(seen at Barhamblog)

Here's a quote from Hermann Goering, Hitler's Reich-Marshall at the Nuremberg trials after WWII

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

(referred by Ideajoy)

This afternoon I find myself wondering what we mean when we say the word peace. - Saint Eros

(from here)

(referred via Bloggedy Blog)

The Command Post: A Warblog Collective

(from Jordon Cooper)

I was watching some news today and was suprised at some comments by some anti-war protesters that link a war gone bad in Iraq is good for getting rid of George W. Bush. Let's leave ones feeling for W. at the door and think about the statement. A war bogged down generally involves a lot of deaths, both civiliian and military. At one time the peace movement is saying don't go to war for oil (their words, not mine) but on the other hand you would like the war to go badly so Bush's popularity will go down. This isn't a chess match but a war with Iraqui and American lives at stake. I would think you would want it to go quickly. While I am don't believe in the war, the last thing I want it to do is drag out for political reasons.

On a different topic with the war. People are blaming the Americans for underestimating the power of the secret police in Iraq. If I was an Iraqi citizen, I wouldn't be dancing in the streets either. Not because I was anti Brit or American, because who wants to be killed by some pro-Saddam martyrs. Even the Saudi papers are saying people are saying different things on and off camera. On camera they are "anti-American", off camera, they are "anti-Saddam". Historically I think of the denazification of Germany and it took years to root out. I have to think that the de-baathification of Iraq would also take years to identify and neutralize (I don't mean kill, I mean not let them kill or intimidate others) the secret police. At the same time, I wonder if the Arab world would allow the kind of time and methods that would be needed to eliminate the radical parts left over. I have this fear of a Northern Ireland type of aftermath, no matter who is running the place and I have to think that is the worst case scenerio.

From Emmanual Goldstein's book excerpted in George Orwell's 1984:

The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when weapons of war are not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed.

(seen via Kottke.org)

(seen at Mark's blog)

"How think you that you obey Christ's commandments, when you spend your time collecting interest, piling up loans, buying slaves like livestock, and merging business with business?... And that is not all. Upon all this you heap injustice, taking possession of lands and houses, and multipying poverty and hunger."

John Crysostom, Bishop of Constantinople

(referred via Jordon Cooper)

Here's an idea, borrowed from the world of non-profits and venture capital, for the eventual reconstruction of Iraq, and for all future conflicts built on the same model: matching grants. What if we decided that anytime someone decides to embark on one of these "humanitarian" pre-emptive attacks -- allegedly done in the interest of the people being invaded -- the invading country has to provide matching grants for the recovery of the country. Basically whatever they spend tearing it down, they need to spend building it back up again. So if they spend $80 billion on swords, they have to cough up $80 billion on ploughshares at the other end. War is already filled with dozens of generally agreed-upon conventions: don't interrogate POWs on TV, don't pretend to surrender and then shoot when you get close. How about we add a new one for countries that decide to bomb for peace?

(seen here)

(from Speaker's Corner)

With the war ongoing, stories like this one are going to continue to pop-up. Anti-war demonstrations also continue as exemplified by the demonstrators who took to New York's Fifth Avenue this morning. I can't help but think, however, that these protests are a little hopeless. Bush continues to turn a deaf ear and the reality of it is, the war probably won't last long enough for there to be a real affect.

(referred to this article by No More Mister Nice Blog)

American pilots who bombed Baghdad on Friday spoke of the thrill of a successful attack in the teeth of fierce anti-aircraft fire.

"It was exhilarating," Commander Jeff Penfield said after landing his F/A-18E Super Hornet back on the Abraham Lincoln, which is supporting the U.S.-led invasion force from the Gulf.

"It was all nice and calm in the city," he said. "Once those bombs hit all hell broke loose. I bet we saw 15 SAMs (surface-to-air missiles), about three or four up our way so we had to defend a couple of times.

"What I felt more than anything was exhilaration."...

(seen on Mike Gingerich)
Spearhead--"you can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace"


(image from Busy Busy Busy)

(from El Pastoro)

Did you hear that Jennifer Capriati asked to have Outkasts "Bombs over Baghdad" played as her warm up music at her last match? That's ridiculous. I'm all for freedom of speech and expression but I am anti-stupid.

(from Mike Todd)

I just caught the last couple of seconds of Oprah interviewing one of the "imbedded journalists" (I can't even say that with a straight face) from CNN. I can't think of the guy's name, but he's one of the "famous" ones. She asked him about being scared, how often he slept, what he said to his family when he was able to talk to them, what he had for dinner, etc.

The transmutation of TV is just about complete. I fully expect to start hearing about the "ratings war within the War". And remember - you heard it here first: The next Survivor will be in Iraq. And I'm only half kidding about that.

(referred from John Campea)

This weekend 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent the Israeli army destroying homes in the Gaza Strip. In a remarkable series of emails to her family, she explained why she was risking her life

(The full article here)

(referred from Jordon Cooper)

But in the end, the Soviet Union did fall. And the hawks' policy of confrontation did contribute to its collapse. So too, of course, did the economic and military rot most of the hawks didn't believe in, and the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, whom neocons such as Richard Perle counseled Reagan not to trust. But the neocons did not dwell on what they got wrong. Rather, the experience of having played a hand in the downfall of so great an evil led them to the opposite belief: that it's okay to be spectacularly wrong, even brazenly deceptive about the details, so long as you have moral vision and a willingness to use force.

(from here)

(from Abstract Reality)

I sometimes cannot believe the words that come out of my parents' mouths. We were discussing the situation in Iraq, the situation with human shields in particular, and my dad said something to the effect of "I don't understand why we're willing to lose so many of our soldiers just to avoid killing a few Iraqi women and children."

I was, of course, flabbergasted. My dad has said some insane things in the past, but I'd never realized that he was capable of saying something so awful; it was really horrifying to realize that it was my own father talking to me. He was actually suggesting that the United States slaughter innocent civilians in order to keep our soldiers out of harm's way, when we were the ones who started the bloodshed to begin with, and even claim (laughably) to be waging this war for the benefit of the very people we would be murdering!

I tried telling him that if we did something like that, we would be no better than the people we were trying to oust. He simply said that if I couldn't see the difference between the two, then he couldn't explain it to me. What a surprise, that he once again had no discernible backing for anything he said.

I can't believe he actually wants us to violate the Geneva Convention, as well as every standard of wartime morality ever used by a civilized people, simply to save a few of our own lives, especially when we where the ones who initiated this conflict!! He attacks Saddam Hussein because he kills his own people, but has no problem if we are the ones slaughtering innocent Iraqis. After all, we're on a mission of "nobility," and are therefore exempt from criticism.

(seen via IdeaJoy)

Maybe this war has become inevitable. Maybe we were able to live too well and too long with you blindfolded and backed to the wall. Thinking we were about peace we tried to cure a legitimate rage when we should have embraced it. Rage doesn¡¯t have to be bombs and statesmen but it cannot be broken and saddled with bloodless ideals. Camus said if one is not always able not to kill, either directly or indirectly, he must put his conviction and passion to work at diminishing the chances of murder around him. Our liberation was bound to yours. We should have found away to bring a modest sunrise to Iraq before the count of rifles at dawn reached twenty-three years. I am sorry.

(quote from this letter)

(from this link via Jordon Cooper)

The United Nations, NATO and other international alliances are divided as never before; for trade, for development, for peace, those divisions may ultimately prove disastrous. For the United States, any sympathy engendered by September 11 in the Arab world will be irrevocably lost; this is no small thing if you recall that the last time the U.S. waged war on Iraq, an enraged Osama bin Laden was set upon the very course that led to September 11. And for Bush, himself, I believe that defeat in 2004 is nearly inevitable - as his father learned before him, victory in Iraq matters little when the American economy is in recession.

(originally posted by Norm on The Door Magazine Chat Closet)

Well, as a former news reporter, I can tell you that in order for a TRUE conspiracy to work, two things must happen: 1)ALL parties must be in agreement. 2) A completely duped and/or willing media is necessary to fool the masses.

There isn't a government agency within the US that could have an entire administrative staff agree that the sun rises in the east. Really. Ask Rob, who works for the government, how often admin. types agree on anything.

Secondly, the press corps (particularly the WHPC) would eventually sniff these things out - like Iran / Contra. It is true that the majority of "seasoned" veterans can keep secrets with the big boys in return for special favors like THE BIG INTERVIEW, or some juicy sex scandal. But you can always count on some rat bastard with integrity to spoil all the fun. These are usually the new reporters fresh out of J-school with the really silly notion that they should report the truth. They will pay for their blunder, and eventually will fall in line with the rest of the "pros". Muckrackers never last long within the news media machine. They wind up being columnists (like me ), or totally insane (uh...). That's why BIG conspiracies don't work in the US.

In totalitarian governments, these reporters are simply shot, or worse. While in Haiti, I saw one such idealistic, young journalist who earned a flaming necklace for his troubles.

You are correct in asserting that the US is not immune from evil. In fact, evil intent seeps from every pore of our institutions. Even when we seek to do what we think is right, we often get it wrong. That's just the nature of the beast. The best (and only) counter to that is a free press and an open mind.

It is certainly true that the US supported both Hussein and bin Laden in the past, but only because they were the enemies of our enemies. Bin Laden was very familiar with how the diplomacy game is played. After all, his family had money (THAT always gets the attention of members of congress) and access to media. He knew that we were obsessed with the "threat" of communism. He knew that we were suckers for a sob story about the poor, repressed people of Afghanistan being overrun by a godless, brutal Soviet dictatorship. Who knows if bin Laden had in mind the goal of taking down America at that time? Who could have forseen his TRUE intentions?

Ditto Saddam. Ironically, we supported Saddam because he was the enemy of the Wahhabist sect of Islam that bin Laden professes. I don't believe our support was to secure cheap oil, but to encourage "secular" governments in the Middle East - even if that meant we had to look the other way while brutal dictators built power, much to our shame. We seem to have this aversion to theocratic institutions, no matter what the alternative suggests. Besides, we get most of our oil from Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. I think prior to the embargo in 1991, we got maybe one tenth of one percent from Iraq. Only France, Germany, Korea, China and Russia get oil from Iraq. Hmmmm. If you want a conspiracy, try there!

Conspiracy theories depend too much on people being predictable, and NO ONE (however accidentally) doing the right thing. That kind of order can only be attained at the end of a rifle and total control of the news media. Even then, the spirit of freedom lurks in the shadows waiting for an opportune moment. Just one rat bastard with the truth...

(see at Hierogrammate)

"Baghdad is where the beginning of civilization occurred, literally where the wheel was invented, where the very first city was built, where writing began, and it has a very deep and profoundly beautiful history -- which we should never take lightly, no matter who the existing president is."

Even if it's Saddam? "I think he is very proud of the history of his country. I think it's we Americans who don't know the facts about what anthropologists call 'the cradle of civilization.' When we watch the bombing on television, we really don't seem to understand or appreciate that some of these places are sacred. . . . I disagree with those who say that Saddam Hussein doesn't think about this. He cares about these places and their people."

(seen at A View From The Sacristy)

The world’s coffee houses and dinner tables are buzzing with debate these days. The Church’s parish halls around the world are filled with talk of war, and America’s place in the global theatre.
Some are saying that the United Nations has given Saddam twelve years to make his wrongs right. The U.N. failed to stand behind its decisions and now a coalition of the willing must take action…all other means have failed. They say the United States has a moral obligation to remove the barbarous man and his government.
Others are saying that we cannot morally act outside the United Nations. The coalition of the willing acting alone, and making a pre-emptive strike, is a dangerous and immoral precedent. They ask, what will Stop India or North Korea from launching pre-emptive strikes of their own? What will stop the United States from making pre-emptive strikes elsewhere?
Some remember the horrors of World War II. They remember the Appeasement offered to Germany by Great Britain and France…they remember what Hitler did in light of their attempts to appease a war monger.
In my own seminary education, the global theatre and its interactions have been fertile soil for thinking theologically about what is morally righteous. I am studying all sorts of Christian theologies…some that oppose any violent act and others that say violence is some times necessary as a last resort. They are fascinating theologies and one could certainly spend a lifetime pondering the theology of war and nonviolence.
As I have been thinking a lot about those theories lately I stopped Wednesday morning as I do every morning and said the office of Morning Prayer. Something happened to me during my prayers. My soul was moved in a strange and dangerous way…. I was ripped from my place of contemplation. I was carried many places and shown the grim truth of war.
I saw death and suffering; both here and across the ocean. The grim truth of war is that people die and others are left behind to suffer pain and mourning alone. Couples are tragically separated…widows left to walk through the ruble alone. Children are orphaned, left to rely solely on the charity and compassion of those around them. The effects of the war will certainly touch our shores in that manner. How much more will it touch the lives of those for whom this battle ground is not a thousand miles away…how sad and painful it must be to have the battleground be your home.
Pain and suffering should not be left to face alone…in isolation. How much worse will a widow or orphans suffering be if they can find no comfort or solace from others? How can we as Church, allow them to suffer in isolation? That goes against the very Christ we claim as Lord and Savior.
No matter which side of the political spectrum we fall, it is a grave sin to distance ourselves from this reality. Every single person that dies or suffers at the hands of war is the Church’s responsibility. The Church in America cannot pretend that it is isolated from the evil reality of violence and death. When someone on a distant shore dies…a part of ourselves die with them.

(seen at Slacktivist)

We will eventually see the promised scenes of U.S. forces being greeted by smiling villagers waving American flags. The Iraqis, after all, have lived under repressive dictatorships for decades -- they know how to stage a jubilant rally when such a rally is called for by men in uniform. But behind the smiles, what will they be thinking?

(quote from this article via John Campea)

No one can consistently call for peaceful alternatives to war without reflecting on the ways in which one personally participates in and benefits from social institutions that cause violence. Some people may refuse to take up arms, others may withhold taxes designated for military ends; and others may renounce jobs or possessions that implicate them in injustice. Here there is an urgent need for more open and honest discussion in the churches, for we are too quick to condemn those who bear witness in a way to which we do not feel called. We ought not to demand the same actions from everyone. Out of more open and honest discussion may come new and still untried ways of putting flesh on a shared vision of peace.

Giving Rest

(referred to this article via The Journey)

---

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, said mixing relief work and proselytizing in Iraq fits a long history of missionaries using deception.

"They go in under the guise of helping people, and what they really want is to help them leave their faith," Hooper said. "It's really a despicable practice - going to people who are extremely vulnerable, in a very bad situation, and using widely disproportionate power relationships to get them to change their faith."

Hooper warned that if missionaries follow soldiers into the country, U.S. statements that the war is not against Islam are undermined.

"It sends the message to the Muslim and Arab world that the stated intent of the attack on Iraq is not what the intent really is," he said.

The Deliverer?

image: from Apologia
words: top-- from Who Am I? by Under Midnight, bottom-- from Babylon by Steve Taylor)

---

don't matter if there's no heaven
no paradise in the end
there's money to be made for me out there
and something to believe in for them

i use my own imagination
sometimes i even surprise myself(myself)
i see these people led, as if off to a stream
and who knows, maybe i'm all the savior they need

---

---

infidels
in a broken time
our fathers bled the ground
chained and bound

castaway
should the remnant die?
my hopes are growing numb
overcome

aftershocks
and the sorrow grows
some make their slow descent
some repent

rescue me
these idols lie
i cannot bear the shame
make this desert rain

(from TheyBlinked)

...Yes many innocent people lost their lives in America’s war on Afghanistan and many more might lose their lives in Iraq. This is indeed regrettable. But we must never forget as to how the West is divided over this and how nations and people within nations are agonizing in Europe and in America over this decision to go to war in Iraq. While many Americans and Europeans oppose the war, Muslim nations have already agreed to cooperate in this war. No Muslim leader has tried to play the role of a statesman on this issue. It is a tragedy that there is not a single Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter or Nelson Mandela in the entire Muslim world who would stand up and speak for justice!

Before we rush to condemn America we must remember that even today millions of poor and miserable people all across the world are lining up outside US embassies eager to come to America, not just to live here but to become an American. No Muslim country today, can claim that people of other nations and other faiths see it as a promise of hope, equality, dignity and prosperity.

Yes, we American Muslims will continue to challenge the Bush administrations’ proposal to wage war against Iraq. We think a regime change in Washington is as necessary as a regime change in Baghdad, but that is an intramural affair. Once the war is declared, make no mistake Mr. Saddam Hussein and Mr. Bin Laden, We are with America. We will fight with America and we will fight for America. We have a covenant with this nation, we see it as a divine commitment and we will not disobey the Quran (9:4) – we will fulfill our obligations as citizens to the land that opened its doors to us and promised us equality and dignity even though we have a different faith. I am sure Mr. Bin Laden, you can neither understand nor appreciate this willingness to accept and welcome the other.....

Let me tell you that I would rather live in America under Ashcroft and Bush at their worst, than in any “Islamic state” established by ignorant, intolerant and murderous punks like you and Mullah Omar at their best. The US, Patriot Act not withstanding, is still a more Islamic (just and tolerant) state than Afghanistan ever was under the Taliban.

Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D.
Director of International Studies, Adrian College, MI
Association of Muslim Social Scientists
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy

(quote from here)

(from Rambling Thoughts)

Kids Thoughts on war..

I teach computers in an elementary school and with everything that is going on, I thought I would give my students a chance to write something on my blog about their thoughts on war... these are 4th graders...

Jodi- I THINK THE WAR SHOUDN'T BE GOING ON, AND SADDAM HUSSEN SHOUDLN'T HAVE DID WHAT HE DID.

Amanda- I THINK THAT THIS WAR IS STUPID. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHATS ITS ABOUT BUT ITS STUPID.

Kadilee-I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE WAR OR SADAM HUSSEN IS GOING TO BLOW UP THE U.S.

Kayla- I THINK THAT THE WAR IS INSANE, SADDAM HUSSIEN NEEDS TO BE KILLED OR ELSE HE KILL US.

Jeffery-THE WAR IS VERY STUPID!!!!. WAR MAKES EVERYTHING CRAZY!!

The interesting thing about these comments is that most don't even know why or what this war is about, yet they have opinions. Not unlike a lot of us adults wouldn't you say...

Recipe on the War on Terror

(seen on Wendy Cooper's blog)

---

Protect the United States by Finding "Creamy Alfredo Sauce", one recipe at a time.
I am glad to see that someone at the National Security Agency isn't allowing the war with Iraq, an elevated threat level, and terrorist threats galore from interupting them from their primary mission which appears to be looking for recipes of "creamy alfredo sauce". Click on the graphic to check out the logfile. I am just glad that I was able to do my part in the war against terror.

"When war, as in these days in Iraq, threatens the fate of humanity, it is ever more urgent to proclaim, with a strong and decisive voice, that only peace is the road to follow to construct a more just and united society."

Pope John Paul II

(from 10x10)

---

Going to War and Going to Church

Generally I am one to keep my comments out of the ears of strangers. (Okay I know I’m posting them on the internet for the world to see, but I’ve not invited to world to see them!) I try to either keep my little thoughts to myself or only share them with the one who happens to be sitting next to me. I know, I tend toward the sarcastic and sometimes “brutal honesty.” And I wonder if I don’t avoid Bible studies lately because of my urges to critic the presenter after he has completed his lesson. “Here comes the Bible study snob . . .”

First Baptist Church, Dallas; singles group. The first thing that made me smile to myself was this quote in the middle of a prayer. “All's I think about is Habakkuk.” Really? Of all the things in the world to think about ALL he thinks about is Habakkuk? We’ll call that hyperbole and move on.

By way of announcements the leader starts talking about upcoming events concerning the Easter season, he says this: “I want to tell you about what we’ll be doing the week before Easter. In English we call that week ‘pre-Easter week.’ In Spanish we call it ‘Holy Week.’
I think this: “ummm . . . ‘Pre-Easter week?!” What the . . . in English we call it ‘Holy Week’ too! Crazy Baptists!”

With that I was just being picky, but soon after he offended me. He started talking about the war and the atrocities of Saddam Hussain, how Saddam has been known to torture and kill Christians, describing a scene of how people get stoned in this modern age. And he said, “We are fighting a just war. This is a Holy War.” A ‘just war’ seems a contradiction in terms, but Holy War!? I don’t think so! That’s going too far! I’m not an anti-war activist, I haven’t been interested to attend the peace rallies or marches, I have not criticized the actions of the President. I’m sure I don’t know enough of the situation to make accusations (as I think most people don’t so they should shut up.) I haven’t said much about it one way or the other, but calling this a Holy War was going too far for me.

He informed us at that point that instead of a lesson plan, he would lead us in a time of prayer concerning what is happening in the world. We prayed for peace in Jerusalem that ‘God’s chosen people would turn to him’. Sure, great, I’m all about peace in Jerusalem, but we are at war in BAGDAD! You want to pray for Bible cities, lets pray for peace in Babylon!

Then he told us to pray for “Our enemies; the terrorists, the Muslims and the Iraqis.” By this time I wanted to get up and pop him in the mouth for being so stupid. Instead I prayed for patience.

When he finished I went to talk to him. I said, “I don’t want you to think I’m being overly critical, but I just wanted to comment on a few things you said.”

He said, “Oh sure.” (little did he know)

I said, “Well, first the whole thing about the “Holy War,” not only is that historically and personally offensive, but it’s wrong for you to say. This is not a “holy war” by any sense of the words. No war led and perpetuated by men is ‘holy’ not only that, we are not fighting for the rights of Christians in the world. Otherwise we’d be all over the Sudan. When Jesus comes back riding a white horse, THAT will be a Holy War. Not until then.”

He said, “Oh, I see what you mean.”

I said, “And one other thing . . . You said, ‘pray for our enemies the terrorists, the Muslims and the Iraqis.’ The terrorists are our moral enemies, the Iraqis our political enemies, but what do the Muslims have to do with it?”

He said, “Well if you knew anything about what the Muslims believe you would . . .”

I interrupted, “I know enough about Islam to know they are not our enemies.”

He said, “Maybe you should read a book called . . .

(I interrupted again) “I know enough about Islam to know they are not our enemies any more than the Jews are.” (this time I said the magic “Jew” word, he had to listen) “Are the Jews our enemies too? We were just praying for peace in Jerusalem, which seemed odd since we are warring with Baghdad. If you think Muslims are our “spiritual enemies” (which seems just as much as a contradiction as ‘just war’) then where do you draw the line? The Catholics? Orthodox believers? Just Baptists or are Lutherans okay?”

He said, “Oh, you think I’m being too general.”

To which I replied, “As a church leader you are responsible to these people to choose your vocabulary very carefully. When you say Muslims are our enemies in the same sentence as terrorists and Iraqis are our enemies, you are making a much bigger statement. You are helping to form the opinion of these people who are unfamiliar with Muslims and Iraqis and indicating to them that Muslims and Iraqis are generally just as bad as terrorists.”

He said (by way of ending the conversation) “Well, thank you for your input.”

I told him he was welcome.

(found posted by Tanja at The Door Magazine Chat Closet)

FOund this in an aussie chat room:

Aaron Kennedy 25/03/2003 12:19:18 PM

Subject: re: Well done Mike Moore post id: 7247

The Oscars were breathtaking.

I find it astounding that a bunch of actors, many of whom barely manage to complete high school, stand up and lecutre the world as though they are international relations experts.

I find it particularly galling that these people seem to think using force to remove a brutal dictator by force is morally reprehensible, but we should celebrate Roman Polanski, who can't set foot in the US or he will be arrested for a 1978 sexual assault.

Are these people for real?

(This comment responding to this post by Jordon Cooper)

A lot of American Evangelicals who throw their weight behind Israel (bear in mind that not all of them do - many Calvinists are not in the pro-Israeli camp) don't consider why non-dispensationalists think differently about Christian/Jewish questions. I'm glad he's [Tony Campolo] there to provide a needed, alternative evangelical voice (he and Sider and Ron Seiple of World Vision sent a letter to Bush last month).

(from Signposts)

There seems to be increasingly the idea that the ends justifies the means in the "war against terrorism", that there is one rule for one group of people and a totally different rules for people that are not the same as us. And in the midst of it all, we suddenly have people saying that people who have the opportunity to do so should not express their viewpoints on political issues because it would be inappropriate. Phil posted yesterday about the growing feeling that even expressing those viewpoints from the pulpit or in denominational papers might be seen as inappropriate.

Since when is the primary concern of people of conviction (whether it be a conviction about peace, justice, war or whatever) what is appropriate? Since when are statements which are not otherwise offensive (eg racist) not permitted in the public arena, simply because we might disagree with them or because they might rock the boat?

Inhospitable

(from Daniel's Journey)

---

I am constantly amused and intrigued by American's wealth, and their fear of poverty. In fact, very few Americans know poverty, nor will they, no matter how foolish they are with their resources. But many people I have met in other countries that are poor display the greatest amount of generosity and hospitality. So why?

I think it is another product of fear (not to get too Donnie Darko or anything). We are afraid we won't have enough money for next month's car payment, next year's mortgage payments, retirement. Which is funny: the car is fancier than you need, the house is bigger than you need, and how many people die every year and leave their adult children a sizable inheritance? (A: all those who are afraid of running out of retirement money.)

We are afraid to be generous in the present moment because we are afraid of our own future. We are afraid of wanting ourselves, so we are powerless to give to those who are wanting now.

The wealthiest, most secure nation in the world lives in total fear of poverty and insecurity.

Comedy.

No wonder we can't be hospitable. We are eating ourselves alive.

(from Parking Lot)

From the Republic of Conscience by Seamus Heany

When I landed in the republic of conscience
it was so noiseless when the engines stopped
I could hear a curlew high above the runway.
At immigration, the clerk was an old man
who produced a wallet from his homespun coat
and showed me a photograph of my grandfather.
The woman in customs asked me to declare
the words of our traditional cures and charms
to heal dumbness and avert the evil eye.
No porters. No interpreter. No taxi.
You carried your own burden and very soon
your symptoms of creeping privilege disappeared.
Fog is a dreaded omen there but lightning
spells universal good and parents hang
swaddled infants in trees during thunderstorms.
Salt is their precious mineral. And seashells
are held to the ear during births and funerals.
The base of all inks and pigments is seawater.
Their sacred symbol is a stylized boat.
The sail is an ear, the mast a sloping pen,
the hull a mouth-shape, the keel an open eye.
At their inauguration, public leaders
must swear to uphold unwritten law and weep
to atone for their presumption to hold office ?
and to affirm their faith that all life sprang
from salt in tears which the sky-god wept
after he dreamt his solitude was endless.
I came back from that frugal republic
with my two arms the one length, the customs
woman having insisted my allowance was myself.
The old man rose and gazed into my face
and said that was official recognition
that I was now a dual citizen.
He therefore desired me when I got home
to consider myself a representative
and to speak on their behalf in my own tongue.
Their embassies, he said, were everywhere
but operated independently
and no ambassador would ever be relieved.

Be Something...

(from Jason Evan's blog)

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Whether you are an advocate of peace or just war doesn't matter now. This will be your chance to put your hands where your talk has been. Broken families of military personel will need caring for, innocent Iraqi citizens will be wounded and will need our aid, government officials are making impossible decisions and they need our prayer... they all need our love. Just war? Bring justice to all you can. Peace? Offer peace to all you can. Shut up and be something.

(from Spirit Farmer)

O.k., the waiting is over. Our nation is at war. Take your responsibility seriously. Move in as redemptive a way as possible into your world. Pray like crazy for peace. Practice peace in your conversations, in your relationships. Think of those in your life that could be classified as enemies (whether by you or by them), and pray for them, bless them, serve them. Pray that all the "smart" bombs hit their intended marks instead of innocent people. Pray for wisdom for all governmental leaders - their job sucks right now. Pray for the Jesus followers around the world - especially missionaries who have risked all for the sake of the gospel. Avoid the temptation to spend excessive amounts of time in front of the television and radio news channels. Read a good book instead.

(seen from Jordon Cooper)

We better be careful about what we say. We better show respect, even to those who disagree with us. And we must call out for justice. Justice. We must be committed to peace . . . Blessed are the peacemakers.
Man alive -- I don't know what's going on in your country; I just know what's going on in my country. Evangelicals have become the biggest supporters of this upcoming war, and the drumbeat for war increases. They support it and see it as something that they should accept without question.

(from here)

Uncivilized

(seen here)

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"The threat of international terrorism is a new and powerful challenge to global security, and it requires a response. But a response which is primarily military and which lends itself to being characterized as a purely 'Western' or 'Christian' campaign against a Muslim nation risks promoting the 'clash of civilizations' -- the very objective of the terrorists -- rather than the restoration of international security. The proposed military action in Iraq, especially with the current likely configuration of actors, is almost certain to cast a dark shadow over relations between Christianity and Islam not only in the Middle East but in all other regions as well. "

Do Unto Others...

(seen at Signposts)

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Mr President, I have just watched you on Sky news from my Australian home. You spoke about how those that mistreat the American prisoners of war would be tried as war criminals. I share your fear and agree with you in your threat but surely this must force you to evaluate other decisions that you have made over the past year or so.

Does this remind you of the people that you have imprisoned in the American military base in Cuba without trial? Or the people you are interrogating in Afghanistan? Perhaps it reminds you to take another look at the application form for the International Criminal Court and reconsider your decision not to join.

Mr President, I appreciate your concern for the American prisoners of war - their families and friends must be beside themselves with grief and worry. But, perhaps this now gives you insight into the feelings of the families and friends of the people that you hold without trial.

You are right to remind the world, and in particular Iraq, of the Geneva convention but I hope and pray you will hear you own words and take action. America and you are not above the same rules you seek to enforce in the world. The ends never justify the means.

War or Sadaam?

(referred via Bloggedyblog)

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Opposing a War in Iraq is essential because such a war would undoubtedly be detrimental most to the Iraqi people. At the same time, only opposing a war, without anything further, implies that Saddam Hussein should remain in power to perpetuate his well-documented crimes against the Iraqi people and others.

In other words, while decrying what might happen to the Iraqi people during a war, the anti-war movement is forgetting that Iraqi's are suffering and dying at the hands of one of the most brutal dictators the world has seen since World War II.

Anyone who knows anything about Iraq and the Iraqi people knows that they not only want to get rid of Saddam, but they have sacrificed greatly during many failed attempts. In the uprising in 1991, after the Gulf War, civilians in 14 of 18 provinces rose up against Saddam and overthrew his regime in those provinces. If Saddam had not used helicopter gunships and tanks (with U.S. and Allied knowledge if not consent) to strafe and shell civilians, they would have marched on Baghdad as well.

It is immoral to ignore Saddam's crimes and it violates every humanitarian principle in Islamic jurisprudence, Christian theology and international law to accept or condone Saddam's crimes against the Muslim and Christian populations in Iraq.

The alternatives are not just "War" or "Keep Saddam". There are other alternatives.

(from here)

The fact is that the war is. Whether I think it is right or not -- it is. And all the protesting and all the second guessing and all of the blaming isn't going to change a thing this time around. Mr Bush didn't listen to me before the war and he's certainly not going to listen to me while they are in the middle of combat. (Ducros had things figured out.) At this point our energy would be better used in figuring out ways that we can step in to help Iraq rebuild.

(from here in response to this post by Jordon Cooper)

(from Living Room)

This morning I worshipped at one of the Living Rooms Parent churches. It was a very liturgical gathering with a time set aside for anyone to come forward and light a candle for any issue that they wanted us to pray for. The process was to come forward - light the taper - and share a prayer. At the end of the prayer we would all say the words, Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

A number of people came forward and prayed for the Iraq situation in a variety of ways. It struck me though that most of us didn't really know how to pray about such a complex situation. Our prayers either gave away that we were feeling either numb, angry or confused.

Lucy (who is 6 or 7) came to light a candle after others had prayed. She had a bit of trouble keeping it alight but eventually did. She stuck it in the sand and paused for a few seconds before saying...

I wish this dumb war would stop

She then sat down as us adults echoed the words - Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lucy in that moment was able to cut through alot of the crud that many of us were feeling and was able to express in a very profound way her own cry for peace. One might look at her prayer as being overly simplistic or not understanding the full situation but I was inspired by her childlike faith and was able to finally put words to some of the feelings I've been having. I think I'll be praying Lucy's prayer from now on.

I wish this dumb war would stop

The World Is Not Enough

(seen at Mike Gingerich's blog)

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I think the underlying anger fueling the protestors comes from their confusing how the world should be with how the world is. When the suffering of others is out-of-sight, out-of-mind, all’s quiet on the western front. But war makes the truth of the world unavoidable and, like someone rudely awakened from a pleasant dream, it makes us angry. But don’t shoot the messenger.

I’m not glad that this war is going on. In fact, it makes me mad. But I’m not mad at the Americans for taking action, I’m mad at the world we live in for making it necessary.

Weeping for Freedom

(seen at The Cathy J Weblog)

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I don't believe I have ever heard the word "freedom" used as often as it has been lately. Well, maybe back in the 60's, but in a different context. Now I know about "freedom fries" and "Operation Iraqui Freedom" and even the "Freedom forcast" (it's the report of the weather over in Iraq by a US t.v. station. Really.) I've also heard reporter Ying Welsh describe the "Shock and Awe" bombing campaign as "shocking and awesome". Then I think of this verse in Jeremiah 31:15, "The Lord says, A sound is heard in Ramah, the sound of bitter weeping. Rachel is crying for her children; they are gone, and she refuses to be comforted."

"People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity." ~ Thomas Kelly

(seen from Jackie Reimche's blog)

Perishing by the sword; dying without knowledge

(Referred by Jordon and Wendy Cooper)

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What is happening to this country? When did we become a nation which ignores and berates our friends? When did we decide to risk undermining international order by adopting a radical and doctrinaire approach to using our awesome military might? How can we abandon diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries out for diplomacy?

(from this speech)

Overcoming

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(from LivePrayer, today's devotional)

This becomes the standard that we must work to achieve in this area. We must love those who hate us. We must forgive those who mean to do us harm. We must pray for those who are out to get us

Off the Mark

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(from Abstract Reality)

But the thing that worries me the most is that when we set ourselves up as a country that takes preemptive strikes, sooner or later we're going to engage in military action that simply is not neccessary. Whether this war in particular is a mistake or not is irrelevant; if this sort of policy continues, then eventually we are going to go too far. Hundreds or thousands or millions of lives will be lost, and we'll never know if it was neccessary or not. Until around half a century ago, this kind of action would be out of the question. Up until the Korean War, we tried as hard as we could to avoid military action of any kind unless it was clearly and undeniably neccessary. Both of the World Wars we only entered when there was a direct threat to us that could not be denied or dealt with except by the use of military might. Up until today, we refused to go to war unless there was no other choice.

And now we've gone to Iraq, against the wishes of the world, our allies, and many of our people. We don't know if this war will prevent any future bloodshed. It may, and it probably will, but we will never know. And that, to be honest, scares the hell out of me.


(the full post here)

(from Mark Riddle)

Until we learn how to love... everything else is a complete waste of time. How do we know we are loving people? Not by services or events or any vehicle that we provide. We know we are loving when we meet broken people where they are, embrace their pain with grace, embrace their lives as they are not for what we want them to become.

(from Abstract Reality)

I'll dream of things forgotten tonight, only to lose them again once I wake in the morning. It's kind of depressing, that there's a whole other part of my life that I'll never know about...and yet somehow fitting, that there's a part of me that isn't really touched by reality.

There's a reason why those who aspire to something greater in this life are called dreamers...

War and Peace?

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(image seen via The Door Magazine)

The Door Magazine uses the word Hapax Legomenon (twice!)

Recently, The Door Magazine used the word hapax legomenon in an article (twice!). Go to the March/April 2003 issue, under the article Scoop! Baskin-Robbins Hermeneutically Explained by Christopher Young! Check it out!

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Another blog called "Hapax Legomenon"!

I was looking for the definition of "hapax legomenon"when I stumbled onto another blog that has the title of "Hapax Legomenon"! Check it out here! (It's in Spanish.)

Because of this, I have considered slighly modifying the name of this blog. That will happen in the next day or two.

Deadened

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Words: Abstract Reality
Image: seen from Jordon Cooper via David Weinberger

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(from HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe, photographs by Kristen Ashburn)

Why do I continue to make the same mistakes over and over? Why do I act on my impulses without thought or consideration for the impact it will have on those around me? Why is it that I can never seem to realize that what I do may be seen by others as something other than what I intend it to be?

Mercy?

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(seen from They Blinked)

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Marked

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(Seen via Alan Creech)

To be marked with the sign of God means death

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No Prisoners

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(a poem of mine from yesterday)

images: right-- To Breathe by Lee Stadler
end-- Setting Sun by Hajime Takahashi


Flesh of my flesh, together we reign!
Blood of my blood, together we fall!
So back and forth we dance as one,
And bit by bit the story flows:
Higher, better, onward, upward,
Bonded solid for all time!

The balance we keep, the point we aim,
A bridge that molds perception.
Yet here and there, and everywhere,
Remains a flaw, behind and lost,
From both of us, with such a cost:
A piece unreconciled!

At this I turn to you; at that you turn to me:
A home we have, a love we give,
So take this part, this little part,
To make it shine, and give it life,
Or let it die, for both of us,
The greatest gift of all.

Flesh of my flesh, together we live!
Blood of my blood, together we die!
Let not our life hold back this one
That we have tried to grasp;
Let mercy reign and fall with us,
As we rest and die in peace!

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Theology Makes the History

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(Referred by Hans-Fredreich)

Sample:

According to historian Michael Kammen, the worst mistakes are made when researchers succumb to nonobjective influences or factors that taint their conclusions. Five of these factors form a useful measuring rod in assessing any work of history.

A useful measuring rod

The first of these is chauvinism — the tendency to let pride, rivalry and ideology lead to an emphasis on certain facts to the exclusion of others. A historian named Akira Iriye will argue the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific differently from Douglas MacArthur's Reminiscences.

The next negative element is group solidarity or group survival. It helps, for example, to know that Menachem Begin was an Israeli freedom fighter when reading his Never Again!

The third factor is the need to publicly argue a case (e.g., the various "authorized biographies" we often hear about).

The above is closely related to the element of justification, the need to clear oneself or one's group. Most nonacademic (and many academic) histories have this sort of subjectivity.

Finally, there are personal or psychological factors that often reveal more about the author than the subject. Fawn Brodie's 1970s effort Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History is a case in point, as is a more recent work on Nancy Reagan.

(Go to the full article)

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Just War or Mere Crusade

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From The Globe and Mail.

A sampling:

Is that not why both Washington and London have been working overtime to convince people that the cause is just? But as the Pope and the Canadian Council of Churches have shown, the case has yet to be made. And that is probably why the champions of an Iraq war have turned to another theological concept to shore up support. It's the Crusade, a word that literally means a war of the Cross but has broadened its meaning to include a struggle for a noble objective.

In this case, it is the vision of a democratic Middle East. Gone, we are told, would be not only Saddam Hussein and his tyranny. Gone, too, would be all the dictators (carefully unnamed). In would come government by the people and, with it, prosperity and justice for all.

It is not a new appeal. The First World War was kept alive by assuring the public it was "the war to end wars." The 1991 Persian Gulf war was based on the promise of a new world order. But is there reason to believe a new crusade in the Middle East can do any more for it than the medieval crusades did?

For the full article, go here

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3 Strikes...

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Peace
Hope
Love

War.........................Despair..........................Hate..........................War..........................Despair.........................Hate

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Untouchable

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(poem by me May 17/2000)
(Image: Lifeless by Englewolf)

Embedded in life my kingdom lies
Unmoved by tests of time.
An end so small, with a fate so sad
Fragments my place accursed!
In vain my dreams have tumbled down
The destined steps of death;
Stripped and crushed, burnt and snuffed,
Reduced to simply zero.
A world without end.
Alone.

Travelling in life my kingdom lies
Deprived by empty dreams.
A plight so vivid, a struggle intense
Disrupts my place accursed!
Indifferent my actions have stumbled over
The steps to keep the peace:
Pained and angered, listless and wooden,
Reduced to emptiness.
A world without direction.
Lost.

Signing up for the People's Free University today. Hopefully that'll jumpstart my mind...

Update: I think it will...

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The Wittenberg Door

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For more amusement, go to The Door Magazine. To talk to Door Magazine readers, go to The Door Magazine Chat Closet.

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Telemiracle Today

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It's purpose: The aim of the Foundation is to support, promote, and foster programs that will benefit disabled people throughout Saskatchewan. The primary method of meeting that aim has been the distribution of the funds raised by the annual Kinsmen Telemiracle

Telemiracle is this weekend, from Saturday at 9 p.m.(CST) to Sunday at 5 p.m. It's at the Centennial Auditorium in Saskatoon. It's free to watch.