I don’t believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again.
Anne Frank
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Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour
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The willful misinterpretation of the Book of Revelations is behind much of current conservative Christian right-wing fundamentalist speculation, not only about this country but the Middle East and the world as well. Too, often this speculation is used to incorrectly determine who is on God’s side; the countries, its leaders and citizens, who are feared to be in league with the end time desires of Satan and as a result, the enemy of the ‘Christian Nation of the United States of America’.
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Some are being tempted to aid or bring about a world situation, that they believe, will lead to the rapture by executing some grand design to force the hand of God to the will of those who would like to steal His plans to justify their own limited vision and corrupt goals.
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Accepting incorrect speculation about the ‘end times’ unfortunately causes some highly impressionable Christians to willingly yield, whether through ignorance or fear of losing worldly comforts, whatever spiritual virtues or values they’ve gained from the Gospels to the whims of Power, its control, greed, discrimination and destruction.
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This misinformation (which I believe the educated leaders absolutely know to be untrue) is used to violate what Christ explained to us was the second most important commandment, ‘to love one another’. Fear, ignorance and paranoia are, and have always been, the ultimate tools of evil and can and often do exist on all sides of any conflict. Evil does exist but it is an action not a person or group of people.
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Terrorism is an example of an evil tool used by some sects of radical fundamentalist Islam. Its existence among these groups does not indicate that all followers of Islam are in league with evil as many equally radical Christian fundamentalists in this country would like us to believe. The Bible or the Koran can be and often is used by the unscrupulous to dehumanize an enemy, in a far too often, successful attempt to justify horrendous acts of violence and collateral damage against any who fall under the unforgivable label of evil. Too often, this presumptive attitude is so pervasive within this culture as to include a Calvinistic determination of who is loved by God or who is left poor, sick or disabled which may lead to a dangerous goat-like deceptive self-opinion.
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I remember hearing of a painting where Jesus was depicted as a junky. I never saw the painting and I don’t care to or need to because I’ve embellished on it in my mind. I picture a Christ-like figure in a urine soaked alley with empty liquor bottles and needles nearby. I consider it a holy image. Why? Because I think we should insult Christ or say He’s something He’s not? No! It reminds me that we are supposed to see the suffering Christ in the most lowly of individuals. That Jesus is served best when we show love, mercy, and caring for all those in society especially those who, for whatever reason, are most looked down on or deemed unacceptable.
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I do believe that the Book of Revelation does teach that the spiritual battle against evil is a global battle but, it’s a struggle destined to be won within the hearts and souls of the individual (each and every one of us). However, He brings about the culmination of all Earthly things it really isn’t any of our business, in fact I believe serious speculation into His business to be a serious sign of a lack of trust.
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I know people are worried about that number (666) but a little faith in God should let you know He’s not going to let you sink beneath the waves of the mythological meaning of that number unaware of what you are doing. This book teaches us to relentlessly cling to the teachings of Christ, to trust what he taught and to understand that whatever worldly cost we may have to endure He will be victorious in the end.
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The greater part of faith is trust.
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Christians United for Israel: New Christian Zionism Lobby Hopes to Rival
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/15/1326256
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"As an essential part of its fight against all forms of terrorism, the international community is called to undertake new and creative political, diplomatic and economic initiatives aimed at relieving the scandalous situations of gross injustice, oppression and marginalization which continue to oppress countless members of the human family. History in fact shows that the recruitment of terrorists is more easily achieved in areas where human rights are trampled upon and where injustice is a part of daily life."
Pope John Paul II
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The Passion for so many centuries has been used incorrectly to justify anti-Semitism. The Jews didn’t kill Christ. Power, feeling threatened killed Jesus. The Religious authority threatened by His popularity and expressed ideas feared He would bring unfavorably dangerous attention to them and their community from occupation powers. But most of all they feared and loathed the challenge to their authority. The politically unpopular occupation appointed governor feared any threat to his power or negative attention from occupation rulers. The occupation administrator of the land feared for local instability and any career-ending negative attention upon himself. When the people were granted the traditional holiday choice of freeing a prisoner they choose the violent insurrectionist, their freedom fighter, over the man of love and peace.
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Those were the choices that resulted in the death penalty for Jesus. We’re wrestling with these same choices to this very day in our land and around the globe.
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The corrupt self-centeredness of power is not surprising but why do people so often willingly chose violent ways over that of peace. The people who yelled for the insurrectionist undoubtedly felt they were in fact loyal followers of their faith who, living under an unjust occupation and feeling threatened, were making the proper patriotic choice of God and country.
Al Franken's SUPPLY SIDE JESUS
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Isn’t it just typical?
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You’ve got the long haired guy who talks about peace and love.
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“This sandal wearing self proclaimed ‘know all the secrets of
the universe’ genius” who even wants some kind of forgiveness
for our enemies, which we all know is just another word for amnesty for those who hate our freedom.
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Liberals are always soft on those who wrong us. The worst part about this guy, who we all know doesn’t have a job, is he’s attracting the attention of our enemies. It’s traitorous, because he’s making us look like we’re not united, that we don’t support our leaders, and then that makes all these horrible people just fight harder and harder and harder. Why, because they think they can outlast us.
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If that’s not giving aid and comfort to the enemy I don’t know what it is. He's a traitor!
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You’re not stirring up trouble, you wouldn’t act like that guy, so what would you be doing?
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Well………You would be cheering the freedom fighters. For the guy who stood against those who stood against God, who harassed your family, who rounded up people and locked them away, humiliated, tortured and murdered. He would be a hero for having the courage to stand against those who picked your leaders.
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You would be screaming for……
Barabbas!!!
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Everything Christ talks about here is exactly what the conservatives attempt to denigrate liberals with, what they seem to believe is the derogatory expression of ‘bleeding heart’.
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Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
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To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
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Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
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But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
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"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
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Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
Luke 6-27-38
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Jesus explains well what it means to be a good follower of His; a good explanation of one type of Cross He has asked us to bare. Also, for those of us who dare to call ourselves Christian it’s a good example of how to be a ‘bleeding heart liberal’.
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"We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and for justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"In struggling for human dignity the oppressed people of the world must not allow themselves to become bitter or indulge in hate campaigns. To retaliate with hate and bitterness would do nothing but intensify the hate in the world. Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can be done only by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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