Excedrin headache #3

The holy month of Ramadan is being oserved as we speak and while Muslims around the world pray to God they have Christian groups praying right along with them.

BUT, the extra prayers may not be all that welcome.

In a campaign called the "30 Day Muslim Prayer Focus," Christians are asking God to help Muslims realize the error of their ways. They pray that followers of Islam accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour so that they might follow the TRUE path to salvation.

Meanwhile, Imam Yahya Hendi, a Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University says he believes true followers of Jesus should not pray for the conversion of others to the Christian way of life. They should instead show their faith throught good works much like Mother Teresa. He said; "Mother Teresa did not go out and pray for people to convert to Christianity, but rather selflessly took care of the poor and that's what made people love her and her faith."

But Jamal Badawi, an Islamic scholar and professor emeritus as Halifax's Saint Mary's University, says he prays daily that Christians finally see the light and realize the truth in the teachings of Muhammad and that they embrace Islam. He said: "I know that in many cases people really have that sincere desire in their hearts to pray for other people who cannot see the error of their ways and that is why I pray they realize the truth of Islam."

Well I have news for you, God sent a message by long, long distance.
He said: STOP IT................ you're giving Him a headache!

Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) at; www.God-101.com
And the petition to have people mind their own business instead of yours at; http://www.petitiononline.com/moses/petition.html

What the hell, it's only a job!

When you start to take your job for granted but don't have tenure then it's wise to use a bit of discretion! This university professor came to work and delivered a lecture while either drunk, high, or both. While it's hillarious to see it wasn't that funny the next day.
He was fired!
Nutty professor

Allan

Now wait a minute!

I like junk food as much as anyone, but this is going to far.
Do we really need to give this sort of thing to fat little Johnny and Jenny?

A Cry in the Wilderness

There are many, many Arab sites and blogs which promote hatred, anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Jewish, anti-Christian viewpoints.

These sites cater mostly to the poor and lower class because (surprise! surprise!) they are the most religious and in the majority.

The Arab (And Persian) middle-class however are a whole different ball game. While only the minority, they represent a point of view that is more reasoned and logical.

They have long odds to beat, but theirs is not a cry in the wilderness.

People are listening and I would like to convey one of these blogs from Iraq for your perusal. (Since this blog is out of Iraq I thought it prudent to give the writer anonymity.)

Begging for more anger!

Iraq's speaker of parliament opened Tuesday's session by complaining "the Pope's excuses are not enough, he must make a clear apology…."

The Islamist speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said it without shame or hesitation, just like all other leaders who owe us a thousand apologies a day for their ignorance and incompetence.

What can I say? We got used to this kind of behavior. When someone is full of mistakes he finds no shelter except in accusing others of being wrong.

I don't know what good this can do for Iraq or its people!

What difference does it make to the average Iraqi whether the pope apologized or not? Did Mr. Speaker ask himself these questions?

My guess is that he was in a state of euphoria after watching 150 teenagers demonstrating in Basra, which is another proof of the ignorance of its managers.

I saw angry young men burning the flags of America and Israel, and I still can't figure out the connection they saw between Israel or Jews and the Pope!!

In fact the continuous pathetic attempts to blame the West and Israel for everything shows clearly that the motives of such demonstrations are political not religious.

Anyway, it looks like the reaction of Muslims were not as violent or as bloody as the leaders wished them to be and that's why they're now provoking and yelling at the "sleeping" masses and pushing them to show more fury.

They want to add another big scene to the countless previous ones—angry mobs burning flags and pledging to destroy the "infidels".

Actually their latest calls for MORE ANGER are becoming pretty much like begging.

Meanwhile, Iran thinks the Muslim people fell short of doing their duty and Qaradawi calls on Muslims to have a "day of fury".

All these are theatrical acts directed by governments and corrupt clerics seeking controlled anger among the mobs to use in intimidating the West and discouraging it from applying more pressure on, or calling for changing, these tyrannical regimes.

Such calls are taking the headlines in the governments-controlled media in the Arab countries, and the governments, whether religious or secular, are promoting this provocation of anger.

Meanwhile, voices of reason are being pushed to the rear -to appear in a short subtitle or in a tiny corner in the 10th page, or even not mentioned at all.

What the rulers want is the anger that the masses, in the eyes of the rulers, did not express enough of.

What has to be done now from the governments' perspective is to lash those lazy masses with the whips of the media and religion to do more angry protests and show more fist-shaking on TV.

For a while let the people forget about poverty, hunger, terrorism, illiteracy and other problems of the region…

And let's redirect the world's attention from "insignificant" issues like Darfur, nuclear reactors, Hizbollah's defiance or Syrian and Iranian meddling with Iraq's or Lebanon's affairs.

What matters now is anger and only anger.

Right Mashhadani? Right Ahmedinejad? Right Asad? Right Mubarak?

Now in answer to this I have to once again quote from the blog: "Enough With The Apologies Already!"

A lot more time has been spent analyzing what the pontiff meant to say, or should have said, or might have said if he had been given better advice.

All of which is simply beside the point, since nothing the Pope has ever said comes even close to matching the vitriol, extremism and hatred that pour out of the mouths of radical Imams and fanatical clerics every day across Europe and the Muslim world.

Almost none of which ever provokes any Western response at all.

Maybe it's time that it should: When Saudi Arabia publishes textbooks commanding good Wahhabi Muslims to "hate" Christians, Jews and non-Wahhabi Muslims, for example, why shouldn't the Vatican, the Southern Baptists, Britain's chief rabbi and the Council on American-Islamic Relations all condemn them -- simultaneously?

By "we" I also mean the White House, the Vatican, the German Greens, the French Foreign Ministry, NATO, Greenpeace, Le Monde and Fox News -- Western institutions of the left, the right and everything in between.

True, these principles sound pretty elementary -- "we're pro-free speech and anti-gratuitous violence" -- but in the days since the Pope's sermon, I don't feel that I've heard them defended in anything like a unanimous chorus.

As one of the newsletters from the Ayn Rand Institute says:
"These people (Middle East governments and clergy) are laughing at us because nobody in the (Western)media or government will stand up and tell it like it really is!"
Just so you know!

Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) at; www.God-101.com
And the petition to have people mind their own business instead of yours at; http://www.petitiononline.com/moses/petition.html

Therapy for the Mind!

I just ran across an absolutely delightfull site call "Meme Therapy" which looks at the world and everything in it from a science fiction point of view.
You may think this is rather juvenile, but remember that most great dicoveries were foretold in science fiction stories.
As a matter of fact they often helped create these discoveries! All sorts of interesting topics are covered here by world renown scientists and academics and range from physics to cosmology to philosophy to theology to psychology to....... well you get the idea!

I will give you the web address here http://memetherapy.net/ Two comments I was very impressed with are here for your consideration!

The first is by an academic and writer named Steven Leigh who writes on the subject of "Should scientists criticize religion?"

I’m not a believer in any religion, but I find both science and religion utterly fascinating. I don’t find that there is necessarily an inconsistency between someone being a scientist while believing in a God or gods.

Science is a path to understanding this universe in which we live — whether I believe in God or not, that’s still a compelling quest.

Personally, I don’t see the need for a Creator-being who constructed it in the first place, but I can understand a scientist who does believe and who considers science as the tool-of-choice for examining the underpinnings of the world.

I don’t see any implicit disconnect there — the dichotomy comes when someone regards the ancient mythology of their religion as irrefutable ‘fact’ and refuses to accept any evidence science gives them.

This universe and this world don’t become any less beautiful or intriguing because we understand them better; neither should someone’s faith. In science, we explore the evidence and adjust our beliefs accordingly; religions should do the same.

If I were a believer, I’d be of the opinion that God left us this wonderful puzzle and gifted us with the intelligence to figure it out, and that we’re doing exactly what She wants in using science and logic to understand how it all fits together… because by understanding the world, we also come to understand Her.

But that’s my "perfect world," I know it’s not reality. I don’t feel that any scientist should be shy about stating their findings and presenting their evidence, even if it might ‘contradict’ someone’s cherished religious beliefs.

Next is a piece from an old freind of mine, Les Jenkins, who hosts the site stupidevilbastard.com and made these comments on: "What's the strangest thing you believe in?"

At first glance this question appears simple enough. I can think of many fascinating subjects I have read about over the years; nanotech, “gray goo”, 11-dimensional space, relativity, the possibility of time travel, quantum entanglement, wave particle duality, virtual reality.

There flows a never ending stream of ideas that wells up from the spring that is the Mind of Man.

I could have selected any item from this list, or more, and would have provided a reasonably interesting response. How does one choose from such a fantastical array of knowledge?

Technology can indeed appear strange or magical to one unfamiliar with a particular field of study. Some feel that medical wonders, from stem-cell research and genetic engineering to face transplants, are the definition of the word “strange”. Others may perceive the political and ideological mindset of their “enemies” to be the pinnacle of the eldritch.

But, to ask an atheist what he “believes” to be true introduces quite a different “texture” to the question posed. The meaning of the word “believe” may easily be misconstrued. I am often bewildered by the multiple usage of some words from the English language.

To some, “belief” is only given to that which has overwhelming evidence to support it, such evidence that there is no point to even use the word “believe”. Does one say: “I believe the sky is blue”? No. We say: “The sky is blue”. We can test this statement through many types of observation, experimentation, and verification. We know the sky is blue.

Some use the word “believe” in the same manner that they use the word “think”, e.g. “I believe I’ll have another beer!” - the two words are interchangeable here.

Then we come, of course, to the most common meaning of the word “believe”, that equivalent to “faith”; acceptance of a proposition without any need, or desire, for supporting evidence whatsoever.

I avoid the use of the words “believe” and “belief” because of their imprecise usage. There are, however, certain words I’ll use in spite of their misuse. For example, I have no qualms stating that I’m an “atheist” even though that word has been intentionally misused and demonized, perhaps since its inception. An atheist is simply one who does not believe.

To be an atheist one need only answer “no” to the question “Do you believe [in God(s)]?” No further assertion is made.

I prefer to use the verb “know” instead of “believe” and, like Great Lady Science, accept that knowledge can be transitory and must evolve as new evidence is discovered.
Ironically, my answer to the question “What is the strangest thing you know to be true?” would bring me back to the issue of faith.

The strangest thing I know of is the ability of the human mind to accept the most incredible of statements by the simple application of the magic word “faith”.

How is it that, in the 21st century, we still have people that believe the world is only 6000 years old in light of the evidence from various fields of science in support of its vastly older age? How can one ignore mounds of fossil evidence for the progression of evolution and only see the “gaps”.

What is it that allows the brilliant scientist who, otherwise, demands empirical data to advance his theories, to assert that there is a god when no one has presented any evidence to corroborate the existence of said deity?

Is it a mental blind spot, a type of intellectual laziness used to avoid investigating fully the reason one believes one fable over another?

This strange thing called faith intrigues me. I have studied several of the mythologies of various civilizations throughout history and I find the subject fascinating.

The majority of us appear to be so desperate for answers that we will accept any concept of reality that we are subjected to at an early age. We indoctrinate our children into a system of thought handed down by our progenitors and our children will usually teach their own children the same vision; the meme propagates.

The evolution of religion presents the prime example of this strange ability to close the mind to healthy skepticism and reason. I wonder if we have herein evidence for the existence of a parasitic meme, one that propagates from the pulpit and lives in symbiosis with those that hunger for its anesthetic affects.

I look forward to a future where such strange ideas as faith and belief have faded into obscurity and disrepute as have the gods of old. A future where the unknown is regarded as an opportunity, not an enemy to be feared and obscured by the blinders of myth.

Hope you found this as interesting as I did and if you would like to learn more about "religious meme's" go to the site for my book www.God-101.com "The Plain Truth about God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!)
Look up the chapter on meme's called "Thanks for the meme-ories!"

Your Entertaining Scribe;
Allan W Janssen

The Road Less Traveled! With apologies to M. Scott Peck

*The road to truth is long and winding........ and lined the entire way with annoying bastards!

*Why is it that people who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them!

*First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally, you forget to pull it down. - George Burns

*Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, is a woman giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped!

*In the beginning, there was nothing. And God said, 'Let there be Light.' And there was still nothing. But, you could see it a lot better. Or, First, there was nothing. Then it exploded!

*Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!

*Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness?
It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means!
- George Burns

*****There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things we know we don't know. But, there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know we don't know - Donald Rumsfield

*So many Right-Wing Christians, so few lions!

And Finally!

When we talk to God, we're praying.
When God talks to us, we're schizophrenic!

Your Scribe;
Allan

Misogynists to the left! Misogynists to the right!

It is totally beyond me why there is not a lot more International outrage over the actions of Muslim Fundamentalists like the Taliban.

To quote part of my blog called "Enough with the apologies, already" we have to unite, loudly, in our condemnation of violent, unprovoked attacks on churches, elderly nuns, embassies, Christians, different sects of Islam and women in general.

By "we" I mean the White House, the Vatican, the German Greens, the French Foreign Ministry, NATO, Greenpeace, Le Monde and Fox News -- Western institutions of the left, the right and everything in between.

True, these principles sound pretty elementary -- "We're pro-free speech and anti gratuitous violence" -- but in the days since the Pope's sermon and now this poor women being killed in Afghanistan, I don't feel that I've heard them defend freedoms in anything like a unanimous chorus.

(AP)An Afghan woman killed by the Taliban was praised by governments and officials around the world Tuesday for her work improving the lives of women.
Two gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed Safia Ama Jan, the head of a provincial women's affairs department near her home in Kandahar on Monday.
Ama Jan was shot to death while walking to her office. She had led the women's ministry of Kandahar province since 2001, when U.S.-led military forces overthrew the Taliban.
"It was my wife who was working for our survival," her husband, Mohamed Tahir, said through a translator. "We are poor people and did not have animosity toward anyone."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the murder, and have frequently targeted those seeking to educate Afghan women and children.

These people, (Taliban) and others like them are stuck somewhere in the twelfth century and need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the twenty first.

Yes, in their eyes it might be good for their "manhood" and "honour" to treat half the human population as slaves and no better than dogs, but this is not what we as a people should aspire to. Nor condone!

Also, no matter how it is spun, it is certainly not advocated, nor acceptable in the Quran.

The unbeleivable arrogance of people like this, who not only think they can do what-ever they want, but also vow to reduce everyone else to their level must be stopped at all costs.

To grow as human beings we need to eradicate this sort of behaviour once and for all.

Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) at; www.God-101.com
And the petition to have people mind their own business instead of yours at; http://www.petitiononline.com/moses/petition.html

What's going on?

Here it's been almost a week and nothing has happened to set me off on another rant. I mean, lots of stuff has happened, but nothing to get me seriously indignant or P.O.'d. (Not even watching Bill Clinton tie himself in knots and turning purple during an interview!)

Christians and Muslims haven't been killing themselves much in the last few days, the Pope is having a nap, Bush actually went the better part of a week without saying anything stupid and Iran didn't nuke any foreign countries! The only really newsworthy item was when Paris Hilton was charged with impaired driving!

Jesus, is my silence a sign of old age? Or senility? Or (God forbid) humility? Maybe it's just a temporary burnout, after all the view always seems so much better from the moral high ground!

Let's hope my exaggerated sense of self-righteousness has only taken a short holiday or I might not recognize myself after a few more weeks. (Me, you know.... Don Quixote!)

Humility feels strange although it should make my wife happy. She keeps saying that this is something that I could use a little more of!

Will keep you updated.

Your Humble Scribe;
Allan