. Alas this time it didn't work. I will continue to try and get it running. Until then I will keep this blog going here.
I may very well lose all my data at "A Christian Viewpoint"... that would not make me a happy camper... The database is intact... I just can't get any info out of it. Keep getting a 500 error. After five hours of tweaking, deleting, reloading I have given up for now. I set up a 301 re-direct to bring people to this site. Perhaps later I will figure it out. If not, there are other ways, less pretty ways, desperate ways, to make things happen. hmmmm perhaps the evil side of this webmaster is beginning to make itself known
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
New Blog Address
I guess you have noticed that there isn't much activity on this blog. The reason? I have started another blog and am doing all my writing there. I invite you to join me.
http://christianmuse.com/blogs
http://christianmuse.com/blogs
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Big Mistake
Troubled Home Front
The US Senate is determined to pass a funding bill that will pay for the support of troops (a good thing) and set a troop withdrawal date for them to come home (a bad thing). Although the date is not cast in stone it would be political suicide if the troops are not back by the stipulated date. This is by design. The democrats are wanting to make this an election issue. Now that they have the majority in the Senate and the House they are causing as many problems as they can for the Bush Administration. This will backfire and western security will take a big hit.
The Real Problem
The problem that the US and other democracies face is a pernicious enemy who is not interested in resolving the conflict in the middle east. In fact they are actively trying to destroy the fragile democracy that came into being in Iraq. This enemy is comprised of two general groups: totalitarian governments and the Islamic Jihadists. Some individual totalitarian governments are also struggling against the Islamic Jihadists. At this time though they are in a marriage of convenience. Both groups have the high priority of derailing any attempt to create a free and democratic society anywhere in the middle east. Totalitarian governments must keep power in their restrictive hands. Islamic Jihadists are aiming to bring back the caliphate. These are anathama to democratic principles.
The True Struggle
What the enemies of democracy desire is the pull out of all western influence in the middle east. This needs to be done, militarily, in Iraq first. When this is accomplished then totalitarian governments will again turn their attention to the Islamic Jihadists within their borders and try to prevent the spread of their influence. Among the Islamic Jihadists there may be a struggle between Sunni and Shiite elements within Iraq to see who will have dominance. Once the west withdraws they will not be in any position to return no matter what abuses take place. To the Islamic Jihadists this will be just a skirmish. Their real intent will be to return to the (not so secret) propaganda war they have been carrying out in the west for the past 20 years.
Misplayed
It was a tactical mistake for Bin Laden to launch the attack on 9/11. Not that such an attack wouldn't eventual occur... it was inevitable. The problem was that the West had not yet been conditioned enough by the propaganda machine to retreat fully out of the middle east when the attack took place. This propaganda attack and the actual physical attack, was for the sole purpose of the middle east governments and Islamic Jihadists to stave off any move toward democracy in their region.
Don't be Fooled
Any western democracy that believes that if the west pulls out of Iraq the problem will resolve itself is being foolish. In the end the Islamic Jihadists plan of a world wide caliphate will retrench itself in the West and elsewhere. Infiltration, subversion and the attempted takeover of democratic countries will continue. This take over will be a slow process. Perhaps it will end in the greatest war to ever be fought on this planet. And the first step is to get the West out of Iraq so they can step up their secret war.
The US Senate is determined to pass a funding bill that will pay for the support of troops (a good thing) and set a troop withdrawal date for them to come home (a bad thing). Although the date is not cast in stone it would be political suicide if the troops are not back by the stipulated date. This is by design. The democrats are wanting to make this an election issue. Now that they have the majority in the Senate and the House they are causing as many problems as they can for the Bush Administration. This will backfire and western security will take a big hit.
The Real Problem
The problem that the US and other democracies face is a pernicious enemy who is not interested in resolving the conflict in the middle east. In fact they are actively trying to destroy the fragile democracy that came into being in Iraq. This enemy is comprised of two general groups: totalitarian governments and the Islamic Jihadists. Some individual totalitarian governments are also struggling against the Islamic Jihadists. At this time though they are in a marriage of convenience. Both groups have the high priority of derailing any attempt to create a free and democratic society anywhere in the middle east. Totalitarian governments must keep power in their restrictive hands. Islamic Jihadists are aiming to bring back the caliphate. These are anathama to democratic principles.
The True Struggle
What the enemies of democracy desire is the pull out of all western influence in the middle east. This needs to be done, militarily, in Iraq first. When this is accomplished then totalitarian governments will again turn their attention to the Islamic Jihadists within their borders and try to prevent the spread of their influence. Among the Islamic Jihadists there may be a struggle between Sunni and Shiite elements within Iraq to see who will have dominance. Once the west withdraws they will not be in any position to return no matter what abuses take place. To the Islamic Jihadists this will be just a skirmish. Their real intent will be to return to the (not so secret) propaganda war they have been carrying out in the west for the past 20 years.
Misplayed
It was a tactical mistake for Bin Laden to launch the attack on 9/11. Not that such an attack wouldn't eventual occur... it was inevitable. The problem was that the West had not yet been conditioned enough by the propaganda machine to retreat fully out of the middle east when the attack took place. This propaganda attack and the actual physical attack, was for the sole purpose of the middle east governments and Islamic Jihadists to stave off any move toward democracy in their region.
Don't be Fooled
Any western democracy that believes that if the west pulls out of Iraq the problem will resolve itself is being foolish. In the end the Islamic Jihadists plan of a world wide caliphate will retrench itself in the West and elsewhere. Infiltration, subversion and the attempted takeover of democratic countries will continue. This take over will be a slow process. Perhaps it will end in the greatest war to ever be fought on this planet. And the first step is to get the West out of Iraq so they can step up their secret war.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Skewed View of Islam
There seems to be a debate concerning what are the values and ideas that form the Koran (Qur’an). I have read an English translation of the work a number of years ago. I never had the opportunity to study under a teacher of the faith. Then again, shouldn’t a work stand on its own and be understood by those who search for its meaning? Like the bible, many search the passages but come away with various and sometimes opposite interpretations of what the text reveals. The same is done with the Koran.
I will not deal with the historical aspect of Islam. I will write briefly about the two major camps. I am not writing about Sunni or Shiite followers. I am writing about liberal and conservative followers.
The message of the Koran has been skewed over the last handful of decades. The basis for which one is followed is generally governed by the geo-politics of each region were Islam is practiced. In the west there was a liberalizing of the Islamic message. Here it is possible to begin seeing a message of love and personal inner struggle to reach perfection. In the east the message of the Koran is not love but submission and the struggle to bring the world into that submission. These are the two approaches.
If the message of the Koran was all there was to Islam perhaps some form of compromise could be struck between the two sides. The problem increases when you add to the Koran "the sayings". These are quotes attributed to Mohammed. Upon reading some of these sayings I found that the message of the Koran can be skewed yet again.
We who live in the west hear the message from the liberals among the Islamic fold. We are told that Islam is about love and personal inner struggle. We are told that radicals are high-jacking the Koran and perverting its true message. Yet from my reading of the Koran the liberals are in error as well, if not even greater error, than those radicals who look to submission and the violent means to bring the world into the faith.
Many decades ago the liberal view was growing in numbers. With the discovery of oil in the Arabs states the political dynamics changed. With the creation of Israel as a state and support of despots like the Shah of Iran a fundamentalist call to go back to its roots began to gain strength. There was a rise of religious schools in the middle-east. These schools began to move the populous back to conservatism. The conflicts of Russian and then the US, in Islamic nations, is fueling the call for the Jihad of the conservatives. In the west love is now being replaced by submission and personal inner struggle by outward struggle to capture nations.
With the fall of communism there was the hope that peace may finally begin to overtake the world. Sadly, this Islamic conservative call to go back to the roots of Islam (with today’s skewed understanding of it) is the new threat to global peace. It is potentially a far greater enemy than communism ever was. The number of dead, if this group is not dealt with judiciously, could exceed that of all previous struggles.
Lord, let your heavenly wisdom descend upon the leaders of the world and help guide them through the difficult times ahead. Let your Spirit move on the hearts and minds of those religious leaders who look to you for answers.
I will not deal with the historical aspect of Islam. I will write briefly about the two major camps. I am not writing about Sunni or Shiite followers. I am writing about liberal and conservative followers.
The message of the Koran has been skewed over the last handful of decades. The basis for which one is followed is generally governed by the geo-politics of each region were Islam is practiced. In the west there was a liberalizing of the Islamic message. Here it is possible to begin seeing a message of love and personal inner struggle to reach perfection. In the east the message of the Koran is not love but submission and the struggle to bring the world into that submission. These are the two approaches.
If the message of the Koran was all there was to Islam perhaps some form of compromise could be struck between the two sides. The problem increases when you add to the Koran "the sayings". These are quotes attributed to Mohammed. Upon reading some of these sayings I found that the message of the Koran can be skewed yet again.
We who live in the west hear the message from the liberals among the Islamic fold. We are told that Islam is about love and personal inner struggle. We are told that radicals are high-jacking the Koran and perverting its true message. Yet from my reading of the Koran the liberals are in error as well, if not even greater error, than those radicals who look to submission and the violent means to bring the world into the faith.
Many decades ago the liberal view was growing in numbers. With the discovery of oil in the Arabs states the political dynamics changed. With the creation of Israel as a state and support of despots like the Shah of Iran a fundamentalist call to go back to its roots began to gain strength. There was a rise of religious schools in the middle-east. These schools began to move the populous back to conservatism. The conflicts of Russian and then the US, in Islamic nations, is fueling the call for the Jihad of the conservatives. In the west love is now being replaced by submission and personal inner struggle by outward struggle to capture nations.
With the fall of communism there was the hope that peace may finally begin to overtake the world. Sadly, this Islamic conservative call to go back to the roots of Islam (with today’s skewed understanding of it) is the new threat to global peace. It is potentially a far greater enemy than communism ever was. The number of dead, if this group is not dealt with judiciously, could exceed that of all previous struggles.
Lord, let your heavenly wisdom descend upon the leaders of the world and help guide them through the difficult times ahead. Let your Spirit move on the hearts and minds of those religious leaders who look to you for answers.
Monday, December 04, 2006
New Opposition Leader
The Liberal party has gotten around to choosing their next leader. I haven't been following the whole process closely. It was interesting to see how the voting went, specially toward the end. Poor Bob Rae missed his chance thanks to a previous deal Dion made with Kenedy. Shows the convention floor and the back room politics are alive and kicking. I breathe a bit of a sigh of relief that Ignetief missed out on being crowned.
Dion, my prayer for you is that God give you special instruction in the night that you may play an important part in how our country is to be lead. I do not like your political spectrum but I do believe that God can instruct people to move in a certain direction that they may not normally take. Hopefully it will not be politics as usual. We may be in for a surprise or two.
Dion, my prayer for you is that God give you special instruction in the night that you may play an important part in how our country is to be lead. I do not like your political spectrum but I do believe that God can instruct people to move in a certain direction that they may not normally take. Hopefully it will not be politics as usual. We may be in for a surprise or two.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Still Learning
Ok, I got most of what is going on here. I got the layout I wanted. Everything works out fine except I had trouble logging in. Finally figured out that little problem. All you guys did as well. From this point on I will come up with some material. Perhaps politics? Canadian, US and the world. My, that should get me into enough trouble. I wonder what will be my first post...
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