Standing for nothing

The RNC is pushing a purity test for Republicans. True to form, the modern GOP has enshrined an off-the-cuff remark of St. Ronnie the Intolerant and declared that anyone who doesn't leap over at least 8 of 10 newly-created hurdles is no longer welcome at the elephant trough. You don't have to read past the preamble to confirm that the Republicans are now completely in the grip of the most extreme faction of the Beck-heads.

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies and Republican solidarity in opposition to Obama’s socialist agenda is necessary to preserve the security of our country, our economic and political freedoms, and our way of life;

The whole scorecard of Republicanism is now measured in how strongly a candidate stands against the president. How impressive is it that the long dead host of Death Valley Days is always "President Ronald Reagan" while the sitting president of the United States is simply "Obama"? This is a party not just in opposition to Democrats, but to reality.

The idea of the GOP is that this list of "principles" can serve them as the "Contract with America" did the Newt generation over a decade ago. There's a slight problem with that idea. Even assuming that Newt's baby had something to do with GOP advances back then, the Contract at least contained something to do. The Contract with America contained at least eight pieces of proposed legislation. The new purity test? None.

As with all things GOP these days, there's not a single new idea in this test. Instead, it's a test of saying no. The rules require that would-be Republicans oppose health care reform, oppose stimulus, oppose amnesty for immigrants, oppose equal rights for gays, oppose protecting the environment, oppose unions, oppose diplomatic solutions, and oppose health care reform (again). There's a tip of the hat to the NRA, but not one, not one, actual solution proposed. Apparently, being a Republican is completely a negative test. You don't have to actually do anything, you just have to agree to oppose the right things.

Still, the purity test does provide a convenient check list. You too can be accepted as a Republican if you promise to hate gays, poor people, immigrants, and the environment (which, come to think of it, has been the Republican standard for decades). Out of pure bullet-point envy, I propose that Democrats must also have their own list. Ten litmus tests which every potential Democratic candidate should be able to ace before they ever hope to put (D) after their names. In fact, I'll go so far as to be more pure than the Republicans. If you can't pass every one of these tests, don't bother to sign on.

(1) We support the rights extended to Americans extended under the Constitution. All the rights. For all Americans.

(2) We support thoughtful, pragmatic solutions that protect American lives, American standards, and American pocketbooks. This includes finding solutions that don't require bombing anyone.

(3) We support an America that has diversity in race, thought, background, and religion not out of some hazy idealism, but because it is our nation's greatest strength.

(4) We oppose torture in any form, in any place, at any time, for any reason.

(5) We support American business, and recognize that an unregulated market is an unfair market, an unstable market, and a market doomed to failure.

(6) We support American workers, and know that when workers are allowed to organize they make their jobs, their companies, and their nation stronger.

(7) We believe that the reputation of our nation is valuable and must be zealously guarded against those who place expediency ahead of law.

(8) We believe in spreading democracy and human rights to the rest of the world by vigorously upholding those ideals here at home.

(9) We believe that access to our government is not for sale. Not in the courthouse, not in the White House, and not in the legislature.

(10) We believe that the health of our planet is not a zero-sum game, not a game of "you go first," and not a game.

Not a particularly detailed set of positions, I know. But then it's not supposed to be. Unlike the GOP, we aren't short of ideas, and unlike Newt, we don't have to dream up a batch of legislation with cute names. We already have real legislation out there that meet these goals. Bills like the Employee Free Choice Act, the Clean Water Protection Act, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Affordable Health Care for America Act and many others.

But then, maybe 10 rules aren't enough. I left out the Democratic 11th commandment (thou shalt stop supporting Joe Lieberman's bigger-than-the-Snoopy-balloon-in-the-Macy's-parade-sized ego), and I'm sure I've left out plenty of others. Maybe ones that you feel are vital. What are your suggestions?

The Jawa Report: Muslim Leader Likens Women to “Piece of Meat”

The Jawa Report: Muslim Leader Likens Women to “Piece of Meat”

Health care lobbyists again eye Congress - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

Health care lobbyists again eye Congress - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

Returning to the Source

Returning to the Source

The Sons of Abraham

The only reason government exist is that it is easier to pay one master thief than every robber that comes down the road. Or so says noted historian Will Durant. Long before God got around to planting the Garden of Eden our ancestors began to gather together for safety often in caves or some other kind of natural barrier. Eight thousand years before the first evidence of writing appeared in Mesopotamia wheat was being cultivated in Syria, sheep and goats herded in Iran and pigs were domesticated in Turkey. Of course the faithful can look through this evidence and still see the illusion that we have been taught all our lives. They date the world not from scientific evidence but from their own religious writings. For instance the western world believes that Mesopotamia was the cradle of civilization because the Bible places the Garden of Eden between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. But I did not come here to argue the existence of God or other higher beings not the merits of any one religion over another because all religions are false. Now that have lost the attention of the faithful who are no doubt looking for matches let me excuse those who believe that religion proves that there is no God. because on this matter there is no proof one way or the other. I choose to live my life with no fear of punishment (hell) nor hope of reward (heaven) after death. But even if I accepted the Big Bang Theory I still have to ask the question; what created the two molecules and what made them collide? If I believe in creation it does not necessarily mean I believe it occurred in six days. It is a matter of cause and effect. Religion denies cause and effect in lu of tradition. The slightest evidence is enough for the true believer and the non believer can explain away any miracle. But I am a pragmatist and will not ignore evidence. Our ancestors began to make tools for planting and weapons for hunting in Mesopotamia by the 11th century before the Christian Era marks it's beginning. Archaeologist put homo Sabina (that's us) appearance in in Africa around 160,000 years ago. We gathered most likely as families and fought over food with other clans. Then came the day the hunter of one family meets the hunter of another family. One has meat the other only a weapon. As a matter of fact both have weapons and had government existed at that time humanity would have been inilated before it began. Perhaps a thousands times before they fought to the death. Civilization began on the day that the one who had the kill shared it with the empty handed hunter. This might be the point when they connected to something higher than themselves. Whether you believe in the talking snake or evolution, humanity began when wo/man acknowledged God. And I believe that that was when they no longer saw themselves as a predator nor a victim of the elements? Que en sabe?. At what point at our development did this occur can only be speculated. We can however follow the children of Abraham in particular and see the process from tribe to kingdom and the part religion has played.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim the same God that is the "God of Abraham" They all call Abraham father. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Issac. Ishmael by his wife's slave, because she thought that she could not bare and the other, Issac a December miracle because they were way old. According to Jewish literature Ishmael was the father of seven nations. Issac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau had seven sons making him the father of seven nations. The other son, Jacob had twelve children of his own. Jacob changed his name to Israel claiming he had wrestled all night with God became the beginning of the tribe of Israel. After escaping from slavery in Egypt the tribe calling themselves Israelites became a nation.Israel which consisted of twelve tribes split into the northern kingdom consisting of ten tribes who called themselves Isrealites their capital was Samaria. The other two tribes of Benjamin and Judah who called themselves Judea, their capital was Jerusalem and their king Jeroboam the son of Salomon. Rehoboam king of Israel was afraid that if his people we to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple that they side with Jeroboam in his efforts to restore the nation that had been established by his grand father, King David The Temple was built by his father Solomon who in his time was the richest and most powerful king in the region. David was not the first king of the Israelites but he was the first to unite all twelve tribes. Saul was able only to unite the in the times of war. David, though a benevolent king reigned through terror. He devised for his enemies the most brutal form on death every know to man before nor since and that was crucifiction. It is ironic because Jesus would have to be a direct decedent of David if he were the messiah died by this method. David defeated his enemies and was able to turn the kingdom over to his bastard son Solomon who built the Temple and oppressed the 10 northern tribes because the were decedents Leiah or of slaves.
Israel was captured by Assyria who dispersed them throughout the Assyrian Empire and resettled other captured nations among them so that would not revolt. Assyria was captured by Babylonia who later captured Judea. They carried the strongest and brightest back to Babylon. Seventy years later Cyprus of Persia conquered Babylonia and freed a people now know as the Jews taken from the name Judea. Persia was subsequently conquered by Alexander the Great of the Grecian Empire . The Greeks considered themselves the only civilized people in the world but embraced every religion. Alexander had the Hebrew text translated into Greek, it is called the Subsequent . When Alexander died the empire divided into three kingdoms that warred against each other. It was during this period that the Maccabees named after the family known by that name revolted and set a up theocracy.

In less than a generation Rome conquered the entire region establishing the Roman Empire. Rome renamed the Greek gods and established the religion that we today call Roman Mythology. They were tolerant of all religions and gave a certain amount of anatomy to conquered nations regarding their religious beliefs and laws. Rome however held for themselves the right to collect taxes, the building of infrastructures,other architecture, maintenance of an army and the power of life and death. The Hebrew people, the Jews were the only captured nation to continually resist Roman occupation. They believed that one day their God would send a messiah (meaning anointed one) to save them and set up a theocracy ruled by them as his proxy.. It was during time that Jesus came upon the scene proclaiming to be that messiah. After being turned over to the Romans by the leaders of the Jewish religion he was put to death by crucifiction, the name given to the method of punishment introduced by King David when he formed the twelve tribes of Israel into a nation. His followers proclaiming that he had risen from the dead began to call themselves Christians (Greek for anointed ones). Our present calender divides history according to the time that he was believed to be born called AD (from the Latin meaning the year of our Lord) and BC (before Christ).Or as of late CE meaning either common or Christian era and BCE meaning before the CE. They however did not leave the Jewish temple worship. The Christians violated a Roman law against spreading their religion and proclaiming that Jesus was greater than Caesar. In 60 AD the emperor Nero on the behest of Roman priest began the first persecution of Christians by burning Rome and blaming them. Subsequently they were persecuted throughout the Empire to one degree or another. Most Romans did not know the difference between Christians and Jews so persecuted both.

In 71 AD Titus tired of the rebellious Jews destroyed Jerusalem their capital and the temple a symbol of their beliefs and scattered the Jews through the region forbidding them from returning to Jerusalem. It began again in 90AD when Diocese established Roman religion as the only religion in the Empire declaring other religions false.Words like mythology and cult might have been used to describe them. The Christians went into hiding and began to establish home churches. Each had it's own doctrines and literature concerning Jesus. There were also churches who followed the teachings of different deciples of Jesus and even John the Baptist, Jesus cousin. All of them had one message in common and that was that Jesus rose from the dead. What each group believed that meant became the doctrine of that church. After the death of Diosoniees Christians were persecuted in various parts of the Empire but never again to that extent. By the middle of the second century they begin to build cathedrials in most parts of the Empire. In 135 after yet another messiah,Simion bar Kokba led the final Jewish revolt they were banished from the land it was renamed Palstine.

In the 4th century Constantine in order to save a crumbling empire divided into waring factions converted to Christianity, claiming to win a major battle after seeing a cross in the sky. By the epileptic of Malia 313 he legalized Christianity. He offered every soldier thirty pieces of silver and a white robe with a Cross on it to convert to Christianity. Other religions were permitted. In order to unite the different churches he convened the council of Nicaean 320AD. He moved the capital from Rome to what is now Istanbul and names it after himself. The Nicsen Council failed to unite Christians because of the fight over the nature of Jesus. One side said that he was said that Jesus was a man who received the holy spirit when baptized by John in the Jordan river. The other proclaimed him to be very God of very God. The split is know in history as the great schism.
The Christianity split between Eastern Orthodox in Constanta noble and Roman Catholic Both ruled by Constantine from what would become the Byzantine Empire. The church in Rome was overseen by popes, called the Vicar of Rome, appointed by him. Under his son Constantine II the church again split into two additional factions. The church in Constantinople calling themselves Greek Orthodox who using the Gospel of John the first of the four gospels proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God who died for the sins of man. The other was the church of Alexandria in Egypt where Christianity was meshed with Egyptian teaching said that God was a spirit chanted Jesus. After the death of Constantine II Claudius Julian outlawed Christianity burned all their writings took all their processions and declared them not to be Roman citizens. He died, it was rumored that he was poisoned, after only ten years in 360AD.

It was not until the second Nicene Council in 389 was Christianity made the national religion and the first New Testament was introduced by Theodosius. It consisted of three gospels,Mark,Mathew and John, the three epistles to the Corinthians, to the Romans, Two letters from Peter, three from John, James and Jude. one to the Thessalonian, the Ephesians, Philippians and a sermon called "To the Hebrews". The council abolished any other religion including the churches in Alexander and Egypt. However he neither had the power nor the resources to enforce his ruling except in Constantinople and Rome. The council declared Easter, a pagan holiday over the Jewish Passover (still celebrated by Christians) as the day that Jesus rose from the dead. The pagan holiday of the winter solstice as the birth of Jesus. It would be another 300 years before Islam was born out of the teachings of Mohammad. But just the facts please. The Old Testament was compiled on orders of Alexander the Great in 333 (bce)and edited by Ogerin in the second century. The earliest text of the Christian Bible were complied by Jerome in the fifth century. Though the writings of Mohammad were first complied in the sixth century it would be tenth before the first copy of the Koran saw light.

Sex clause cut from Afghan marriage law - Afghanistan- msnbc.com

Sex clause cut from Afghan marriage law - Afghanistan- msnbc.com

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