tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post112482590690559437..comments2023-10-02T06:06:38.784-05:00Comments on Fires Along the Tallgrass: When He ReturnsPhil Dillon, Prairie Apologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00933117233625601141noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124923002902964192005-08-24T17:36:00.000-05:002005-08-24T17:36:00.000-05:00RobI can assure you that Nancy's mother tries her ...Rob<BR/><BR/>I can assure you that Nancy's mother tries her best to live a Christian life. She's an honorable woman.<BR/><BR/>I wasn't really writing about the Israel/Palestine issue. The essay was more a stream of consciousness piece about what I felt two years ago and what I was feeling yesterday.<BR/><BR/>The Israel/Palestine issue is a very difficult one. I hope and pray that there's an answer for both side, but I don't know.<BR/><BR/>I had a very close friend in NJ who was a devout Muslim. We used to talk about this a lot. We always hit a wall when I would try to find avenues for both parties. He said that Palestinians and all other Arabs have a life goal of destroying Israel and exterminating the Jews.<BR/><BR/>The thing that was concerning Nancy's mother was that in the current circumstance Israel is giving territory in hopes of buying peace and secure borders. She did not believe that one will buy gthe other. Myself? I'm not sure. I hope and pray that peace will come, but I honestly don't know.Phil Dillon, Prairie Apologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00933117233625601141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124920791389623812005-08-24T16:59:00.000-05:002005-08-24T16:59:00.000-05:00Phil,Thanks for responding, but your original sent...Phil,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for responding, but your original sentence does not reflect the meaning in your more considered reply to my post. Your original sentence — indeed, your original paragraph — mentions neither “firebrands” nor the political right. Rather, it places the opprobrium for terrorist sympathy entirely on “America’s political left” — presumably including Democrats. It’s the kind of hyperbole that I had hoped your blog was trying to avoid. If you meant to spread your comments more evenly along the political spectrum, then, frankly, they could have been better expressed. <BR/><BR/>***<BR/><BR/>I wasn’t originally going to comment on this, because it opens a real Pandora’s Box which isn’t going to be closed anytime soon, but it’s been bugging me all morning: I’m really disturbed that when Nancy’s mother heard about the Gaza pull-out, her first thought was that it was an impediment to the End Times. Now, I hasten to add, I’m glad that her thoughts soon turned to a more practical, here-and-now way of looking at the situation. Also, she obviously holds a strong biblical orientation, which I don’t want to make light of or seem disrespectful to. I’m not saying this as a personal attack. <BR/><BR/>But the Gaza pull-out is one step in possibly bringing peace to a situation that has, for decades, been cursed with relentless and deadly violence. While too early to tell if it will have the desired results, it may be the first step in many lives being saved. Looking at the event primarily with concern about how biblical prophecy will or will not be fufilled seems to me rather un-Christian. As <B>someone</B> once said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” <BR/><BR/>As I said, my purpose in writing this is not to attack Nancy’s mother. However, my concern is that some people in power — people who may directly influence the success or failure of peace in the Middle East — share her views and are not as quick to change their minds and look at the situation differently. This is my concern whenever I see a self-proclaimed Christian fundamentalist running for high office. I think to myself, “Is this person seeking political power in order to govern by Christian values — love, peace, ‘doing unto others’ — or to fulfill biblical prophecy?” <BR/><BR/>I don’t see much difference between someone sanctioning life being taken to fulfill the premonitions in the Bible and an Islamic extremist who sanctions life being taken to fulfill those in the Koran. <BR/><BR/>My ruminative thoughts were disturbed even more when I read that the “Christian” evangelical minister Pat Robertson — on his TV show <I>The 700 Club</I>, Monday, August 22, 2005 — advocated that the U.S. government should assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez :<BR/><BR/><I>“We [the U.S.] have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don’t need another $200-billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job, and then get it over with.”</I><BR/><BR/>Now, I know that Robertson doesn’t speak for all Christians. (I’ll try to resist any remarks about Karl Rove “outing” the covert operatives.) It may even charitably be said that Robertson is hoping to avoid the taking of many other lives by avoiding yet another war. But the fact that a <B>minister</B> with such a large following and many years of experience would, so quickly and so cavalierly, turn his back on the Sixth Commandment, turn his back on centuries of Christian teaching, and <B>advocate</B> the taking of another human life is not only un-Christian, but the height of hypocracy. I would have thought that he, as a Christian, would try to change Chavez (or at least reconcile their disagreements) through love, understanding, and Christian principles. Advocating the assassination of a political opponent is the kind of earthly expedient — to put it politely — that Jesus cautions against. <BR/><BR/>Forget about posting the Ten Commanments in public schools. I think that they need to be posted in Pat Robertson’s office. <BR/><BR/>Christianity ought to be about living one’s life according to Christian principles — as I believe Phil tries to do. It should not be about facilitating biblical prophecy or forcing sectarian religious dogma down our throats, especially at government expense. It’s when self-proclaimed Christians lose sight of this that I get nervous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124909607638271092005-08-24T13:53:00.000-05:002005-08-24T13:53:00.000-05:00RobThere are firebrands on the left like Lynne Ste...Rob<BR/><BR/>There are firebrands on the left like Lynne Stewart who hsd been convicted of aiding terrorists. There are firebrands on the right like Fred Phelps who view what the terrorists are doing as God's judgement on America for its stance on homosexual rights. That's what I was referring to and I stand by what I said.<BR/><BR/>Eddy<BR/><BR/>I suppose, but I guess that my mother in law is much more educated than most pastors, more than you and me for sure. I know her heart is in the right place.<BR/><BR/>As I see it there are few, if any, experts on the end of time. i just know that Jesus himself promsied he'd come back and I believe that. When that will be is beyond my thinking. When I see things going as they are in this world all I can say is that I hope it's soon.Phil Dillon, Prairie Apologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00933117233625601141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124904321187269342005-08-24T12:25:00.000-05:002005-08-24T12:25:00.000-05:00My heart goes out to all of the Jewish people bein...My heart goes out to all of the Jewish people being uprooted from their land.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124899348384866242005-08-24T11:02:00.000-05:002005-08-24T11:02:00.000-05:00I was stunned to read this sentence:“Terrorists ha...I was stunned to read this sentence:<BR/><BR/><I>“Terrorists have caught the fancy of America’s political left who have picked up the murderer’s mantras.”</I><BR/><BR/>What on earth does it mean? It seems to be saying that American liberals support and cheer on the terrorists, that to be an American liberal is to be in league with those who attacked America on 9/11 — which, of course, is nonsense. This country was built on the right to disagree with your government. Dissent is not disloyalty. I hope that my understanding of this sentence is incorrect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124860423371919322005-08-24T00:13:00.000-05:002005-08-24T00:13:00.000-05:00I've read the Book. You premills want the same kin...I've read the Book. You premills want the same kind of savior the Jews were looking for when they rejected Jesus. BTW, Phil's comments were good! --Hawkeye GoldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124851790092619182005-08-23T21:49:00.000-05:002005-08-23T21:49:00.000-05:00Amen.Amen.Wyrfuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01108378377720475315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124845536224545212005-08-23T20:05:00.000-05:002005-08-23T20:05:00.000-05:00It just caught my eye while reading your blog that...It just caught my eye while reading your blog that you say that especially younger bloggers thinks you are making very long entry's - and you are - but they are awesome to read. Thank you.Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15814265611932975204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124842988454900782005-08-23T19:23:00.000-05:002005-08-23T19:23:00.000-05:00You was right, it was Israels best option. Best o...You was right, it was Israels best option. <BR/><BR/>Best option to keep hold of their stolen land.. <BR/><BR/>...best option to maitain their opression of the people of Palastine. <BR/><BR/>Youll find a few articles about this on my blog if your intrested in hearing another point of view to your own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com