Most notably in the middle east (Egypt, Iran), Christians are coming under an increasing number of attacks, and an increase in their brutality. Also, when the Pope asked for religious tolerance in Pakistan, he was burned in effigy.
Imagine seeing a vision of Jesus and hear Him calling your name. Now imagine if you were Kamal Saleem, a Muslim, and that happened.
The deficit commission that President Obama convened agrees that most of ObamaCare should be kept. Unfortunately, they believe in order to keep it fiscally sustainable is for it to include Death Panels. They laughed at Sarah Palin for predicting this. I don’t hear anyone laughing now.
Speaking of Sarah Palin, Richard Cohen (no conservative, he) just can stop reading about (and apparently, can’t stop writing about) the former Alaska governor. And in writing about her and her beliefs, he includes this bit of honesty:
The left just doesn’t get America. I say this as a fellow-traveler of liberalism and as one who recognizes that many liberals fear the heartland. They see it as a dark place of primitive religions and too many guns. For such a person, Palin is the perfect personification of the unknown and feared Ugly American who will emerge from the heartland to seize Washington, turning off all the lights and casting America into darkness. The left does not merely disagree with the right; it fears it.
Hospitals closing or ridden with crime. Doctors quitting the medical practice or leaving the country to find greener pastures in which to practice. Shortages of medical supplies. While these are predictions of what will come with ObamaCare, we have yet another example of where socialized medicine is failing. Mr. Obama, call Mr. Chavez to find out how well it’s working in Venezuela. (Hint: It’s not.)
The Christmas song “Silver Bells” was inspired by the sound of Salvation Army bell-ringers outside department stores. But apparently familiarity breeds contempt.
The character of Aslan in the Narnia series of books, as well established in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, is an allegory for Jesus Christ. That was C. S. Lewis’ purpose. But Liam Neeson, who provides the voice for Aslan in the movie series, has apparently been infected with the political correctness syndrome that pervades Hollywood.
Ahead of the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader next Thursday, Neeson said: ‘Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.
‘That’s who Aslan stands for as well as a mentor figure for kids – that’s what he means for me.’
Mohammed and Buddha died for your sins? Really?
Does Romans chapter 1 condemn homosexuality? Some interpret it in such a way that it doesn’t, in spite of the words chosen. John Stott takes apart such interpretations.
Bryan Longworth had an interesting tweet the other day. “Comprehensive sex ed has been taught in schools 4 over 40 years. The results? Epedemic #STIs. How’s perversion working 4 U?” Not so well, judging by the results.
And finally, Chuck Asay has some words for Democrats who are ostensibly fighting for the workers. (Click for a larger version.)
Who said this, after hearing that "Muhammed" was now the #1 baby name in Britain?
“Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years?”
No, not Juan Williams, who said something similar and got fired for it. No, not Mark Steyn, who’s written a book on this subject. In fact, it’s not a conservative at all.
Conservative Margaret Hoover replied, "If you’re with NPR, you’d be fired." I disagree. Nina Totenburg has been spouting opinion for years and that hasn’t jeopardized her job.
You’ll not hear much of this, if any at all, from the media or the left-wing bloggers because Maher is still extremely useful to them in a host of other areas. For them it’s not about principles, it’s about politics. If you have the right stance on the issues, a few minor indiscretions will be tolerated. (Or even major ones; see the NOW crowd’s muted reaction to Bill Clinton).
Just another double standard.
I’ve been on the road this week, and by the time this posts I’ll be heading home. I haven’t done much blogging as a result, but I have collected a few links.
Remember all the riots, protests and violence when the US military burned Bibles? Or when Muslims blew the doors off churches, burned Bibles and destroyed every cross they could find? Yeah, me neither. Define for me “religion of peace” again? The actions that the Left calls “Islamophobia” in America don’t hold a candle to what gets done to Christians by Muslims elsewhere, but somehow “Christophobia” hasn’t entered their vernacular yet.
The amount of money the United States now owes is more than all the money in the world. That’s how bad it is.
Christians protest abortion, the media yawns. One pro-abortion protestor hits the streets, you get an article with pictures.
Gun owner ship goes up. Violent crime goes down. If the Left was right about poor economic times causing crime, and that more guns cause more crime, there ought to be more heads exploding on that side of the aisle, if they’re being intellectually honest.
The return of no-money-down mortgages. Um, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place!
The disappearing homeless. Well, they’re still there, and likely there are more now that the housing bubble popped. But the media has gone silent on them. Guess they’re waiting for a Republican President, like they did before.
And finally, from Chuck Asay, some advice about getting your religion hijacked. (Click for a larger version.)
In response to (what was going to be) a mass burning of Korans, the Massachusetts Bible Society decided to take action.
As people of the Book, we are joined to Islam and Judaism in a special way and as an organization that has sought to put that Book into people’s hands for 201 years, we cannot stand idly by while the sacred text of a sister religion is burned as our beloved Bibles once were.
Lest the culture believe that Rev. Jones’ position represents that of all Christians, MassBible is prepared to take a counter action. For 201 years we have given the Bible to those without access. In response to Rev. Jones despicable act, we are prepared to give two Qur’ans for every one that Rev. Jones burns.
(Emphasis theirs.)
The Koran burning was called off, but not this effort. So a Bible society is financing the purchase of Korans for distribution.
What?
Given what (I hope) the MBS thinks about the Bible (y’know, that it’s true and gives life and eternal hope and all that), why are they handing out the text of a religion that they are trying to convert people away from? I think of missionaries in Islamic countries, who fear deportation at best or physical persecution at worst, watching a Bible society working directly against them by spreading the words of the Koran rather than words of Life.
But that’s not all! Guess who’s cheering them on? Duane Shank, senior policy advisor at … (wait for it) … the Sojourners!
While the Quran will no longer be burned, it seems to me that this response followed in the steps of Jesus, showing love and respect where others were showing hatred. It is a strong witness for what Christians should be showing to our neighbors.
By tying the millstone around their neck lovingly and tossing them over the cliff into the sea, we’re showing love and respect.
What?
Is this really what Wallis and the Sojourners hold up as an example to follow? Why are we pushing them further from Jesus the Messiah? How, in the name of all that is eternal, is that in any way loving? A cup of water, a meal, a school in the name of Christ is loving. Bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus is loving. Supplying them with their own brand of heresy and idolatry is not loving.
If the Sojourners and the Massachusetts Bible Society really believe that Christianity is true and Islam is false, they have an awful way of showing it. My respect for both as purveyors of the gospel of Jesus Christ has gone way, way down.
Media Bias Dept.: The Left got upset when Rupert Murdoch gave money to right-wing groups. No mention, of course of the 88% of TV network donations go to Democrats. And how much coverage did you hear about the BBC’s Director General admitting that the state-run news organization has had a "massive" left-wing bias? Yeah, me neither. Also, Patterico explains how the media has shaped the national discussion by selective coverage.
Market Watch: The market is doing more for troubled homeowners than the government it. CNN is, apparently, shocked to discover such a thing can happen.
"Recovery" Summer Dept.: Germany’s recover has been fueled to a large extent by private sector consumption and growth, as opposed to the graph I posted earlier showing most of our jobs went to the government. And irony of ironies, a French bureaucrat had to tell the US about cutting spending spurs growth. Why can our own guys understand that?
ObamaCare Dept.: After helping pass the health care bill, one Democratic Senator, using language he helped craft in the bill, is trying to use it to exempt his state from the individual mandate. "Yeah, it’s a great idea … for everyone else but me." Also, reality is putting the lie to the promise that nothing was going to change for you if you like the health care you have.
Film Corner: The trailer us up for "Blood Money", an expose of the abortion industry.
Government (In)action Dept.: The Justice Department is refusing to enforce voter fraud laws, and they’ve plainly said as much. So one lawyer is using a provision of the law to file the lawsuits the Obama’s Justice won’t. Our President respects the rule of law insofar as it furthers his own agenda. No good can come of that.
Gossip Column: Fidel Castro himself admits that the communist economic model doesn’t work. It "works" only insofar as you get influxes of cash from, say, a beneficiary either internally (the "rich") or externally (the USSR). But on its own, it is an abject failure. Would that the Left would hear this and stop trying to move us closer to it.
And finally, the last word on the "Ground Zero Mosque" and the burning of Korans, from Rick McKee. (Click for a larger image.)
From a Facebook post by La Shawn Barber:
So much ink and hand-wringing over Koran-burning, yet so little over child killing. Strange, that.
If we could get Democrats this riled up over living beings, we’d have substantially fewer abortion tomorrow. But they reserve their high dudgeon for … books.
Well, holy books to be sure, but not all holy books. See, it all depends on how the believers in said holy book might react. La Shawn’s Facebook post links to her blog which adds this:
Burn an Islamic holy book, and Muslims kill in retaliation. Burn the Bible, and Christians pray for the one who lights the match and for the crowd cheering.
The planned Koran burnings are being highly, and rightly, criticized by the Left. There are various reasons cited — Islamophobia, America’s reputation, insensitivity — but given the two different ways those believers react, it appears the Left only complains loudly when they might be hurt by those believers. It’s more self-preservation than any pretense of religious tolerance.
And children being killed in the name of convenience? Well, that’s a right.
No, I’m not talking about the "Ground Zero Mosque". I’m talking about the Dove World Outreach Center’s plan to burn Korans on September 11th.
There’s nothing unconstitutional about doing with your own property what you wish. Insofar as there are any relevant ordinances, it’s a local issue. But also, people are free to exercise their right to protest and express their displeasure at such a thing, and try to convince those who are doing it to reconsider their plans, as I am trying to do.
OK, now I’m talking about the "Ground Zero Mosque". Or both.
Are liberal websites who criticize the Dove Center’s burning of Korans and mock them anti-Christian bigots? Certainly this criticism, in and of itself, is not proof of any such bigotry. They just feel it’s wrong and are expressing their opinion. I would be building a straw man to suggest that they are motivated by hate of Christians. Equally, appealing to the constitutionality of this would be ignoring the other, more substantive, points of their protest.
And yet when the tables are turned, out come their straw men and their baseless accusations. Liberal talking heads speak of constitutionality of building the Mosque on private property and accuse opponents of Islamophobia. A nutty and drunk cab passenger killing his Muslim cabbie is pointed to as an example of the alleged overall fear, even though the perp was for the Mosque and the Muslim victim against it.
Why can’t we have a civil discussion about race, religion or any sort of sensitive subject in this country? This is a big reason why.
Yes, it’s that time of the week again, where I toss out a bunch of links that I was too lazy to do a full blog post on.
Turns out the Iraq war didn’t break the bank. It’s understandable that you might think that, but that only indicates a need to get your news from more sources. The MSM loves to parrot DNC talking points.
(Liberal) feminism is dead. Long live (conservative) feminism!
Jim Wallis said that Marvin Olasky (World magazine editor) “lies for a living” when Olasky noted that Wallis got $200,000 from George Soros. When it was pointed out that he, in fact, did, then came the abject apology in sackcloth and ashes, “Well, it was so small I forgot.” UPDATE: Wallis has issued a formal apology.
Three months ago, James Cameron was ready to “call those deniers out into the street at high noon and shoot it out with those boneheads”, speaking of those who dispute anthropogenic global warming. At the very last minute, after changing his demands over and over for how a debate was to be run, he cancelled. Now that takes guts. Or something.
In England, teachers are dropping history lessons on the Holocaust and the Crusades, for fear of offending Muslims who are taught Holocaust denial and a different view of the Crusades at local mosques. They’re afraid of challenging “anti-Semitic sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils”. So much for academia being the standard bearer of truth and free speech.
A back door repeal of the First Amendment by … social workers? Well, when liberal ideologues get ahold of professional organizations, nuttiness does ensue. Look at most unions.
And finally, a US district judge put a temporary halt to embryonic stem cell research. Some believe this will devastate scientific research, but Steve Breen puts it in perspective. (Click for a larger image.)
