Posted 20 November 2003 - 06:10 AM
Well done V4B, extremely good effort. Are you a real minister? (If thgere is such a thing?) I don't mind you disagreeing with me, the fact you have the courage to do so speaks tons on the quality of the democracies we live in.
BTW, the senators who were screaming at Bush in our parliment are the Greens, (Conservation oriented party) They were screaming at your president because we have a couple of citizens in your "prisoner of war camps" who have had their natural rights bypassed, and our Prime minister can't get his tongue out of Georges butt crack long enough to ask they be allowed to speak to legal representation or their families. Good Ole Boy George did say something that impressed me as they were being escorted from the chamber by armed guards, and that was, and I quote, "I love free speech!" For once I agree with him. If only he was an elected official, instead of one who won his office through the courts.... (G'wan, Put em up!)
Killing is bad. Full stop. People are shaped by their environment. Killing breeds killing which breeds more killing. Turning the other cheek however..... 7X7X7 times, you should know that! Or have I got that wrong?
The only way to stop the cycle is for the more poweful in a killing spree cycle to state their intentions to do so, and put up with a little crap until it eventually stops. It isn't easy. The other alternative is for both sides to enter into a task in which they both rely on each other, and in doing the task, identify and understand each others point of view.
We need to respect each other. The reason I can have a conversation with you over the internet is because I respect your right to be different. You in turn respect mine. In fact, I love the fact that you are different, and want to know as much about you and your countrymen and women as I can.
If we, the West, treated our Muslim brothers and sisters the same way, with respect, stopped trying to force our way of life, our television, our art, our pornography, our values, our biases, our acceptance of divorce, our acceptance of loveless sex, our determination to change the way they dress, how much they charge for their oil, and got to know them, cherish them, love them, accept and value them, they might just do the same. It takes a bigger person to open their arms than it does to put up their dukes.
When Jesus went to a new town, he WASHED HIS HOSTS FEET before he did anything else. And when he was asked to leave, he left, and shook the dust from his feet. Its all about service brother, lay down your sword, and pick up the bowl and soap. The cross is a symbol of sacrifice, not something to be rooted out of the ground, sharpened to a point and shoved in the heart of your neighbor. You start doing that you might as well build your own woodpile, hop on and flick the match, 'cos you've missed the point.
True, the USSR did fail for the reasons you mention. Being isolated economically didn't help much either.
My Palestinian sponsorite is one small attempt to make the world a better place. When I finish my degree I will be sponsoring more. In fact, as many as I can afford in my 'great plan of life'. His dad wouldn't be on welfare if the wall wasn't there, by the way. I envite you to do the same, any region you please. One of the things we know does get bought by our offerings is ambulances for the Israeli tanks to squash. Good on you fellas!
Before you go thinking I have a bias here, I worked as a barman in Bondi Beach for a couple of years, and there wasn't a native Israeli I didn't get along with. (Lots of them in Eastern Sydney!) Happy, smiling, friendly and carefree people. I had to teach them how to say please though, they assured me there was no equivalent word in their culture. Perhaps they were having me on, I don't know. The closest is a word they told me one uses when dealing with ones mother. Go figure?
What were you before you became a Baptist? Is Babtisism a Prodestant offshoot?
David.
LongeCity
