Tradition/Culture can be weird (nasty) sometimes!

I usually avoid writing or talking about things that really piss me off, for when I do, I get carried away.  Yesterday happen to be a day that three things that piss me off occurred.  So here goes.

I am trying to establish a new/used retail clothing store for my caregiver and two sisters in Davao. They have been loyal to me for over ten years. I will not live forever and I want them to have a means to support themselves. We have had a stall at the Davao Street Market in order to get familiar with vendors, suppliers and customers. Now it is time to go bigger.

We do not want a typical Ukay-Ukay store that you find in the Philippines.  We want everyone regardless of economic status to have a pleasant buying experience. It will be a super, super, super small SM Department Store.  First class fixtures, organized, clean, signage, room to move around in, men/women/children new (Factory Overruns) and Pre-Loved Clothes.

We finally found the place in the St. Pedro Cathedral area.  I thought it was the place God picked - WRONG!  The rent was more than we wanted to pay, but I decided to take the risk and pay one year in advance rent. The owner was out of town, but we knew it was our place when she returned - WRONG!  We discovered she did not want Muslims leasing her property, because they were dirty and ALWAYS used it as a business and a place to live in the back. I guaranteed her it would not happen and if it did she could  keep deposit and advance rent.  That did not satisfy her. She just did not want to do business with Muslims.  Remember now I am a retired Catholic Priest.

Yes, we were disappointed.  We had heard from retailers in the area where the property was, that, "The old lady and her daughter that owns that property are bitches and no one that knew them would rent that property."  I thought maybe they are wrong or do not want competition. I was wrong about the mother for sure!

I cannot stand a caste system that is really what slavery in the southern part of the USA was.  I am originally from Alabama.  I had my taste of family that loved segregation days, which in their eyes was a milder form of slavery. Went off to college and met Dr. Martin Luther King and join the protest marchers. My mother made me promise on my life I would never let a family member know what I was doing. I hated discrimination then and I hate discrimination now. Those sixty years between then and now the hate is just as strong.

That was PISS off number one. Now Piss off number two.  I schedule to get to an appointment thirty minutes early. That way I am never late. I simply take a book and read until the time for the appointment. Being punctual is very important to me. My time is valuable to me and I assume others time is valuable to them. Being late is RUDE!  If an emergency arises CALL do not keep the other person wondering and waiting.

I am having some work done on my house. The man is talented and like able, but three times he said he would be at my house and did not come.  Surprisingly I did not say anything until yesterday. I may be old and in a wheelchair, but you are not going to disrespect me.  I think he now understand you do not waste my time.

That was PISS off number two.  Now number three. I ordered 200 factory overrun dresses from Manila. They had called and ask could they ship another brand of the same quality. I agreed. The delivery man came and I was alone. I went to the front balcony and advised the driver I would come down on my elevator, but it would take time. He said okay.  I go down, open the gate, he says "Are YOU Father Tom Martin" and I say, "Yes".  He says, "Do you have a picture I.D."  I NICELY tell him if he thought I was going to struggle to go back inside for a picture I.D. He was crazy. He says, "You do not look like a Father."  I said politely of course, "Young man. I am eighty years old, sick and in bed until you came. I am sorry I did not shave or comb my hair before I came down.  But, I will share a secret with you.  Your parish priest wakes up in the morning goes to the toilet, showers, brushes his teeth and then puts on his clothes and goes to work JUST like you. God does not do those things for us. I no longer work so I do what I want."  Side note the dresses were not the same quality. I guess that was PISS off number four. I hate liars and dishonest people.

Democrat Convention - Played on emotions - little truth

Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim American was ordered to Iraq years ago, his father wanted to talk to Donald Trump about his being an American Muslim soldier sent to war in a Muslim country. While I have great sympathy for Captain Khan’s parents I feel he distorted what Donald Trump has said. I understand in Captain Khan’s grief he may have taken what Donald Trump said and only heard what he wanted to hear. I also believe like many American's he believed the twisted lies of the media and the Democrat Party.

Captain Khan, 27, died on June 8, 2004, after he told his men to take cover and then tried to stop a suicide bomber outside the gates of his base in Baquba. Captain Khan and his parents are not the Muslim’s Donald Trump is trying to protect the American citizens from. Muslim Americans that are outraged by what Donald Trump has said are not putting the interest and safety of American citizens first and foremost.

Mr. Trump’s call for restrictions (ban) on Muslims entering the country is for the safety of American citizens and that should be the first responsibility of the President of any country. Donald Trump has not called for a permanent ban on Muslims. He only wants to give the U.S. Government time to setup procedure and policies that would help prevent terrorist from entering the United States. He is not for open borders which have proven to be a disaster for European nations and the United States. It appears Hillary Clinton and the Democrat Party are more interested in being politically correct and winning Hispanic votes than protecting American citizens. I question where exactly does their loyalty lie.

Captain Khan’s father said If restrictions on Muslim immigration had been in place decades ago neither he, a lawyer with an advanced degree from Harvard Law School; his wife, Ghazala, who taught Persian at a Pakistani college before raising three boys in the Washington suburbs; their eldest son, Shaharyar, who was a top student at the University of Virginia and a co-founder of a biotechnology company; nor Captain Khan, who posthumously earned the Bronze Star, along with a Purple Heart, for saving the lives of his men, would have been allowed to settle here. That has nothing to do with the present terrorist problems facing the nations of the world. Donald Trump nor any other American would have even considered putting restrictions on Muslims “decades” ago. The time have changed and in the interest security for American citizens our immigration policies must change to meet the new threats.

The Democrats used Captain Khan's father and that is a disgrace. His speech was emotional and worthy to be told, but not at the Democrat National Convention. Captain Khan's father’s story is worth far more than to simply try and win votes for Hillary Clinton.  I am sure his father is very proud of his family, a foreign family that has integrated nicely into the United States.  I am proud of them and the millions of other foreign citizens that have done the same, but that does not mean I am for open borders at a time like this. Hillary nor the Democrat Party cared about his loss they only cared about how it might turn voters against Donald Trump. Like Hillary said in the Congressional hearings "What difference does it make (to her) now".

Mr. Khan criticized Mr. Trump’s statements as UN-American in an article published by Vocativ just a short time back. Please explain to me why it is UN-American to try and protect American’s from Radical Islamic Terrorist.

I found it interesting that Mr. Khan said Hillary’s campaign asked whether he needed speech writing help or any coaching. It seems they were really concerned that he would said the words that advanced their cause not Mr. Khan’s. 

I served in Vietnam and as a veteran I found it offensive that Mr. Khan took a swipe at the fact that Donald Trump has never served in the military. I might add Mr. Khan nor his other son have ever served in the American military and I do not think that makes them less of an American than their son that did. Mr. Khan needs to realize we have an all-volunteer military and if Mr. Trump was not drafted during the Vietnam conflict then he simply is like thousands upon thousands of other American boys. If I am not mistaken Hillary Clinton has not served in the U.S. military nor has her husband Bill Clinton.

Mr. Khan met his wife at Punjab University in Lahore, Pakistan. They moved to Dubai, where their two eldest sons were born, then arrived in Houston, renting a $200-a-month apartment. Eventually they settled outside Washington, where Mr. Khan worked at a mortgage company and at law firms. I suppose the $200 a month rent remark he gave to reporters for an apartment in Houston, Texas in 1980 was supposed to denote a difficult time. I am from Houston, Texas and in the 1980’s,  $200 a month would have gotten you a very decent apartment. Better than most lower middle class people in Houston lived in. Two hundred U.S. dollars in 1980 is equal to $579.57 in 2016.  A brand new town-homes on Lake Houston with swimming pools, tennis courts, putting range, parking, near parks, airport, malls and The Woodlands which is and exclusive neighborhood is advertised  today - 4 Bedrooms, 2 baths, $1,090 per month with a $200.00 deposit.  What is difficult for one family is luxury for another.

I think we should also note that their son was killed by a MUSLIM does he not want Americans to try and protect their family from the same danger occurring within the borders of the United States.

Khan said that Hillary Clinton, "called my son the best of America." I would think Donald Trump and most if not all Americans would call him the same. Once again the Democrats got the emotional speech they wanted in an attempt to play upon the emotions of American voters and win votes. They did the same when they used the mother’s that had sons killed by the police. There sons were not the best of America, but the Democrats got the boost they were looking for by using these mothers for their purpose.

"Look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law,'" Mr. Khan said while standing next to his wife, waving the paperback document of the Constitution vigorously and questioning if Donald Trump had ever read the Constitution. The Constitution is for the protection of United States Citizens, not for aliens that have not even entered the United States. That is the very reason Muslim Islamic Terrorist were held in Guantanamo Bay in order to prevent them from having Constitutional rights.

By the time Mr. Khan speech was over I began to wonder if  ethnicity was more important to him than being a United States citizen or in the least were their some conflict in his mind between ethnicity and United States citizenship.

"Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed," he said, believing that with hard work he could raise his three sons "in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams." He and his wife both had impressive University degrees so they were not like most immigrants. He should speak with the illegal aliens crossing the southern borders of the United States and then he would understand what EMPTY-HANDED really means. It also appears the United States has been very good to him and his family.

"Vote for the healer," Mr. Khan said, "not the divider." Obama and Hillary are healers of racist tension. Unfortunately Mr. Khan was not in the United States during the 60’s and cannot see how under Obama and Hillary our country is reverting back to the same racial tension we experience then. He has no comparison to use as to what a healer really is. Obama and Hillary both support the Black Life Matters Organization and that organization is not looking to heal racial tension in the United States.

The lack of action that Obama and Hillary Clinton took in Benghazi to protect our people is enough for me not to vote for her. Her failure to use a secured server is another reason I question her ability to be President. The Democrat Party emails released prior to the convention is enough to tell me that corruption is top to bottom in the Democrat Party. They will lie, cover-up, cheat do anything they can for one vote. What will Donald Trump do I really do not know, but I doubt if it will be more of the same failed policies. If he fails then I hope he fails trying something new.

I am not trying to take anything away from Mr. Khan ‘s grief and sacrifice, but his speech contained a lot of emotions and things stated as facts that are not exactly true. I still stand by what I said earlier he was used by the Democrat Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign.

They will know you are Christians by your LOVE!

I am a news junkie and it is hard for me not to listen and read the news daily. I also like the social media because I want to know what others are thinking. But, it is  getting difficult for me to read and listen to so called Christians espousing their hate, bigotry and hypocrisy these days, especially on social media. Many proclaim homosexuals cannot be Christians, well I have news for them they themselves are not Christians. 

Christians were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  Christians at the time did not call themselves Christians. The term Christian was created by none Christians to define a group of people that followed Jesus’ teachings. It may have even been a term used in a derogatory manner.  The non-Christians (pagans and Jews) noticed how the people that followed Jesus acted. They saw that these “Christians” tried to mimic the life of Jesus.  The title “Christian” was given to the followers of Jesus it was not a term they chose for themselves. The term “Christian” actually meant “little Christ.”

The Christians in Antioch were not known for their hate, venom, being judgmental,  religious pride and good theology. Instead, They were known for acting and behaving like Jesus Christ. I no longer believe that is true for many Christians today.

And they will know you are my disciples by your: rules, traditions, rituals, theology, right wing power, rhetoric, purity, denominations, your condemnation of those you think are evil, and your disgust of those who do not believe as you do.  I do not think that is what John 13:35 says, at least that is not what it says in my Bible. “And they will know you are my disciples by your LOVE” (John 13:35).

If you do not have unconditional love for others they will never know that you are a Christian no matter what you say or do.

What name would non-believers give us “Christians” today? I hate to think of the words that would be used to describe us today, but I am sure it would not be “Christian” - Christ like or little Christ.

If you are truly a Christian you do not have to tell people that you are. They will know by the way you live your life. They know you are by your love of ALL of God’s creation. Where did this idea come from that Christians can use words that make people hate them and in doing so Christ is proud of them?

Telling your gay co-workers they are destine for hell, you are destroying our society, you are trying to convert our children to your way of life, God hates you, God cursed homosexuals with AIDS, God is punishing us with storms because people are beginning to accept your life as normal and the list goes on and on and on - does not win souls to Christ and I do not think it makes you a Christian or a better Christian. Some Christians actually believe telling gays that God hates them is standing up for Christ.

I do not know where you stand on homosexuality or gay marriage and I do not care, but I think the response God wants us to share with those that differ from us is to tell them “God loves you.”  The same is true of how we feel towards Muslims. We cannot hate ALL Muslims because of the actions of a few Radical Islamist Terrorist. A man posted on social media following Peter Theil’s speech at the Republican Convention, “I hope the queer dies before he gets home”. If that is not Radical Christian Terrorism what is? People words like that are RADICAL CHRISTIAN TERRORISM!

Love is the proper (and only) response to ALL people, no matter what they believe or do, if we are followers of Jesus. If you want to represent Jesus to people, don’t do it by hating or condemning them and don’t use the line about how you “Love the sinner, but hate the sin.

How many Christians that are espousing this hate have stopped to think about the fact that the only people who really hated Jesus were the religious people. Those who were condemned and judged by the religious people loved Jesus and were accepted by Him. Could it be possible if the world hates you, but religious people love you, you might not be following Jesus. I pray that never comes to be a reality.

God’s love is UNCONDITIONAL love and it is getting harder to find Christians that have UNCONDITIONAL love.  I am beginning to believe those who love unconditionally, but do not claim to follow Jesus are closer to the Kingdom of God than those who claim to follow Jesus but only have conditional love. If God is love then it only makes sense to me that love must define the character of a Christian or anyone that believes in the one true God.

I have stated many times on this blog it is not what you say, post on social media or how many Bible verses you memorize or how often you attend church, take communion or attend Bible studies that makes you a Christian. Christianity is a lifestyle you choose and try to live 24/7, 365 days a year.

I do not care if you call me a Christian or not, but I do care if you cannot see Christ in me, for if you do not, I have failed my God. I refuse to sit back and say nothing and pretend what some are doing in the name of God (Christians and Muslims) against those that do not believe as they do is okay and that God called them to do it or that they are representing Christ on earth.  

Unlimited Surveillance is carrying surveillance too far and not working

If Washington was really interested in reforming NSA why would they appoint Senator Dianne Feinstein to oversee primary oversight of NSA? She has long been a supporter of the U.S. national security industry. This is one area where she often voted against her fellow Democrat Representatives and Senators. Does she not have a conflict of interest when much of her husband’s income is derived from military contracts?  Senator Feinstein in my opinion is like putting the fox in charge of hen house.

Dianne Feinstein has argued in USA Today that metadata collection of all Americans’ telephone records is not surveillance at all because the actual conversations are not recorded. I think when the U.S. government knows when you called, who you called, who called you, length of each call and frequency of calls that is surveillance and an invasion of privacy.  When they can do the same with your emails that is surveillance and invasion of privacy. It gives the government a clear picture of your associations, activities and a general picture of your daily routine when pieced together. Why should the government have the right to know if you are using a dating service, contacting a gay or lesbian organization, seeking help from an addiction clinic or HIV clinic, etc.?

An August 2010 document that Snowden released to the public revealed that the U.S. spied on members of the United Nation so they would have a heads-up on how they intended to vote on upcoming votes. Edward Snowden’s revelations for the first time allowed people to know the true extent of the surveillance capabilities of the U.S. Government and the dangers it posed to a democratic governance. Privacy is at the very core of our being free people.

NSA does not have to listen to every call we make or read every email we send just the thought that they can is enough to cause people to fear and fall in line. That is really the intent of state surveillance. The threat of government surveillance psychologically inhibits our freedom of speech. If the surveillance worked you may could concede we need it, but it does not work we have seen that over and over just recently in Orlando, Florida.

We all have secrets. We all have personal information that we do not want to share with the public and that does not mean the information is wrong or illegal. I did not as a child want people to know my father was an alcoholic. It took many years in ministry before I would share that I had a sister who had been married five times and divorced. That is not something Catholics, especially Catholic priest want to make public. Washington is quite aware that the mere existence of government surveillance stifles the ability for one to dissent that is why it is so important to them.

NSA databases store information about your political views, your medical history, your relationships and they tell us we have nothing to worry about. I do not trust human nature enough not to be concerned. I certainly do not trust the hypocrites in Washington that have no real convictions except a thirst for more power.  The IRS has conveniently leak private information in the past, especially when an administration is trying to defeat a particular candidate and so will the NSA.

The true measure of a society’s freedom is how it treats dissident and marginalized groups not how it treats good loyalist. Even the worst tyrants protect their loyalist from abuse. In a democracy we should not have to be loyalist to the present administration to feel safe. Some of the richest people in the Philippines today were loyalist of Marcos and had their futures protected regardless if Marcos remained in power or not.

In 2013 the Pew Research Center revealed 70%  of U.S. citizens surveyed thought the U.S. government uses information gathered from surveillance for things other than terrorism. It was even more revealing that the majority now feel Americans should be more concerned about government surveillance than terrorism. Forty-seven percent said they knew the government had taken surveillance too far and abused it.

The indifference or support for unlimited surveillance by government is generally held by those who think themselves exempt from abusive government power. That kind of complacency by the people always leads to abuse. The Japanese Americans never thought that they would be hauled off and put in camps, but during World War II they were. Most of us never thought government surveillance would be used against anyone in the U.S. except Muslims, but it is.

The communication of the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras or spying on negotiation sessions at an economic summit or targeting the democratically elected leaders of allied nations or collecting all Americans communications records has nothing to do with terrorism. Terrorism is a pretext to allow unlimited surveillance of our citizens. Did it stop the 2012 Boston Marathon bombing, did it stop the San Bernardino slayings, did it stop the attempted bombing of an airline over Detroit, did it stop the plans to blow up Times Square or the plans to attack the New York Subway?  Did it stop the major international attacks from London to Mumbai to Madrid?

CBS News host Bob Schieffer denounce Snowden as a “narcissistic young man who thinks he is smarter than the rest of us.”  Politico’s Roger Simon called Snowden a loser because he dropped out of high school. Democratic congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Snowden a coward. Congressman Mike Rogers  switched from calling him a spy for China to a spy for Russia without any proof whatsoever. The truth is Edward Snowden was going to Latin America via Russia and when the plane arrived in Russia he was forced to stay there because the U.S. government had cancel his passport. He is not in Russia by choice.  

I NOW believe Edward Snowden has done more for America and freedom than Schieffer, Simon, Schultz, Rogers and all the other Snowden detractors put together. Pardon Edward Snowden and let him come home if he still wants to come home - I do not know if I would or not!

Do not accept biblical half-truths as truths!

Today I spent a boring two hours in the doctor’s waiting room listening to two Christians arguing about something they really knew nothing about. The discussion got a little heated. I thank God they did not get me involved and I tried to stay as far away as I could.  Since one was a follower of Apollo C. Quiboloy, the founder and leader of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the other was a follower of Iglesia ni Cristo founded by Felix Y. Manalo neither would have been interested in what a Catholic had to say, since they do not believe we are Christians.

I stated they knew nothing about what they were talking about not to be rude, but because they only knew what their CHURCH LEADERS had told them. Every time they began a topic they would say, “Our church believes” or “Pastor Apollo said” or “They said on INCTV”. I did not hear them say one time “I believe”. But, of course they are obligated in both of those churches to believe what the leaders teach or be put out.

About the only thing they had in common, but did not agree on, were they both believe that THEIR church is the only true church - the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the reestablishment of the Church.

These are only partial or half-truths they have been told - everything happens for a reason, God helps those who help themselves, God won’t give you more than you can handle, God said it, I believe it, that settles it and love the sinner, but hate the sin. These were not the only half-truths these ladies had been fed by their religious leaders.

It is important for us to examine these and other half-truths for ourselves regardless of what our religious leaders have taught us. I think they sometimes hurt people. I think they lead people to conclusions about God that are not only untrue, but turn people away from God. I know there had to be some people in that waiting room today that were turned off to Christians and Christianity because of those two women. There were several Muslims in that waiting room. The ladies may have boosted their own personal egos, but they accomplished nothing for God or Christianity.

Some of these half-truths are used by religious leaders to avoid careful thinking about complex issues. Some are used to justify their own biases or prejudices. It is important to read any Scripture in the light of its context and the Bible’s broader message. It is not enough to find a passage or two to support a particular view. We should interpret all Scripture in the light of Jesus’ life and teachings, as well as with the help of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of scholars, and our own intellect and life experiences. If you only believe what you have been told then you really know nothing.

What do you think non-Christians think of Christians when they hear one Christian telling another, “You are not a REAL Christian because you are Catholic” or “You only have some of the truth, not all of the truth because you ignore tradition"? I prefer to say “I respect what you believe, but I have a different interpretation of that Scripture and either of us could be right.” When you take a stand that your interpretation or your denominations interpretation or your church leaders interpretation is the only TRUE interpretation you are PLAYING God. My bishops and priest are wrong lots of time and my Pope is wrong sometimes. No one is always right. If someone can convince me I am wrong I am willing to change.

Sunday after Sunday Christians are hurt and many eventually leave the church because they hear religious leaders say God loves you and will protect you and keep you from harm. Believe me there are religious leaders in every denomination teaching that. There is some truth to their teachings, but they fail to point out that the rain falls on the good and the bad. When people are hurt they generally blame God not their religious leader or their denomination for only teaching half-truths.

It is a shame that many Christians are not given the freedom to question their religious leaders when they have experienced what they are saying not to be true in their lives or they have studied Scripture and interpret it differently. It is the responsibility of the religious leaders to let their people know they are free to question any and all things they say – of course in a polite way.

One of the biggest half-truth that is taught Sunday after Sunday is accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and life will be smooth sailing from then on. God did not promise that so why do many religious leaders say He did. God only promise to be with us at all times, good and bad. He did not promise to prevent any bad from ever happening to us.

I think God requires more than just an altar call where you kneel down and say ‘yes’ for us to become and stay a Christian. We must understand what we are doing and be committed to change. The Christian life is not easy; there is a price to pay. My friend at Community Gospel Church use to teach that altar calls and saying ‘yes’ was enough and he could prove it because so many in his church came and left once made whole again. He claimed they no longer needed the church. His membership was like a swinging door. I suggest they left disappointed and found that his teachings did not work in real life.  

I had a person come to me that had left the church when she was a teenager because she had been led to believe the Christian walk was a guarantee from adversity. She ask me, “Where was God when I was raped, where was God when my mother died of cancer my senior year in high school, did He abandoned me or is there no God?” As I stated earlier half-truths cause unnecessary pain.

When religious leaders and denominations take stands against groups of people (gay, women, divorced, etc.) and prevent them from having full participation in the church they are not leading people to God they are pushing people away from God. It forces people who want to be active in church to keep secrets and feel guilty. Jesus loved and loves the poorest of the poor. He spent time with the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the people with the worst reputations, and loved them unconditionally, contrary to the culture they were a part of. God wasn't God of only the rich and powerful, but also God of the outcast and enslaved. He freed oppressed people and stood for the rights of the downtrodden.

It is OK to doubt your faith from time to time and challenge your religious leaders. In fact, doubting your faith and asking questioning helps your faith grow. Many times I have been told that I am not a Christian. People have said my ideas were "heretical" "UN-biblical" and couldn't believe that I was allowed to continue in ministry. That is okay with me. I have never asks anyone to believe as I believe. I have only asks people to think for themselves and not turn off their brain when they enter the church. I am not going to teach something I do not believe without offering alternative views. I will teach what my denomination wants taught and preface it with the statement ‘this is what the Church teaches’. Besides I do not answer to people I answer to God when it comes to my religious beliefs.

You have to know what and why you believe.  Just saying I believe it because that it is what my preacher, priest or religious leader said should not be sufficient for you to believe. If you cannot explain why you believe it you do not know it. Parrots can repeat what you say over and over and will not challenge you, but have no real understanding of what they are saying. Are you a parrot?

I support strict immigration laws to the United States

A petition calling for Donald Trump to be banned from entering the UK has attracted more than a quarter of a million signatures more than enough for a committee to consider sending the motion for parliamentary debate. The petition is in response to Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. due to the threat of terrorism. It seems when the media and political pundits talk about the ban they always fail to add that Trump said the ban was only temporary until the U.S. government had procedures in place to properly vet refugee immigrants.

Suzanne Kelly, a woman from Aberdeen, Scotland, is responsible for the petition and is the same person who has actively campaigned against Trump's political and business activities. Her real problem with Trump stems from her opposition to Trump building a high-end golf resort in Aberdeen, which saw him come into conflict with locals. She has a personal vendetta with Trump. She first tried to get Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University to strip Trump of an honorary degree it bestowed on him five years ago.

Aberdeen has plans to build eleven wind turbines just off shore and where they plan on putting them is near Trumps resort and golf course. He opposed and eventually lost in court. The project has not progress for lack of funds and will probably not materialize. Suzanne Kelly is an environmentalist and Internet journalist and a supporter of the wind turbines. Trump has stopped the construction of a 140 luxury hotel in Aberdeen because of the dispute and is building in another city in Scotland.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who doesn't usually comment on U.S. presidential candidates, said through a spokesman that Trump's comments to ban Muslims from the United States, was "divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong."

We heard a lot in the U.S. media about the ban on Trump in the U.K., but we heard little on the petition that citizens of England are circulating that calls on British leaders to "stop all immigration and close the UK borders until ISIS is defeated." That petition has more than 440,000 signatures.

Trump raised the anger of British Prime Minister David Cameron after last month’s terror attack in San Bernardino, California, by proposing to keep Muslims out until more rigorous security checks are in place. Donald Trump never called for a permanent ban on Muslims entering the United States he only wants to make sure Muslim refugees can be properly vetted before they enter our country. We have already seen proof that terrorist ISIS is infiltrating the refugees fleeing to other countries.

Cameron now says he does not support banning Trump from England. I wonder if his change in tone may have something to do with Trump threatening to halt investment plans totaling more than $1 billion in Scotland if he gets turned away.

What I find really interesting is Mr. Cameron who had harsh and nasty words for Mr. Trump is now proposing making it harder for migrant Muslims to remain in the country if they do not learn to speak English. He claims he is proposing this legislation because Muslim men are abusive to Muslim women and keep them locked away from the public because the women cannot speak English.

Mr. Cameron claims forced Muslim gender segregation, discrimination and social isolation from mainstream British life fosters extremism.” Basically what he is calling for is Muslims to become more British than Muslim. He also feels Muslim women cannot contribute to the economic growth of England because 22% of Muslim women in England cannot speak English after living decades in England. Muslim leaders say the number is only 6% not 22% as Cameron claims.

In October anyone arriving in Britain on a five-year spouse visa will need to take a test, after two-and-half-years they will be tested to prove their English is improving and after five years if they cannot speak English they will be forced to leave.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of a Muslim organization accused Cameron on Monday of trying to appear tough on rising concerns over Muslim immigration during the current migrant crisis. It appears to me Cameron is playing politics and trying to satisfy two different factions in England. I prefer Donald Trump’s tough approach and being honest about it.

Cameron’s remarks come amid an increasing backlash against asylum seekers in Europe following the revelation that hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed in Cologne on New Year’s Eve by a mob of foreign-born men, at least some of whom were asylum seekers.

Mr. Cameron now says the time has come for them to be more assertive about their values, more clear about the expectations they place on those who come to live in England. Maybe the Prime Minister and other political leaders judged Mr. Trump too quickly and too harshly. Perhaps they are rethinking what Mr. Trump proposed and are beginning to think it is not such a bad idea after all.

Since late 2010 the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen or person settled in Britain has been required to pass an English language test before coming to the country. In 2015 the English Supreme Court rejected a challenge against an immigration rule requiring spouses to be able to speak English before moving to the UK. This law requires all immigrants even those married to British citizens to pass an English proficiency test regardless if they are Muslim or not. I believe that to be stricter than what the U.S. presently requires and Mr. Trump proposed, but I would like to see the same law passed in the U.S. 

One of the few U.S. immigration laws that makes any sense to me is the one requiring immigrants to learn and speak English before they can attain citizenship. I would like to see a law that required anyone wishing to earn an income in the U.S. be able to converse in English before arriving and in five years of their arrival pass an English proficiency test or leave. There are areas in California, Florida and Texas that an American English speaking citizen cannot shop unless they speak Spanish.

Learning English would lead to assimilation, and assimilation is not all bad if you want to stay in the United States. Immigrants are also particularly vulnerable in a new environment, so it’s even more important for them to know English before choosing the U.S. as their homeland so they can be well-versed in their rights and the laws protecting them. Frankly, I am not fond of the idea that one day the United States will be like the ‘Tower of Babel’. In 2007 the government reported, there are 37.9 million immigrants in the U.S. speaking 311 languages.

I now live in the Philippines where there are over 170 languages or dialects spoken throughout the islands. The 1987 Constitution declares Filipino as the national language of the country. Filipino and English are the official languages. When my caregiver’s family comes to visit they cannot communicate fluently with my housekeeper and all of them were born and raised on the island of Mindanao, but in different parts of the island. I honestly believe the language problems in the Philippines is a hindrance to economic development, contributes to problems in the education system and contributes to a lack of nationalism.

Conclusion:  

Immigration to the United States has become too lax. Immigration laws are being ignored. Borders are not adequately protected. Even some U.S. citizens have come to believe that immigration to the U.S. is a guaranteed right and not a privilege. 

I believe the United States has the right to impose restriction on immigrants to our country. You cannot immigrate to the Philippines, Mexico and many other countries and go to work or open a business so why should we allow it in the United States. Other countries require you show proof of income before you can extend a tourist visa. No country allows you to qualify for welfare assistance as soon as you enter except the United States. 

Other countries expect immigrants to contribute to the growth and security of their society and the United States should expect the same. Our government under the Democrat and some Republican leadership has become a welfare state and it times to stop it. 

I know what I have written will offend many, but I do not want to see the United States become a Third World Country or a dumping ground for people with few skills and no education. We have too many natural born citizens suffering from lack of medical care, food, shelter, job opportunities, training and education. Why allow immigrants to enter that will only contribute to that problem. When we can meet the needs of our own people then make immigration easier, but in the meantime I am only for legislation and immigration laws that make us a stronger country not weaker.

I do not have any problem showing proof of income in order to live in the Philippines and I do not see why anyone should be insulted to do the same if they choose to move to the United States.  

The Book Of Jonah is more than a fish story.

I am sorry if I offended you when I wrote about Jonah and the big fish the other day. I have never said or written anything in an attempt to change anyone’s mind to believe as I do. All during my ministry I have spoken and written to try and get people to think for themselves. If it helps you to have a better relationship with God by believing that Jonah literally was swallowed by a big fish then I encourage you to do so.

It is significant to me that the fish in the Book of Jonah is only mentioned in three of the forty-seven verses of the book, which leads me to believe that the fish is a minor character in the story, and is not the central theme of the book.

I would also like to clear up that I know technically a whale is not a fish.

I happen to believe the book of Jonah is not really a book about a fish, but a book about priorities, obedience, and submitting ourselves to the will of God, even when God's plans conflict with our own personal plans.

God had a plan for Jonah's life. Jonah had other plans. Jonah had to learn that in the end it is God's will that has to be done rather than his own. The book of Jonah is a challenge to each of us to submit ourselves to the will of God. If we do not we will find ourselves in a struggle with God until we do.

I have said many times we can understand the Bible better if we know the history of the time period in which it was written and the Book of Jonah is no exception.  The issue that would have upset Jonah in the book and the issue that would have upset most of the original readers of the book was not that God had a plan for Jonah's life, but that God called Jonah to prophesy in Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. Jonah and the original readers hated Assyrians. They hated the Assyrians because the Assyrians had a history of killing them.

God was asking Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach to the people there, and call on them to repent and Jonah did not want to go there. If you were in Jonah’s sandals would you want to go?

Jonah was not God he was human and he thought like a human.  He hated the Assyrians and he feared the Assyrians, but he also did not want to do anything good for the Assyrians.  Jonah feared God may use him to do good for the people of Nineveh and Jonah certainly did not want to be an instrument of good for the people of Nineveh.

National hatred of an enemy’s race or religion is a terrible thing, but something we are all familiar with. Hitler hated the Jews, Muslim radicals hate the Christians, in Ireland the Catholics and Protestants hated one another, genocide in Africa and parts of Europe. The Book of Jonah confronts these prejudices.

It is quite possible the Book of Jonah was being read around the same time that Ezra and Nehemiah were active in trying to rebuild the ancient city of Jerusalem - a city that had been lying in ruins since the Babylonians had destroyed it 50 years earlier. It was a time of great nationalistic fervor. The Jews were returning to their homeland and they were rebuilding their ancient city and they were rebuilding their temple, and all of a sudden, for the first time in many years, it felt good to be a Jew again. Ezra and Nehemiah did a great deal to encourage the patriotic fervor of the returning Jews and to get them excited again about their city, about their religion and about their God. In the process of doing that the issue of racial purity became an important issue for a lot of people. Ezra and Nehemiah - became very upset over the issue of inter-marriage between Jews and non-Jews.

Ezra accused the men of mixing their 'holy seed' with the people of the lands and he encouraged large numbers of Jewish men to divorce their foreign wives and to send them away, along with the children of their mixed marriages. I'm not saying that the Book of Jonah was written specifically as a response to the nationalistic 'reforms' of Ezra. I am suggesting that some may have been bringing up the story of Jonah to demonstrate the God of Israel loved and respected foreigners too - even the people of Nineveh.

The Book of Jonah is a very appropriate book for our time It is a book that strikes at the heart of every sign of religious nationalism, it confronts religious arrogance in all its forms, it reminds us that the God of Israel, the God of the faithful and the God of the upright, is also the God of the Assyrian, of the unfaithful and of the not-so-upright too. It is time for Muslim, Christians and Jews to once again hear the message of the Book of Jonah.

Obama and American Christians are failing Assyrian Christians.

 A small army of Assyrian Christians are fighting back against the advances of ISIS and they are depending heavily on the United States and other Christian nations to help them, but military help has not been forth coming.  There are Christian leaders in the United States meanwhile telling them to pray and telling us to pray for ISIS members and to love ISIS so much they will convert to Christianity.

I wonder if those Christian leaders, that want us to love ISIS to conversion and pray for their conversion, would be begging for military help or our love and prayers for ISIS if they were living in ISIS controlled areas. I know if I was in that group of Assyrian Christians fighting to save the lives of my family members, the lives of my neighbors and fighting to preserve my heritage I would be praying that Christians and Western Allies would provide me the military aid I desperately needed to defend my way of life. Talk is cheap unless you have a dog in the fight!

Obama argues that equipping and arming a rebel army would carry risks for the U.S. and other Western nations. I admit the advance of ISIS into Iraq demonstrated that risk. The Iraqi forces quickly surrendered and abandoned their American-made equipment when ISIS advanced upon them.

The United States has a track record of supporting the wrong people and the wrong fighters. I can recall Iran, Yemen, Vietnam, Egypt, Philippines, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Bolivia, Cuba, Brunei, South Africa, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Rhodesia, Pakistan and the list goes on. Our leaders seem to have a penchant for supporting dictators are those in power right or wrong.

I would prefer we support those who are fighting for their own land, their own villages, their own cities and their own future. The Iraqi troops had no attachment to the land they were defending. The Assyrian Military Forces began fighting in the summer of 2014 and to this date they have not been adequately supported. They have a dog in the fight! The group started with just 12 fighters. Assyrian Christian women sold their wedding rings and other objects made of gold to finance the purchase of AK-14s and other munitions.

Assyrian Christians lived comfortable lives prior to the invasion and lost everything in one night when ISIS swept through. America support’s the Peshmerga, the Sunnis and the Yezidi, but not the Assyrian Christians of Nineveh? Are these bold speaking Christian’s leaders supporting The United Assyrian Appeal an organization that provides aid to the Assyrian military families who are fighting against ISIL/ISIS? I doubt it!   

"I am one of the servants of Allah.  We do our duty of fighting for the sake of the religion of Allah.  It is also our duty to send a call to all the people of the world to enjoy this great light and to embrace Islam and experience the happiness in Islam.  Our primary mission is nothing but the furthering of this religion. “Osama bin Laden.

Many Christian leaders would like to bury their heads in the sand or look for ways to modify Islamic radical terrorism to fit their own Christian beliefs, but the fact is that violent radical Islamic Muslims are quite clear about their religious goals. Their acts are done specifically in the name of Allah and for the cause of Islam and Islamic rule across the globe.

“The Taliban are simply a band of dedicated youths determined to establish the laws of Allah on earth... The Taliban will fight until there is no blood in Afghanistan left to shed, and Islam becomes a way of life for our people. “Mullah Omar, Taliban leader.

"Our animosity is based on religion.  We hate Americans for their secular ideology." Tehrik a Taliban spokesman.

"In the name of Allah the Avenger, I swear on the holy book to perform my sacred duty as a soldier of Islam in this Jihad to restore to this world the light of divine justice... Allah demands no less for me to die in the cause and be sent immediately to paradise." A Taliban official.

“Islam came for the good of humanity.  If someone doesn't like our good we fight them.” Faruq Khalil Muhammad in Canada.

“We are working until we make Allah's religion supreme and we live a precious life in the shadow of Islamic Sharia law, or else be rewarded with martyrdom in the cause of Allah.  We are plotting for the Chinese to suffer the torture of Allah, or else by our hands” Abdul Haq, leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party.

“The attack by the Islamic State in America is only the beginning of our efforts to establish a wiliyah [Islamic territory] in the heart of our enemy. Allah said those who fight you kill them wherever you find them." Statement by ISIS following the shooting massacre at San Bernardino.

How can the Islamic radical Muslims make themselves any clearer than they have? I stand with Reverend Frankly Graham.  We need to be praying for our country and Christians first. We need to be showing love and support for Christians around the world fighting to survive. Obama may think all religions are the same, but I do not. I apologize for Christian (Catholic crusades and inquisition) actions in the past, but that is the past and this is 2015. I know of no Christians taking delight in killing those of other religions like the radical Islamic Muslims are doing today. Christians who use violence against their enemies can expect no special reward from Jesus Christ.

I would also like to remind Obama and Ron Paul about the Islamic Crusades in 630 A.D. Muhammad invaded and conquered Mecca. Later on, Muslims invaded Syria, Iraq, Jerusalem, Iran, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Italy, France, etc. Obama and Ron Paul act as if the Christians are the only ones that conducted Crusades.

The Western Crusades started around 1095 to try and stop the Islamic aggressive invasions. In 1094 Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus I ask western Christendom for help against Seljuk (Muslim Turks) invasions of his territory. In 1095 Pope Urban II agreed to help.

It is estimated that Islam has killed at least 270 million people: 120 million Africans, 60 million Christians, 80 million Hindus, 10 million Buddhists, etc. and forced conversions to Islam has been the norm, across three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—for over 13 centuries.

Defeat of ISIS is the only thing that will slow down Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist. Only one thing will possibly stop Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist and that is for Moderate Islamic Muslims to take up the fight and I do not see that happening.  They are like some American Christian leaders all talk and no action.

Obama's immigaration policies leave much to be desired!

 The Department of Homeland Security as recently as 2014 was enforcing a secret Obama administration policy that prevented officials from reviewing the social media accounts of those seeking visas. If that practice had not been in effect it may have stopped the San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik from entering the country.

The New York Times reported that Malik, a Pakistani woman who moved to the U.S. with a fiancée visa in May 2014, "had made little effort to hide" her support of violent jihad, and her desire to be a part of it.

This activity was uncovered by the FBI shortly after Malik and her American-citizen husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, killed 14 people in San Bernardino.

Of three background checks conducted by immigration officials during the visa process, none uncovered Malik's activity on social media. Immigration officials do not routinely review social media as part of their background checks, and there is a debate inside the Department of Homeland Security over whether it is even appropriate to do so. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson refused to end a secret Obama administration policy that prohibited officials from reviewing the social media accounts of visa applicants.

Obama is more concerned about what the Muslim world thinks than providing security for the people he was elected to protect. Obama was afraid the Muslim world would be offended if it was disclosed publicly that the U.S. was checking people’s personal social media pages before issuing a visa. This thinking is more than naïve it is stupid! There is no excuse for not using every resource at our disposal to fully vet individuals before they come to the United States.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, one of Obama’s party mates, demanded that the U.S. create a new policy that allows officials to check the social media accounts of visa applicants.  

It is ironic that Obama is lax, to put it mildly, on issuing visa’s but goes overboard on putting people on a ‘no fly list’.  The Obama guidelines allow individuals to be designated as representatives of terror organizations without any evidence they are actually connected to such organizations.  It gives a single White House official the unilateral authority to place entire “categories” of people the government is tracking onto the no fly list. It allows government officials to “nominate” people to the no fly list based on vague incomplete information. The no fly list is so inaccurate that it contains many names of deceased people. I wonder if this is a designed way for Obama to abuse the no fly list program.

Obama has resisted disclosing the criteria for placing names on the no fly list even though the guidelines are officially labeled unclassified. Eric Holder, while still Attorney General, invoked the state secrets privilege to prevent no fly list guidelines from being disclosed in litigation launched by an American who was on the no fly list.

Obama is more concerned about being ‘politically correct’ than being an effective President. Obama appears to be more concerned about protecting Muslim causes than protecting Christian causes. So much so that he discriminates against Christians. Obama seems more interested in honoring and protecting the heritage of his father than his American heritage, if he has any.

In closing, I want to include some of the things Obama has said, supported and wanted to change regarding immigration, illegal aliens and issuing visas:

Obama in 2006 wrote that a vast influx of Immigrants could harm native-born blacks – that does not sound like the 2015 Obama.

Obama opposes immigration raids designed to identify illegal immigrants in workplaces. It appears he is more interested in protecting the jobs of low skilled illegals than low skilled Americans.

Obama supports a “path to citizenship” for illegal aliens. He wants them to have an opportunity “to fully embrace our values” and the benefits of living in America. I do not want illegal aliens in our country. We have immigration laws as all countries and I want them enforced. I have nothing against people immigrating to the U.S., but I do oppose any one entering our country illegally.

Obama favors permitting illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Obama believes Illegal aliens should get a license and get insurance to protect the public. That is a valid argument, but they should not be here in the first place and if they were not here they would need a driver’s license.

Obama wants illegal aliens, even those who have returned home, who worked at jobs using phony or stolen Social Security numbers, to reap the benefits of whatever Social Security contributions they may have earned illegally.

Obama voted against a point system for immigration. A system that looks at a person’s skill and how their skills could contribute to the advancement of the United States and he voted in favor of  focusing on the reunification of family members, even if that meant permitting the relatives of illegal aliens to join them in the U.S.

Obama supported the DREAM Act, legislation that would have allowed illegal-alien students to attend college at reduced tuition rates normally reserved for in-state legal residents, and to earn conditional permanent residency and a path to citizenship.

In 2009, Obama expressed concerns that his health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants and argued that was all the more reason to legalize illegal aliens so they could get health coverage.

Obama's instructed the Department of Health and Human Services' to stop designating HIV as a "communicable disease of public health significance."  H.I.V. is manageable and I do not oppose those with H.I.V. from traveling to the U.S., but I question why Obama left other sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, on the HHS no entry list. I agree with Obama that the ban on those living with H.I.V. is unfair.

 In September 2010, Obama instructed his Justice Department to sue Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio for establishing a hotline for the public to report immigration violations. Now Obama says if you see something suspicious report it – and if you do you risk being suited by the Obama administration.

In August 2011, President Obama issued an executive order to prevent potentially thousands of cases in federal immigration court from moving forward if they did not involve criminals or people with flagrant immigration violations. In other words he issued a free pass to the U.S. to the others. At the time Obama’s Homeland Security estimated there were over 300,000 immigration cases pending on illegal aliens that were criminals and had immigration violations.

In June 2012 President Obama, frustrated that Congress had thus far failed to pass the DREAM Act, issued an executive order that allowed a two-year deferral from deportation to the estimated 800,000 young illegal aliens who had entered the United States as minors and allowed them to apply for work permits. I believe unemployment records indicate native born black teenagers are the most unemployed in the U.S. Obama demonstrated once again that he if he dislikes a U.S. laws or a clause in the U.S. Constitution he is not above ignoring them.

In August 2012, Lamar Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, revealed that the Obama administration had “falsified” deportation records to artificially boost the number of deportations for which it took credit. Figures recently unearthed by a federal lawsuit in Texas cast serious doubt on the administration’s deportation claims. The number of deportations according to Obama appeared to have declined significantly (40%) during the president’s term in office which turned out to be false.

Some U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents are suing the administration over its use of “prosecutorial discretion” in dictating how immigration law is enforced — or not enforced. They claim they are being prevented from doing their job.

In 2005 the Bush administration initiated the construction of a virtual border fence, consisting of a network of cameras, ground sensors and radars designed to spot incursions and help determine where Border Patrol agents should be deployed. The project was slated to be completed by 2011. In early 2011 the Obama administration scrapped the plan after 53 miles had been completed.

Obama stopped requiring immigrants to be self-supporting. They can now start drawing welfare payments as soon as they are released by immigration authorities. Obama is aggressively trying to boost the welfare rolls among non-citizens.

In July 2007, presidential candidate Obama told the National Council of La Raza, opponents of illegal immigration were ugly and racist. Once again Obama employs his divisive tactics. Obama told the Hispanic at La Raza nursing mothers are being torn from their babies, children are coming home from school to find their parents missing and people are detained without legal counsel. Do you believe that? Babies being ripped from their mother’s breast, children left unattended because their parents have been taken away and Public Defenders are not being provided for illegal aliens.

A Judicial Watch investigation revealed that federal funding for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and its affiliates skyrocketed (7 million in one year) when Obama took office. I think you call it buying votes for the Democrat politicians.

I will pose more on Obama’s immigration ideology in a later post.

Israel is not always right.

I have said how I felt about the ‘moderate’ Muslims in-action and now I will say how I feel about the Jewish people, Israel and Trumps remarks at the recent forum. I think it is time that we all begin to be more honest with our words and stop trying to be politically correct. That does not mean I approve of being rude.  

Israel is a ‘secular’ nation. It is not the religious nation of Moses. It’s a secular democracy where Judaism is privileged.  Many orthodox Jews believe that Israel should be a theocratic state where Judaism is the supreme law of the land, but secular Jews do not feel that way. Secular and orthodox Jews are at odds over the future of Israel and have been for years. It's uncertain what will happen or who will win in the end. If they cannot agree among themselves if they are a secular or theocratic state then why should we be trying to apply Old Testament principles in our relationship with them?

Israel’s Proclamation of Independence makes few concessions to the Almighty. Israel, it decrees, will be a Jewish state, but the concept is nowhere defined. The state, it says, will be based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace as conceived by the Prophets of Israel (it does not name the Prophets); it will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race, or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, education and culture;  it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and will loyally uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter. It has not upheld all the principles of the United Nation Charter.

Every student of modern Israel should reread the proclamation of May 14, 1948, at least once a year. It is a reminder of the secular vision that the founding fathers had for Israel. Israel was to be a modern democratic state, an expression of Jewish nationalism rather than Jewish faith. Every Christian minister preaching that the United States must deal differently with Israel than other nations because of the Bible should read the proclamation before espousing their Biblical beliefs.

Neither the conservative Likud nor the liberal Labor parties are able to form a government on their own and they certainly do not want to form one together. This means that creating a government requires that they join forces with the political parties of the ultra-Orthodox Jews who have adopted an unapologetically religious vision of Israel.

The Haredi society in Israel is based upon a rejection of modern thinking and modern values, and on the desire to isolate itself so as to be protected from the influence of the modern world. They have views similar to some Islamic Muslims – isolation, opposes the modern world, want to live in the past with strict laws governing all aspects of society. They consider the last 100 years or so to have dealt the Jewish people two tragic blows: the Holocaust and the mass defection of once-Orthodox Jews in Eastern Europe to Socialism, secular Zionism, or just plain non-observance.’

The parallels between these ultra-Orthodox Jews and the American Christian Right are strong. Both regard modernity as a tragedy, both bemoan the loss of power and influence for their respective religions, both would like to transform society by taking it back several hundred years and institute religious law in place of civil law, both are dismissive of the rights of religious minorities, and both would risk war with other nations in pursuit of their religious goals.  Sounds to me like some Muslims, Ultra-Orthodox and Christian Right share similar goals, but a different value system.

All of this is a problem in Israel because the agenda and tactics of the ultra-Orthodox are very likely to lead Israel into greater tension and conflict with its neighboring nations. American support of Israel is often based on the argument that Israel is the only free democracy in the Middle East. Our policies have forced Turkey and Egypt to not be as free a society as they once were and at one time they both were strong allies of the United States. The more the Haredim have their way, the less Israel is a free democracy. Will that lead to a decrease in American support or has it already? Perhaps Obama has gotten one thing right during his administration.

I doubt that the Haredim or the Christian Right care that much about American support because they both believe that God is on their side, so who needs America? If one believes they are doing GOD’S WILL they then will believe God will save them regardless of how they go about accomplishing their goal. It tends to make them more unwilling to negotiate for peace. We should keep in mind the Jews slaughtering the inhabitants of the land (men, women, children and animals) they believed God gave them as their Promise Land. The means justified the end.

In the last election Jews voted for President Obama over Mitt Romney by 69 percent to 30 percent. Should a Republican candidate really be concerned about losing Jewish American votes? What Trump said is true. The American Jews in the past have tended to support candidates they could control. Any party would like to have the votes of all the people, but that is not possible and will never happen. It is my opinion that a candidate should be honest and straight forward when campaigning.  If the candidate wins we know what we are getting unlike what we have in the recent past with Obama and other Democrat and Republican candidates.

Trump, I think is a strong supporter of Israel, but he was booed by the wealthy Jews at the forum when he refused to commit to moving the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which both Palestinians and Israelis consider their capital. Don’t we have enough problems in the world without tackling that issue at this time!

The other candidates at the forum also bragged about their Jewish ties — their friendliness toward Israel and the depth of their friendships with Jews. They spoke of the danger to Israel the deal the Obama administration and other powers negotiated with Iran this summer. That agreement lifts some sanctions on Iran and I definitely am not for it. Iran’s leaders continue to threaten Israel and the UNITED STATES.  Obama naively thinks the agreement will rein in Iran’s nuclear program.  

The other Republican candidates at the forum warned of the dangers of Islamic extremists, but they were careful to avoid rhetoric that would have offended Muslims. I found that amusing because that is the same thing they criticize Obama for.  I think you call it “straddling” the fence.

I am against the Obama Iran deal because I do not believe it is good for the United States. I am more concerned how it will affect the United State than Israel. I am for supporting Israel because at this time I think it is good for the United States and not because of something that appears or does not appear in the Bible.

I still do not know if I will vote for Donald Trump in the primary election, but the more he is criticized by Democrats, Republicans and Liberals for not being ‘politically correct’ he becomes more and more an attractive nominee.

 

 

Yes, I will be watchful of all Muslims and I do not apologize for it!

Muslim Americans are saying they fear their religion will be demonized and Islamophobia will spread after a young Muslim couple was accused of carrying out one of the bloodiest mass killings in the United States.

Across the country, Muslim Americans are said to have responded with shock and outrage after a shooting in which authorities say Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, stormed a holiday party attended by San Bernardino County employees in California on Wednesday, killing 14 people and wounding 21.

I do not care that they are shocked and outraged. I want them to stand up to the radicals that are causing non-Muslims around the world to look upon all Muslim with disdain. Moderate Muslim can stop this problem easier than anyone else.

Catholics did not ask people of other denominations or religions to solve our problem with our sexually abusive priest. We demanded I hierarchy to address the problem. I suggest Muslim do the same with their Imam’s.

I know what it is like to have the world look upon you with disdain because Catholics, especial Catholic priests, suffered the same response. We did not cry, whine and complain we knew we deserved it and we accepted our responsibility for it and addressed the issue.

San Bernardino police said they found pipe bombs and several thousand rounds of ammunition at the residence of the couple, who died in a shoot-out with police. This is not just work place violence this is Radical Islamic Terrorism. I confess it makes me wonder how many Muslims on my street may have the same in their homes. Am I being paranoid or security conscious? I really do not have the answer to that question. I think it may be a little of both.

Regardless of what our President may imply and some Muslims may say these two people and probably more intended to rain down terror on innocent Americans. He may have gone to the party and been insulted by a Christian woman and returned and killed 14 people at the party, but he and his wife planned a killing spree some place and it could have been at the center and most likely a second site. Only bullets stopped them from reaping more destruction on innocent Americans.

Regardless of what was said to him by another person he and his wife were not justified in carrying out their killing spree. No matter what I may feel or others may feel about Muslims at the moment it does not justify our going on a killing spree against innocent Muslims.

“In every culture and in every religion there are bad apples that will spoil the rest of the apples. That has happened toward us,” said Dawod Dawod, a 25-year-old Muslim American, who manages the store that his family has owned for a decade. What he says is true, but his inaction and the inaction of those ‘moderate’ Muslims like him against those in his religion that are radical justifies in my mind my anger at him and ‘moderates’ like him.

Between taking orders over the phone, Dawod said he was concerned that politicians will use the mass shooting as a way to further demonize Muslims. He noted Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s endorsement of the idea of creating a Muslim database. If they policed themselves maybe a database of Muslims would not be necessary. If they took action against their Iman’s that support, encourage and teach radicalism maybe Trump would not have had to make the statement he did. Does he want Republicans to show the stupidity that our President Obama has shown? I think that is exactly what he wants and other Muslims, Democrats and Liberals want. They want us to act as if they should bear no blame for what is happening around the world.   

Dawood said, “It’s scary. Ninety-nine percent of Muslims are hardworking, good people.” That is probably true. But, does he not think Christians and people of other religions are not “scared” of his radical Islamic brothers and sisters? Why should we be scared and him not?  

Muslim community groups condemned the massacre with words and urged the public not to blame Islam or Muslims. Condemning with words and no action is not enough. Words are cheap! Stop supporting radical Imam’s with your presence and your money. Stop supporting radical mosque with your presence and your money. Report what you hear that is radical to the proper authorities. Start reporting your relatives and friends that are becoming radicalized.

 “The Muslim community stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Americans in repudiating any twisted mindset that would claim to justify such sickening acts of violence,” said Hussam Ayloush, an executive director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. I am sorry, but I do not believe you mean that. Moderate Muslims lack of real action says differently.

Some Muslims say they have felt singled out during a Presidential race that has tapped a vein of anger and bigotry — from comments by Trump to those by fellow Republican candidate Ben Carson, who said in September Muslims were unfit for the Presidency of the United States. There are some 2.8 million Muslims in the country. I am thankful Republican candidates have more courage than our wimpy President Obama and call it like it is RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTM! I hope if a Republican candidate is elected they will do more than talk and take whatever action needed to motive ‘moderate’ Muslims to take real action and clean up their own problems as we Catholic’s did our problem. 

Faizul Khan, 74, an Imam at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area, said, “He feared the shooting would strengthen calls to increase surveillance on mosques.” I hope so. I hope an F.B.I. agent will infiltrate every mosque in the United States to protect us from Islamic Radical Imam’s, since the Imam’s are not doing it themselves and in most cases are a major contributor to the problem.  

Jersey City real-estate agent Magdy Ali, 52 and of Egyptian descent, said, ““We are in a jam right now.” If they are in, they are in a jam that they allowed Radical Islamic Terrorist put them in, not Republican candidates, Republicans, conservatives or non-Muslims.

I am a Catholic priest retired – my priority is GOD, United States and Catholic Religion (a man-made religion). When Muslim living in the United States reaping the benefits provided by the United States, not worried their heads will be chopped off, adopt the following priorities GOD, United States and Islamic Religion (a man-made religion) then I may feel different towards ‘moderate’ Muslims, until then I will approach all Muslims with suspicion and caution in order to try and protect myself.

At one time I would have said my priorities were God, Family and Country. Times have changed. Family and country have become the same to me and both need protected. I am not going to sacrifice my country or innocent people in society for any family member  or friend that becomes radicalized - Muslim, White Supremacy, Black Panthers or any other radical group.