Month: September 2006

Here We Go Again?

Israel on higher alert status.

Syria threat over Golan puts Israel on war alert

Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights.

For years Israeli military intelligence has down-played Syria’s capacity to launch a meaningful attack against Israel, and the threat level has been kept “low”.

But Israeli reports have revealed that the threat level had been raised after intelligence assessments that Damascus is “seriously examining” military action.

The raised threat level comes as Israel prepares for Monday’s Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur, a solemn Jewish holiday when the entire country effectively shuts down as residents fast and seek forgiveness for sins.

Set It Up!

¡Viva Border Volleyball!:

This is also a geopolitically divided beach, purposefully hidden, a DMZ in miniature where the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol would prefer no distractions as they monitor the fence of metal pylons that draws a 20-foot-tall line in the sand all the way into the sea.

It is the perfect beach, in other words, for the world’s first game of international border volleyball.

What’s with World Magazine?!

From their blog regarding advertising: Jesus Camp

I received a letter complaining about the ad for the movie “Jesus Camp” that can be seen in the left column of this page. The new issue of World has a critical review of the documentary, but we don’t ban an ad just because we dislike a movie. As our statement in the right column (down a way) indicates, we believe strongly in free speech.

Sounds flimsy to me.

Maybe strange, too.

Are they on a slippery slope?

I’ll still read World, but I’m now much more wary of them.

Bowing to Islam Posed Photo?

Maybe I am misinterpreting this:

Pope Benedict tried on Sunday to calm Muslim anger at his remarks on Islam, saying he was “deeply sorry” about the reaction and that medieval quotes he used on holy war did not reflect his personal views.

The head of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics stopped short of the full apology or retraction demanded by some Muslims for a speech they say portrayed Islam as tainted by violence. It was unclear whether the Pontiff’s words would end the backlash.

Somehow this strikes me as kowtowing to Islam.

And once again we see the irony of a violent Muslim response to having their religion “misrepresented” as violent.

Five churches throughout the West Bank were attacked by Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs.

Firebombings left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of Nablus’ Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches. At least five firebombs hit the Anglican church and its door was later set ablaze. Smoke billowed from the church as firefighters put out the flames

Update: Hey, wait a minute! While this post was uploading, I was looking a little more at the above photo and suddenly thought within myself, “Is this another posed photo from the West Bank? That fire hose appears to be going right through whatever ‘fire’ the water is being sprayed toward.” Then there’s the matter of missing flame flicker. But I’m not a fireman, so maybe this is normal.

Ho Hum

They’re mad again. (Or, wait, maybe they’re just having fun — look at some of their faces.)

Muslim fury grows at Pope’s speech:

The furore over comments made by Pope Benedict about the Islamic concept of Holy War continues to grow.

Instead of all the stampin’ and burnin’ goin’ on out there, maybe they could give something constructive a twirl.

Like this, for instance:

Millions of environmental activists will be picking up trash in places from Copacabana Beach in Brazil to the banks of the Nile in Egypt this weekend in a “Clean Up the World” protest at pollution.

Religion of Peace?

What a convert has to say.

Well . . . .

Mr. Soloman speaks with knowledge, credibility and conviction. He has memorized large sections of the Koran and tells me, “There’s not a single verse in the Koran talking about peace with a non-Muslim, with the Jews and the Christians. Islam means submission. Islam means surrender. It means you surrender and accept Islamic hegemony over yourselves.”

Is he right?

Above all, love God!