In the 1500s, a Sufi Muslim wrote that Jihad cannot be fought against others, the holy war against evil is a war each man fights within himself everyday^.Since the men who bombed the race were revealed as Muslims, I have heard three Muslim clerics quote the Quo’ran where it says, “whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men”.^It is argued that since this verse IS directly aimed at the “Children of Israel”, it doesn’t apply to Muslims. I have not talked with any Muslims who agree that Muslims are absolved.^My “Imman” a prophet mentioned in the Quo’ran, is Jesus of Nazareth. He told me to forgive those who would harm me. He also said, that which you do to the least of them, you do for me, that which you do not do for the least of them, you did not do for me."^Islam was given a black eye by the actions of two angry, manipulated, and very stupid men. America was given a black eye a couple of days later when a large man walked up to a Muslim woman pushing her small child in a stroller, punched the woman, and then insulted her with vulgarities.Christianity is given a black eye every time we condone such actions by either encouraging them, or remaining silent when we witness them.^One reason I truly hope I am right about an afterlife is because of all of the hateful mean spirited people from every religion and denominational subset of those religions who feel it is God’s Will that “sinners” be verbally and/or physically/socially/emotionally abused in God’s name, whatever that name may be. I want to find out if I’m right to err on the side of love and compassion as the religious writings I’ve read seem to say, or if those who were quick to throw the first stone are the ones who were right.One thing is certainly for sure…We are either going to find out what the truth is when we die, or, if the atheists are right, we’re not going to care. See you on the other side.Respectfully,Hopefully,Faithfully,C.
How I miss Walter Cronkite. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get an objective reporting of an incident without the immediate editorializing, sensationalizing and rationalizing that goes on. It is almost a trite comment to say the media has an obvious agenda as most are obvious in their politicizing and shaping the content they present. But they are just a reflection of us. You have Fox news and their widespread audience of conservatives and then you have the MSNBC element of the more liberal bent. In other words, the polarization is well set in place and reverberates through the MSM, cable, radio, websites and “social media,” it’s not all just cable news.
Even the seemingly middle of the road (NPR, BBC) has a subtle agenda, but an agenda none the less. I like NPR because they go into more depth on many reports and they aren’t as emotional and avoid being just plain vulgar.
In a nutshell, IMO these guys (media) are just selling resentments! Worse yet we are buying into them on a wholesale level. Opinions become our expectations of others and expectations are just resentments under construction. And what happens when we harbor resentments? It’s as if we take the poison and then expect someone else to die.
These message boards are a perfect example. People get dug into their position and in short order the dialog digresses to a stream of vulgar insults. For some, that’s the way they get their kicks, they just like to have the satisfaction of getting a reaction from others. But even discounting them, many display a ferocity and poisonous assault that is very personal and at times threatening. It has hit a toxic level in our country that is readily reflected by the intense partisanship of our citizens. We are not a people who assault a woman with a child because she is a Muslim. This is more like the shameful era of the KKK and their racist, murderous legacy.
Many of us that post here have fought for our country. Is this ugly divide in our country what we aspired to and swore an oath to protect? Our forefathers fought/argued ferociously amongst themselves over the principals that our country was founded on. But theirs was a process that gave us a foundation for one of the greatest nations in recorded history. Countless thousands have given their lives defending it since then. Media fuels the flames because as RT said, they have an agenda to make money, they thrive on conflict and dissension because it is profitable for them. All we keep doing is regurgitating the partisan arguments and problems, and if we want to recapture the greatness of America we need to focus on the solutions. First and foremost we need to be civil with each other and tone down the rhetoric.Thanks for letting me share and I relinquish my soap box…
Hello Ansonia,The short answer is yes.^Authorities and member of the Islamic community are looking for a person named Misha that people are accusing of radicalizing the bombers, and as the days pass, we learn more sources of radicalization. However… they are Muslim, and therefore Islamist. They used bombs on innocent people instead of targeting a Russian embassy, or a Jewish Synagogue, or a Christian Church. Has he given a reason for doing this yet? Yes, Ansonia, “Radical Islamists bombed innocent US citizens.”^And, I would guess the number of other “Islamists” who cheered when they found out these two “Muslims” had killed Americans to be roughtly equal to the number of “Christians” who have physically and/or verbally attacked a Muslim, or just glared at them angrily in public.I’ve seen the glares and heard some whispers at my local big box store.^ Most Islamists, like most Christians, are not radical or even real aggressive in presenting their spiritual opinions. Except for prayer times, the differences rarely come up. Everyone fusses at their kids in the exact same tones. Kids laugh the same way, and beg for candy the same way… only the words are different.^A Radical Christian bombed a black church in Birmingham Ala.in 1963. Another Radical Christian bombed the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Was Tim McVeigh a Christian, or just a Radical when he bombed a building in 1995?The short answer is yes. The longer answer makes us remember the radicals have the rationals surrounded.Respectfully,C.
Yes, as several “Constitution loving” Republicans in Congress have said, let’s really pay attention to the First Amendment, ban Muslims from entering the country, and make Islam illegal in “freedom of religion” America!!
Good question, Ansonia. I suppose its the cartoon itself. Is the media coming to the aid of the Muslim with the black eye?*I am pleased to have only found two actual stories about people being mean to Muslims over this. However, at the local big box store, I heard two people being very harsh about a woman in a Muslim headscarf. I also saw people looking accusingly at a clerk that works at a nearby grocery store.. You could tell she knew she was getting looks.*There are Radical Christians who want all people who get abortions dead. I’ve even been told that in this forum. Radicalism is not religion, it is anti religion if you believe in a merciful and loving God.^If we only look at the Radicals in Islam, it makes it easier to make all of Islam ‘evil’. To prevent that from happening, we must remind folks that the radicals have the rationals surrounded. Ultra liberal, Ultra conservative, they are yanking at the fringes of the rug upon which the majority of us stand. And they are unraveling it from underneath our feet as fast as we let them.Respectfully,C.
You are right Gore Bane,It is human nature to blame the “outsiders” for bad things that happen in the community. If the bad things were committed by "the outsiders’, it only makes people who succumb to such emotions more likely to do so. In the forum where such things can be considered rationally, I felt it appropriate to address these matters. Especially since many Muslims were actually born in the USA and are not “outsiders” like the bombers were. In the big box store, I said nothing to the people who were glaring or being rude, but I did say Salaam Alaikum to the Muslims in line with me and their smiles were sincere. I have no conflict with saying Peace to You to a person who worships the same God or for that matter, shares the same planet.There is no comparison to a “crime of passion” like the assault on the woman, and the “premeditated murder of innocents” done by two adults. It was not my intent to draw such a comparison. There is a great difference between being emotionally unwise and monstrously, meditatively, evil. It is within my own beliefs that the eldest brother is finding out what God really thinks of people who murder innocents. I doubt it meets his expectations.Respectfully,C.
chazandru almost 11 years ago
In the 1500s, a Sufi Muslim wrote that Jihad cannot be fought against others, the holy war against evil is a war each man fights within himself everyday^.Since the men who bombed the race were revealed as Muslims, I have heard three Muslim clerics quote the Quo’ran where it says, “whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men”.^It is argued that since this verse IS directly aimed at the “Children of Israel”, it doesn’t apply to Muslims. I have not talked with any Muslims who agree that Muslims are absolved.^My “Imman” a prophet mentioned in the Quo’ran, is Jesus of Nazareth. He told me to forgive those who would harm me. He also said, that which you do to the least of them, you do for me, that which you do not do for the least of them, you did not do for me."^Islam was given a black eye by the actions of two angry, manipulated, and very stupid men. America was given a black eye a couple of days later when a large man walked up to a Muslim woman pushing her small child in a stroller, punched the woman, and then insulted her with vulgarities.Christianity is given a black eye every time we condone such actions by either encouraging them, or remaining silent when we witness them.^One reason I truly hope I am right about an afterlife is because of all of the hateful mean spirited people from every religion and denominational subset of those religions who feel it is God’s Will that “sinners” be verbally and/or physically/socially/emotionally abused in God’s name, whatever that name may be. I want to find out if I’m right to err on the side of love and compassion as the religious writings I’ve read seem to say, or if those who were quick to throw the first stone are the ones who were right.One thing is certainly for sure…We are either going to find out what the truth is when we die, or, if the atheists are right, we’re not going to care. See you on the other side.Respectfully,Hopefully,Faithfully,C.
edclectic almost 11 years ago
Seems to me that mayhem and stupidity are an equal opportunities regardless of race, gender, religion or politics.
Mickey 13 almost 11 years ago
How I miss Walter Cronkite. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get an objective reporting of an incident without the immediate editorializing, sensationalizing and rationalizing that goes on. It is almost a trite comment to say the media has an obvious agenda as most are obvious in their politicizing and shaping the content they present. But they are just a reflection of us. You have Fox news and their widespread audience of conservatives and then you have the MSNBC element of the more liberal bent. In other words, the polarization is well set in place and reverberates through the MSM, cable, radio, websites and “social media,” it’s not all just cable news.
Even the seemingly middle of the road (NPR, BBC) has a subtle agenda, but an agenda none the less. I like NPR because they go into more depth on many reports and they aren’t as emotional and avoid being just plain vulgar.
In a nutshell, IMO these guys (media) are just selling resentments! Worse yet we are buying into them on a wholesale level. Opinions become our expectations of others and expectations are just resentments under construction. And what happens when we harbor resentments? It’s as if we take the poison and then expect someone else to die.
These message boards are a perfect example. People get dug into their position and in short order the dialog digresses to a stream of vulgar insults. For some, that’s the way they get their kicks, they just like to have the satisfaction of getting a reaction from others. But even discounting them, many display a ferocity and poisonous assault that is very personal and at times threatening. It has hit a toxic level in our country that is readily reflected by the intense partisanship of our citizens. We are not a people who assault a woman with a child because she is a Muslim. This is more like the shameful era of the KKK and their racist, murderous legacy.
Many of us that post here have fought for our country. Is this ugly divide in our country what we aspired to and swore an oath to protect? Our forefathers fought/argued ferociously amongst themselves over the principals that our country was founded on. But theirs was a process that gave us a foundation for one of the greatest nations in recorded history. Countless thousands have given their lives defending it since then. Media fuels the flames because as RT said, they have an agenda to make money, they thrive on conflict and dissension because it is profitable for them. All we keep doing is regurgitating the partisan arguments and problems, and if we want to recapture the greatness of America we need to focus on the solutions. First and foremost we need to be civil with each other and tone down the rhetoric.Thanks for letting me share and I relinquish my soap box…
chazandru almost 11 years ago
Hello Ansonia,The short answer is yes.^Authorities and member of the Islamic community are looking for a person named Misha that people are accusing of radicalizing the bombers, and as the days pass, we learn more sources of radicalization. However… they are Muslim, and therefore Islamist. They used bombs on innocent people instead of targeting a Russian embassy, or a Jewish Synagogue, or a Christian Church. Has he given a reason for doing this yet? Yes, Ansonia, “Radical Islamists bombed innocent US citizens.”^And, I would guess the number of other “Islamists” who cheered when they found out these two “Muslims” had killed Americans to be roughtly equal to the number of “Christians” who have physically and/or verbally attacked a Muslim, or just glared at them angrily in public.I’ve seen the glares and heard some whispers at my local big box store.^ Most Islamists, like most Christians, are not radical or even real aggressive in presenting their spiritual opinions. Except for prayer times, the differences rarely come up. Everyone fusses at their kids in the exact same tones. Kids laugh the same way, and beg for candy the same way… only the words are different.^A Radical Christian bombed a black church in Birmingham Ala.in 1963. Another Radical Christian bombed the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Was Tim McVeigh a Christian, or just a Radical when he bombed a building in 1995?The short answer is yes. The longer answer makes us remember the radicals have the rationals surrounded.Respectfully,C.
oneoldhat almost 11 years ago
mcveigh was an agnostic per vote count in egypt 65+% are radical
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Yes, as several “Constitution loving” Republicans in Congress have said, let’s really pay attention to the First Amendment, ban Muslims from entering the country, and make Islam illegal in “freedom of religion” America!!
chazandru almost 11 years ago
Good question, Ansonia. I suppose its the cartoon itself. Is the media coming to the aid of the Muslim with the black eye?*I am pleased to have only found two actual stories about people being mean to Muslims over this. However, at the local big box store, I heard two people being very harsh about a woman in a Muslim headscarf. I also saw people looking accusingly at a clerk that works at a nearby grocery store.. You could tell she knew she was getting looks.*There are Radical Christians who want all people who get abortions dead. I’ve even been told that in this forum. Radicalism is not religion, it is anti religion if you believe in a merciful and loving God.^If we only look at the Radicals in Islam, it makes it easier to make all of Islam ‘evil’. To prevent that from happening, we must remind folks that the radicals have the rationals surrounded. Ultra liberal, Ultra conservative, they are yanking at the fringes of the rug upon which the majority of us stand. And they are unraveling it from underneath our feet as fast as we let them.Respectfully,C.
chazandru almost 11 years ago
You are right Gore Bane,It is human nature to blame the “outsiders” for bad things that happen in the community. If the bad things were committed by "the outsiders’, it only makes people who succumb to such emotions more likely to do so. In the forum where such things can be considered rationally, I felt it appropriate to address these matters. Especially since many Muslims were actually born in the USA and are not “outsiders” like the bombers were. In the big box store, I said nothing to the people who were glaring or being rude, but I did say Salaam Alaikum to the Muslims in line with me and their smiles were sincere. I have no conflict with saying Peace to You to a person who worships the same God or for that matter, shares the same planet.There is no comparison to a “crime of passion” like the assault on the woman, and the “premeditated murder of innocents” done by two adults. It was not my intent to draw such a comparison. There is a great difference between being emotionally unwise and monstrously, meditatively, evil. It is within my own beliefs that the eldest brother is finding out what God really thinks of people who murder innocents. I doubt it meets his expectations.Respectfully,C.