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Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective

The ring-a-ding-ding season

Our PNCC seminarian Adam points to an article on Wal-Mart’s efforts to put the ring-a-ding-ding back in its cash registers (or ATM terminals) for Christmas. From USA Today: Wal-Mart wishes you a Merry Christmas

Wal-Mart will put “Christmas” back into the holidays this year, the retailer plans to announce Thursday.

A year after religious and other groups boycotted retailers, including Wal-Mart (WMT), for downplaying Christmas, the world’s largest retail chain will have an in-your-face Christmas theme this year.

“We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year,” says Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley. “We’re not afraid to use the term ‘Merry Christmas.’ We’ll use it early, and we’ll use it often.”

The operative word being use.

Wal-Mart told about 7,000 associates of the plans at a conference last month and “was met with rapturous applause. … We know many of our customers will feel the same,” says John Fleming, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of marketing.

Fleming says the retailer, which recently lowered prices on toys and electronics, will be pitching Christmas almost as much as “value” to holiday shoppers.

…

The Christmas spirit is spreading. Macy’s, the largest U.S. department store chain, plans to have “Merry Christmas” signs in all departments. All of Macy’s window displays will have Christmas themes. At New York’s Herald Square, the theme will be “Oh, Christmas Tree.”

“Our intention is to make every customer feel welcomed and appreciated, whether they celebrate Christmas or other holidays,” spokesman Jim Sluzewski says.

Good Polish tolerant conservatism from Mr. Sluzewski.

As at Wal-Mart, Macy’s employees are encouraged to consider wishing customers holiday greetings that are appropriate to their race or religion, including Happy Kwanzaa or Feliz Navidad.

Because we’ll all being wearing tags that identify our race and religious preference (maybe they could miniaturize it and put it in the microchip on my credit card).

All of this brings up so many issues.

In the end, yes, take down the decorations, stop saying happy anything (although they should try to be polite), be who you are – a secular company, and please, stop co-opting and corrupting the Incarnation of God among us.

Otherwise most will come to believe that yes Virginia, there is no Jesus – just Santa.

Current Events, Political

Carter nails the truth

[Israeli policies constitute] a system of apartheid, with two peoples occupying the same land but completely separated from each other, with Israelis totally dominant and suppressing violence by depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights.

Former President Jimmy Carter in his upcoming book Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid.

For a review and commentary see Jimmy Carter – Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid from Dancing with Sprites. (Thanks to Serge for the tip on this).

Anyone see the pictures of the two little shoes, one blue, one pink, in the streets of Beit Hanoun? The pictures of pooled water tinged red with the blood of children? Our tax dollars hard at work killing families, killing eighteen, mostly women and children, killing just for the sake of killing.

The most striking comment was from a BBC article. A Palestinian policeman, a family member of the murdered, who had always worked within the system, stated —Today they made me a terrorist.—

Today’s report that the French almost shot down two Israeli planes (really our planes —“ two F-15’s) over Lebanon shows just how far the Israelis are willing to go. The French were two seconds away from pressing the button on the SAMs and shooting them down.

The Israelis are continually provoking German and French peacekeepers in Lebanon —“ as the Israeli spokesperson said, because they have to. Can you imagine the response if the planes had been shot down? The Israelis would scream anti-Semitism.

I wonder, head-to-head, whether the F-15’s could match newer Mirage fighters in an all out war? I would assume that’s what Israel wants. They’ve taken state sponsored terrorism and brinksmanship to a new level – all on our dime.

Current Events, Perspective, Political

Falling on his sword

From the BBC: Rumsfeld replaced after poll loss

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is standing down, President George W Bush has announced after bruising losses for Republicans in mid-term elections.

Mr Bush said that “after a series of thoughtful conversations” he and Mr Rumsfeld has decided “the time is right for new leadership at the Pentagon”…

Maybe, just maybe, he should have beaten his sword into something different. At a minimum he should have been a better manager, listened to those with expertise…

But that’s what you get when a failure at business appoints friends to run a business. As the neo-cons (no honor among theives, like rats from a sinking ship) have been pointing out – none of these people know what they are doing.

Current Events, Perspective,

We didn’t get you the first time around

From The Guardian: Obstetricians call for debate on ethics of euthanasia for very sick babies

Doctors involved in childbirth are calling for an open discussion about the ethics of euthanasia for the sickest of newborn babies. The option to end the suffering of a severely damaged newborn baby – who might have been aborted if the parents had known earlier the extent of its disabilities and potential suffering – should be discussed, says the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists…

The factors they site —“ cost (oh, and we missed you while you were in the womb). In addition, they wish to be consistent —“ you know like the Church is but only in reverse —“ no life is sacred. To wit:

The college ethics committee tells the inquiry it feels euthanasia “has to be covered and debated for completion and consistency’s sake …

Stupid parents —“ you should have checked this out before, but we have all the answers. Let me get rid of this little problem for you.

May God have mercy on us! Come Lord Jesus, come!

Current Events, Perspective, Political,

Voting for streets paved in blood

I have voted in every election, even the most mundane ones such as school board and library board elections, ever since I gained the right to vote.

Regardless of the hopelessness, regardless of the fact that my one vote will not achieve any kind of change, or make any difference in the predefined outcome, I will not refrain from voting.

This year’s vote is particularly important.

Voting is my statement —“ saying I believe in the United States that propagates this right. You remember —“ the nation of ideals —“ democracy, freedom, rugged individualism, family, true conservatism. When I vote I will be saying that I remember and believe in the country that didn’t torture its prisoners, that didn’t strike first, that didn’t spy on its citizens, and that didn’t call political opponents traitors.

This year is tough. I get to chose between Democrats who will pave the streets in the blood of aborted and murdered children (abortion and ESCR) and Republicans who will pave the streets in the blood of our serviceman and women, of prisoners (death penalty), and of so many innocents around the world.

The alternate lines offer a means of protest. Whether Conservative, Libertarian, Reform, or Green, a vote on those lines will say, at least in part, I do not agree.

In any event, I encourage you to get out and vote. Make your vote a moment of prayer, asking for God’s mercy on us just before you pull the level, punch the card, write the name, or press the button. Make your one small voice heard. We may never take back our state or country, but at least we can maintain our personal dignity (as long as they let us).

Current Events, Political

Ironic, isn’t it?

From the BBC: US closes ‘bomb secrets’ website

The US government has closed one of its websites that contained documents found during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Weapons experts had complained that the site contained details on making nuclear bombs, the New York Times said.

The US had set up the site to post documents that it hoped might reveal information about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programmes.

A US national intelligence spokesman said there would be a careful review before the site went online again.

The website, Iraqi Freedom Document Portal, was set up in March after pressure from Republican legislators that intelligence experts were taking too long to comb through thousands of documents from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…

That’s right, those Republican hard core neo-conservatives that led us into war were so ticked off that WMDs were not found that they wanted these documents released so they could pour through them to find proof of WMDs.

It appears that their desire for proof has led to their giving away the store (let’s see them accept personal responsibility). If some nut job terrorist imports a nuke we will be able to thank Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, and the rest of their company.

It’s ironic that the Bush administration is now touring the country telling everyone that electing Democrats will bring death and destruction to our shores.

Current Events

We’ve re-evaluated peace

Per Reuters: Palestinian women killed in Gaza mosque clash

Two Palestinian women acting as human shields between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen were killed on Friday during a stand-off at a Gaza mosque, before the 60 gunmen managed to escape.

…

More than 280 Palestinians have been killed in the four-month-old offensive, about half of them civilians. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Yes, they were acting as human shields. Yes, they put themselves in harms way. Yet the Israelis were wrong to fire into the crowd.

The whole idea of the nation state, of being civilized, of being part of the community of nations is that you are to hold yourself to a higher standard. When a nation becomes a terrorist it has sunk into a paradigm that makes brute force and anarchy its operating principal.

So what were the alternatives?

  • Wait it out (from protected positions with massive firepower)?
  • Prevent the women from entering the area in the first place (they knew they were coming and followed the call-out for these women, and they saw them approaching)?

Perhaps this is part of the new strategy precipitated by the far-right’s entry into Israel’s ruling coalition. As Mr. Lieberman has said, bomb the population centers.

As the Jerusalem Post reports:

Lieberman accused the Times editorial board of “old thinking” and said it was time to “go back to the drawing board” to reevaluate the goals of the peace process.

Yep, we’re re-evaluated peace, go kill those women.

Current Events, Political

How does this impact us?

From the NY Times in Medic Tends a Fallen Marine, With Skill, Prayer and Anger

…

Inside the wire, First Lt. Scott R. Burlison, the company commander, gathered the group and told them that Lance Corporal Smith was alive and in surgery. He was critical, but stable. They hoped to fly him to Germany.

Doc had scrubbed himself clean. A big marine stepped forward with a small Bible, and the platoon huddled. He began with Psalm 91, verses 5 and 11…

Read the story and you will see the anger and frustration our soldiers have to deal with. They will come back wounded in very many ways.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion surrounding mounting budget deficits. Certainly a concern, but couple those deficits with the typical neglect our servicemen and women face after the fight.

The crippled, the sick, the angry, and the insane will be welcomed home warmly only to be presented with a check that will bounce when they seek to cash it.

From the pit of hell they are crying out for God’s mercy. May God have mercy on us all.

You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,

For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.

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