Ignorant politicians whom everyone should vote against

Greetings.

Jewish date:  28 ’Iyyar 5770 (Parashath BeMidhbar).

Today’s holidays:  Day 43 of the ‘Omer (Judaism), Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) (Judaism), Feast Day of Nereus and Achilleus (Roman Catholicism), Feast Day of St. Hugh Hefner (Church of the SubGenius).

Worthy causes of the day:  “ONE | Fix This Budget”, “Heart Disease and Stroke. You’re the Cure.:  Tell our Senators to get moving on Child Nutrition”, “Congress is 0 for 9 - The Petition Site”, “Take Action: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing | Save Darfur” and “Save BioGems: Take Action: Save Yellowstone/Greater Rockies”.

Topic 1:  “Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Axis-Supporting Arab/Muslim Knesset Member, Ganaim, calls for Islamic caliphate in Israel”.  This article deals with Arab Keneseth member Masud Ganaim, who presents what are arguably treasonous political views which make sense from an Islamic point of view.  He wants the restoration of an Islamic caliphate, with Israel included  as part of it.  Two quotes are of especial interest:

We are not necessarily talking about Israel here, but I believe an Islamic caliphate would be in the interest of the Jews themselves, since their golden era was under this caliphate.

We are not against the Jews, but against the Zionist movement and its racist ideology. We have no objection to the Jews managing their own matters themselves.

These quotes would only make sense from an Islamic point of view.  Islam has the notion that Muslims should be in charge and that everyone else should be subservient.  This is only in the interest of Jews in so far as being second-class citizens (dhimmis), they would be under constant pressure to convert to Islam—the goal that Muslims want, not necessarily what Jews would consider to their benefit.  While Jews had their moments under Muslim rule, it was never because of Muslim rule but rather despite it.  Considering that Israel is a scientific and technological powerhouse and its Jews have high levels of voluntary religious observance (even among self-proclaimed secularists), the idea that Jews need Muslim rule to prosper is untenable.  Furthermore, the Qur’an is littered with anti-Semitism, so the claim of being not against Jews but only against Zionism is also untenable.  At best it can be interpreted only as “We are not against Jews when they are subservient to us”.  That Ganaim knows nothing about the ideology of Zionism should be obvious; Jews are not a racial group, as they have always accepted converts without regard for ancestry.  I am seriously considering moving to Israel, and if I do so (YHWH willing), I intend to vote against obvious ignoramuses like this.

Topic 2:  “Sarah Palin: American Law Should Be 'Based On The God Of The Bible And The Ten Commandments'”.  Competing with Mr. Ganaim for sheer historical ignorance is Sarah Palin.  Palin is completely unaware that the United States is a Christian nation only in the sense of having a Christian majority.  Little does she know that the Founding Fathers were not so unanimously Christian (e.g., Thomas Jefferson was a known deist), and the Constitution neither invokes the Christian Trinity nor promotes Christianity.  On the other hand, we have a legal separation of church and state, and the government is supposed to be religion-neutral.  This is why Palin is completely getting wrong the notion of a National Day of Prayer.  No one (trying to work within our legal system) is arguing that Americans should not pray or discuss religion publicly; such a restriction would be a violation of freedom of religion and free speech.  Rather, it is simply not the business of the government to encourage or discourage prayer.  If I remain in the United States, this is the sort of obvious ignoramus I will continue to vote against.

Topic 3:  For today’s religious humor: “The Kitty’s Journey: Joseph Campbell and Friskies”:  This article argues that a cat food commercial fits the pattern of religious stories which Joseph Campbell laid out in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.  I think I will let this absurdity speak for itself.

Peace.

Aaron

The cross, censorship, and The Golden Compass

Greetings.

Jewish date:  2 Marḥeshwan 5770 (Parashath Noaḥ).

Today’s holidays:  Birth of the Báb (Bahá’í Faith), Feast Day of Sir Richard Francis Burton (Thelema).

Worthy cause of the day:  “Keep Children Safe When They're at Child Care”.

Topic 1:  “Supreme Court debates cross”:  Seventy-five years ago, a cross was set up in memory of US soldiers killed in World War I on public land in the Mojave National Preserve.  Presumably this was done with the noblest of intentions, but considering that the cross is a specifically Christian symbol, there is naturally a valid issue of separation of church and state.  For some reason Justice Antonin Scalia does not understand or refuses to understand something which should be so obvious.

Topic 2:  “The American Library Association’s Stealth Jihad Against Free Speech”:  There is an irony in censoring someone in a celebration of Banned Book Week.

Topic 3:  I have now read chapter 12 of The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, book 1), and I am crying foul.  We finally learn what the devious, dastardly thing the Church is doing to the kidnapped children is:  intercission, which severing a human from his/her dæmon.  Why anyone would want to do such a thing is not yet revealed; I presume that Pullman will reveal that later.  But the results of intercission are inaccurate.  Intercission does not leave the human part of the victim unable to function.  In real life, a human without a soul is brain dead and may only be considered alive by technicality.  For all a human is is contained within the brain; if it were not so, then brain damage would never affect behavior and memory.  The idea of intercised children wandering around and some even surviving is therefore at best based on a bad interpretation of the soul.

Peace.

Aaron

Adoption of Muslim practices and terminology by non-Muslims and the Goldstone Report

Greetings.

Jewish date:  29 ’Elul 5769.

Today’s holidays:  ’Erev Ro’sh hashShanah.

Worthy cause of the day:  “AmericaCantWait.com” and “Take Action: Colorado's pristine forests need your help today!”

Topic 1:  “Non-Muslims Join the Ramadan Fast”:  This article details adoption of Islamic practices and terminology by Christians in the United States and the United Kingdom.  Considering that Paul tended to make himself appear like the people he was preaching to, there is some sense in this.  However, no mention is made of trying to preach the Gospel to Muslims.  The reasons given are in terms of understanding Islam and Muslims.  I can appreciate trying to understand one’s neighbors, though there is the risk of going over the line and practicing a religion one does not believe in.  Using Muslim terminology also invites redefining one’s religion in Islamic terms.  (This is a very real worry.  That is why I try to avoid using “God” and instead use “YHWH” and “HashShem”:  my god is not the Christian Trinity, and “God” is a term with a lot of Christian baggage.)  Very inappropriate is for government officials to promote adoption of Islamic practices; this is a blatant violation of separation of church and state.

Topic 2:  “The Goldstone Report: Rewarding Palestinian Terror”:  The Goldstone Report, along with anti-Semitic rhetoric in general, seems to be gross insensitivity to facts.  Please note that physical reality is highly insensitive to what people want it to be and stubbornly remains what it is.

Shabbath shalom, and may you be written and sealed for a good year.

Aaron