More On The Madness Of Muslims: The Butchers Of Boko Haram

Cross posted @ the Atheist Oasis

We are now in the 21st century: all books, including the Koran, should be fair game for flushing down the toilet without fear of violent reprisal. - Sam Harris

Those mad dogs are at it again:

Boko Haram emerges as brutal Islamic State of Africa

(RNS) Boko Haram, with its chilling brutality, radical Islamic ideology and unstoppable seizure of Nigerian territory is quickly emerging as the Islamic State of Africa.

While much of the world has focused on the terror attacks in Paris and the Islamic militants’ capture of swaths of Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram has gone on a bloody rampage through northeastern Nigeria.

Human rights groups have sounded alarms about the al-Qaeda-linked organization’s recent brutality: the slaughter of up to 2,000 people in the Nigerian towns of Baga and Doron Baga on Jan. 3 and the subsequent strapping of explosives on girls as young as 10 to detonate in public places. The unchecked rampage is affecting the looming presidential elections now weeks away and propelling a 72-year-old iron-fisted general, Muhammadu Buhari, back into the race.

Boko Haram first gained international notoriety for its savagery in April 2014, when it abducted 276 girls from a boarding school in Chibok and threatened to sell them as wives and sex slaves. The “bring back our girls” movement began with Nigerian village women demanding government action and grew into a worldwide rallying cry, with participants that included first lady Michelle Obama. Some of the girls later escaped but the fate of remaining captives is unknown.

In addition to its ruthless tactics, Boko Haram, echoes the Islamic State in its aspiration to create a “caliphate” across national borders by crossing into neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. On Jan. 12, its fighters seized the Cameroonian border town of Kolofata. Cameroon’s government said its forces killed 143 militants.

And like Iraq’s military setbacks against the Islamic State, Nigerian government troops seem weak and incapable of stopping Boko Haram from becoming a growing danger to Africa’s most populous country and the world’s 10th largest oil exporter.

“The United States needs to recognize we have a problem that’s second only to the problem we have with ISIS (Islamic State),” said J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa program at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. “We have a group holding territory and shooting down jet fighters. … If Nigeria collapses — it is the strong state in the region — there are no strong states to contain what would happen if Boko Haram succeeds in carving out an Islamic state in that area.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the Africa subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says Boko Haram is “as close to a carbon copy (of the Islamic State) as can be,” and the U.S. response to combat the two groups has also been similarly slow.

What’s needed, now, Smith said, is for President Obama to call Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and insist on the need for the U.S. military to train Nigerian troops to stop the movement.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told CNN  that the U.S. is “actively working with the Nigerians,” but added that “they need to step up,” move forward with elections slated for Feb. 14, and not let terrorists “use elections as a wedge between the government and its people.”

A week after the massacre occurred in Baga, groups that included Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reported it. On Jan. 3, the town was razed and its inhabitants killed as they hid in the surrounding scrubland. More than 3,700 structures were damaged or destroyed, according to satellite imagery before and after the attack, according to Amnesty International.

A week later, Boko Haram strapped explosives to three girls about 10 years old and detonated them in a market in Maiduguri and in a mobile phone store in Potiskum, killing about 22 people in total, the groups reported.

President Jonathan, who previously sent 20,000 troops armed with tanks and aircraft to the country’s northeast, has said little about the Baga attack. One of his aides, Doyin Okupe, questioned the reported death toll.

Gbara Awanen, the head political minister at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, told USA Today only the ambassador is authorized to speak to the media. And Ambassador Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye was traveling and unavailable, Awanen said.

Boko Haram, who’s name means “Western education is forbidden,” seeks to replace the Nigerian state with its own radical interpretation of Islam and now controls up to 20 percent of Nigerian territory.

Nigeria’s government has yet to accept large-scale international assistance to deal with the problem, said John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to the country.

The parallel to the Islamic State is limited by the fact that Boko Haram has not expressed a desire to become a global caliphate, Campbell noted.

Adotei Akwei, managing director of government relations at the rights group Amnesty International USA, said Boko Haram also lacks the governing skills demonstrated by the Islamic State in some of the territory it holds, although residents under its domination in parts of Iraq and Syria have complained about poor services and disorganized government.

Despite the international clamor over the kidnapped girls, the Nigerian government has had no success rescuing the 219 still missing, and local media have exposed weaknesses in the nation’s military that include soldiers refusing to fight and mutinies.

On Jan. 3, Nigeria canceled a U.S. counterinsurgency training mission, according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.

Nigeria has generally rejected offers of assistance from Britain and the United States “because of the conditions that come with such assistance,” said Akwei.

U.S. law prohibits U.S. military assistance to countries that commit human rights abuses. The Nigerian military’s operations against Boko Haram have resulted in multiple allegations of illegal killings and detentions of suspected Boko Haram members reported by rights groups such as Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, according to the State Department. Nigerian officials have rejected those claims as “fabrications,” Akwei said.

National pride also seems to be a factor, he said.

“The Nigerians have always felt themselves more capable and big enough and strong enough to take care of their own crises,” Akwei said.

Yet the country still has no cohesive military strategy to turn the tide and protect the population, he said. “It’s not the way a state functions if it hopes to survive, unless it’s unaware of the gravity of the threat.”

A bunch of rabid, xenophobic extremists? Who strap bombs to little girls? Sell children into slavery? Slaughter and raze entire villages? Someone needs to track these monsters down, and put a bullet in each one of their heads. And don’t give me that liberal crap about ‘all life being sacred’ – that only works if both sides agree to it.

An old saying goes something like this: “Neurotics build castles in the sky, psychotics live in them.” In this case, this particular band of savages are trying to build a glass caliphate by throwing stones.

Till the next post then.

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End Of Days? And The Bleat Goes On…

Cross posted @ the Atheist Oasis
Frankly, I’m surprised that his handlers let him off his leash.

George W. Bush to Raise Money for Group That Converts Jews to Bring About Second Coming of Christ

Next week, former President George W. Bush is scheduled to keynote a fundraiser in Irving, Texas, for the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute, a group that trains people in the United States, Israel, and around the world to convince Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah. The organization's goal: to "restore" Israel and the Jews and bring about about the second coming of Christ.

Messianic Jews have long been controversial for Jews of all major denominations, who object to their proselytizing efforts and their message that salvation by Jesus is consistent with Jewish theology. Last year, Abraham Foxman, president of the Anti-Defamation League, told Politico that former Sen. Rick Santorum's appearance at an event hosted by another Messianic Jewish organization, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, was "insensitive and offensive." And Commentary magazine, which bills itself as a "conservative American journal of politics, Judaism, social and cultural issues," noted, "it must be understood that the visceral distaste that the overwhelming majority of Jews have for the Messianics is not to be taken lightly." Many Messianic Jews are Christians who have adopted aspects of Jewish ritual observance; others are Jews who share the Christian belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

Asked about Bush's upcoming appearance at the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute (MJBI) event, Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said, "It's disappointing that he would give his stamp of approval to a group whose program is an express effort to convert Jews and not to accept the validity of the Jewish covenant." Foxman was traveling overseas and unavailable to comment.

(After this story published, Rabbi David Wolpe of Los Angeles' Sinai Temple, whom Newsweek has called the most influential rabbi in the country, tweeted, "This is infuriating." On Monday, he published a story in Forward on the subject, writing, "the sudden rise of ‘Messianic Jews’ owes more to a clever way of misleading untutored Jews than to making theological sense. It should not receive the imprimatur of a former President of the United States.")

Based in Dallas, the MJBI claims that it acts like the Apostle Paul in helping to "educate Christians in their role to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy and thus save some of them (Romans 11:11-14)." It has Bible schools in 12 countries, an online school of "Messianic theology," and programs to train Messianic rabbis and pastors. Its logos feature a star of David and a menorah, and its website promotes the weekly Torah portion, a "Yiddish Mama's Kitchen," and links to purchase Judaica and books, such as Christ in the Old Testament. The nonprofit organization brought in approximately $1.2 million in revenue in 2011, the last year for which records are available.

At the November 14 event, which will be held at the Irving Convention Center, Bush will discuss his White House experiences, according to promotional materials. Bush, the group says, will "share his passion for setting people free." Last year, Glenn Beck was the star of the group's fundraiser, which was held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

This year's event is designed to bring in funds for the group's proselytizing operations. And the former president is helping out with more than just speech-making. The most expensive of the ticket packages, which range from $100 to $100,000, includes 20 invitations to a VIP reception and photo opportunity with Bush, 10 signed copies of Bush's book Decision Points, and passes to tour the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Alisa Stephenson, MJBI director of events and partner relations, would not say whether Bush is receiving a speaking fee for his appearance. "We cannot have any outside advertising or any media whatsoever involved in this, so I most likely cannot answer any of your questions," she tells Mother Jones.

At last year’s MJBI fundraiser, Beck received a "Defender of Israel" award. During Beck's time as host of his Fox News program (which ended in 2011), hundreds of Jewish leaders denounced his on-air rhetoric as anti-Semitic—particularly his repeated invocation of Nazis and the Holocaust to demonize political adversaries and his accusation that George Soros is a "puppet master" who collaborated with the Nazis. "One of the reasons why I love Israel so much is I'm a guy who's for the underdog," Beck told the audience. "I'm a Mormon, which is kind of the Jew of the Christian world."

Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas, which Beck attends, introduced Beck as a "prophet" at the event. Morris told the crowd that his church has supported MJBI because "when we do this, the Bible tells us, it's going to change the whole world. That it's going to hasten the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's going to bring about worldwide revival."

When asked how the MJBI managed to secure Bush to keynote its fundraiser, Stephenson cited its track record of drawing influential speakers, pointing to the appearance by Beck.

At last year's event, members of the MJBI's board of directors explained the organization's mission of converting Jews to an audience of hundreds who were seated on a professional football field, wearing formal clothes, and eating pork barbecue. Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, a leading Messianic Jew and televangelist who chairs MJBI's board of directors, maintained that "our numbers are growing and growing," because "the Bible predicted that the day would come when the blindness would come off the eyes of the people it all began with." He was referring to Jews. The Bible, Bernis continued, "tells us that the day will come when all of Israel will be saved." The MJBI, Bernis said, "is one of the ministries that God has raised up to bring that to pass." Other featured speakers last year included David Barton, the religious right's discredited "historian," who this week used Beck's radio show to announce that he won't challenge Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in next year's Republican Senate primary.

Another MJBI board member, Rabbi Marty Waldman of Baruch HaShem, a Messianic congregation in Dallas, described his own conversion experience before making a pitch to the audience to donate money to MJBI. Money, he explained, is needed to hasten the return of Jesus. With the funds it collects, Waldman said, MJBI trains "people to preach the good news of the Messiah to the Jewish people." That's important, Waldman noted, because when there are "enough" Jewish people who call Jesus their savior, "some sort of a trigger will go off in heaven, and our father in heaven will say, 'Okay, son, it's time to get your bride.'"

Even if these nimrods get their wish, and every Jewish person on earth starts hollering ‘Jebus is the Meshach’, I can guarantee the same thing will happen that happens every day: nothing. From sea to shining sea, life will go on as if no momentous event has occurred. Because it didn’t. And it never will.

And seriously, if these clowns wanted to get any kind of intellectual props, they lost it by bringing on Glenn ‘Dreck’, and actually stooping to have the former Commander-In-Thief come by and spew his usual version of glossalia all over the place.

There won’t be a Second Coming. Hell, nobody’s going to even be breathing heavy. Of course, religions are great at the anticlimax thing. All foreplay, and no release.

Till the next post, then.

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Pakistan–A Country Divided, Not United, By The Madness Of Muslim

Cross posted @ the Atheist Oasis

War of holy principles
I'm seeking God's help in your destruction
Slit the throat of heathen man
And let his blood dilute the water
Bury your dead – Slayer, “Jihad”

What bedlam is Islam. Must the world be awash in the blood of innocents before these lunatics are stopped? Will the megalomaniacs, deluded into grandiose fantasies, be allowed to ride roughshod over civilization as the bones of innocents are trampled into shards by their ideological steeds?

Pakistan militants killed 2,500 in 2010, report says

More than 2,500 people were killed in militant attacks in Pakistan in 2010, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

Nearly half of victims were civilians killed in suicide blasts. There were 67 such attacks last year, the group said.

The report also said at least 900 people had been killed in US drone strikes during the same period.

For those of you who are unaware, the US is apparently attacking Pakistan on a regular basis. As horrible as that is, it’s a weak-ass excuse:

The number of people killed by the army is not mentioned, but it estimated to be in the region of 600-700.

Pakistani troops are battling insurgents across the north-west. Many of those it has killed are believed to be militants, but civilian lives have been lost too.

The HRCP is the main human rights watchdog in the country. Its findings are often disputed by the authorities, the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Karachi says.

The group's findings show a rise in the numbers being killed in Pakistan's conflict.

BBC research published last July suggested 1,713 people had been killed by militants over the preceding 18 months, while 746 people had died in drone attacks during the same period.

Still not a good enough excuse.

'Increasing intolerance'

The HRCP released its data in its annual report on the state of human rights and security in Pakistan between January and December 2010.

"Pakistan's biggest problem continues to be violence carried out militants," HRCP chairman Mehdi Hasan said.

To no one’s great surprise.

"In 2010, 67 suicide attacks were carried out across the country in which 1,169 people were killed," he said. "At least 1,000 of those were civilians."

This scattergun approach indicates that not only are these people crazy, they have piss poor aim too.

Dr Hasan said that in all 2,542 people had been killed in militant attacks in the country last year.

Nobody seems to be able to agree on the numbers, except that it’s well over a thousand.

He said the most glaring example of government oversight had been in Balochistan province, where targeted killings shot up rapidly with 118 people being killed in 2010.

Dr Hasan said the figure was set to increase in 2011, as the government seemed unconcerned about the unravelling of the law and order situation in Balochistan.

Follow the link, and you’ll find that Balochistan has been in constant turmoil due to…drum roll please…religious wars. Can’t even put an exclamation mark on it, anymore. It’s common place.

The HRCP report also spoke about increasing intolerance against religious minorities in the country.

It said 99 members of the Ahmedi (Qadiani) sect had been killed in attacks in 2010, while 64 people had been charged under the country's blasphemy law.

For more on the Ahmedi (Qadiani):

Ahmadiyya (Arabic: أحمدية‎;Urdu: احمدِیہ) is an Islamic religious movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as predicted in the traditions of various world religions and bring about the final triumph of Islam as per Islamic prophecy. He claimed that he was the Mujaddid (divine reformer) of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah and Mahdi awaited by Muslims. The adherents of the Ahmadiyya sect are referred to as Ahmadis or Ahmadi Muslims. Ahmadi emphasis lay in the belief that Islam is the final law for humanity as revealed to Muhammad and the necessity of restoring to it its true essence and pristine form, which had been lost through the centuries. Thus, Ahmadis view themselves as leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam.The Ahmadis were among the earliest Muslim communities to arrive in Britain and other Western countries.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the movement on 23 March 1889 and termed it the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (community), envisioning it to be a revitalisation of Islam. Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims and claim to practice Islam in its pristine form; however, Ahmadiyya views on certain beliefs in Islam have been controversial to mainstream Muslims since the movement’s birth. Many mainstream Muslims do not consider Ahmadis to be Muslims, citing in particular the Ahmadiyya viewpoint on the death and return of Jesus (see Jesus in Islam), the Ahmadiyya concept of Jihad in a peaceful format and the community’s view of the finality of prophethood with particular reference to the interpretation of Qur'an 33:40. In several Islamic countries today Ahmadis have been marginalised by the majority religious community; severe persecution and often systematic oppression have led many Ahmadis to emigrate and settle elsewhere.

And of course, the reason even the crazies think that these people are crazier still:

• That the prophecies concerning the second coming of Jesus were metaphorical in nature and not literal, and that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad fulfilled in his person these prophecies and the second advent of Jesus, that he was the promised Mahdi and Messiah.
• The continuation of divine revelation. Although the Qur'an is the final message of God for mankind, He continues to communicate with his chosen individuals in the same way he is believed to have done in the past. All of God's attributes are eternal.
• That Jesus, contrary to mainstream Islamic belief, was crucified and survived the four hours on the cross. He was later revived from a swoon in the tomb. Ahmadis believe that Jesus died in Kashmir of old age whilst seeking the Lost Tribes of Israel. Jesus’ remains are believed to be entombed in Kashmir under the name Yuz Asaf. Ahmadis believe that Jesus foretold the coming of Muhammad after him, which Christians have misinterpreted.
• That Jesus Christ did not bring a new religion or law, i.e., that he was not a law-bearing prophet, but was last in the line of Israelite prophets who appeared within the dispensation of Moses akin to that of David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.
• That the “Messiah” and the “Imam Mahdi” are the same person, and that it is through his teachings, influence, his prayers and those of his followers that Islam will defeat the Anti-Christ or Dajjal in a period similar to the period of time it took for nascent Christianity to rise (see also: Ahmadiyya relationship with Christianity) and that the Dajjal's power will slowly melt away like the melting of snow, heralding the final victory of Islam and the age of peace.
• That the history of religion is cyclic and is renewed every seven millennia. The present cycle from the time of the Biblical Adam is split into seven epochs or ages, parallel to the seven days of the week, with periods for light and darkness. That Mirza Ghulam Ahmad appeared as the Promised Messiah at the sixth epoch heralding the seventh and final age of mankind, as a day in the estimation of God is like a thousand years of man's reckoning.^{[Qur'an 22:47][31]} According to Ghulam Ahmad, just as the sixth day of the week is reserved for Jumu'ah (congregational prayers), likewise his age is destined for a global assembling of mankind in which the world is to unite under one universal religion: Islam.
• The two Ahmadiyya groups have varying beliefs regarding the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that Muhammad brought prophethood to perfection and was the last law-bearing prophet and the apex of man’s spiritual evolution. New prophets can come but they must be subordinate to Muhammad and cannot exceed him in excellence nor alter his teaching or bring any new law or religion. The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement believes that Muhammad is the last of the prophets and no prophet, new or old, can come after him.

Need I deconstruct this? Nah – res ipsa loquitor. When it boils down to Rodney King’s“can’t we all get along?” refrain – obviously we can’t. We’re trying…but the religious nuts keep flummoxing it up.

How much more evidence does the world require, then? Proof that religion is poison is everywhere, that chasing the afterlife allows the insane to slaughter the innocents, because obviously that great cosmic babysitter in the sky has been and is out indefinitely on an extended break that’s lasted…since time began.

Till the next post, then.

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Discerning The Anti-Semite – Signs And Portents

This is a great video, frankenspliced to portray crazy Mel as an anti-Semite.

It’s no secret that I support Israel (and, I suspect, it’s likely the reason I lose people off the feedburner that shows how many people subscribe to my blog, but I’ve been wrong in the past). But I’ve noticed tip-offs when someone on a blog comments about Israel and/or Jews. Patterns emerge. It usually goes a little something like this:

1. Generalized derogatory comments on Jewry. They can be subtler hints, like “I think that there is no doubt that there are many american citizens that have greater loyality to Israel than the US.” (My subsequent challenge to that assertion consisted of getting absolutely no evidence other than the assertion, I might add). Then there are more flagrant commentaries like “If for whatever reason, the USA entered into military conflict with the foreign nation Israel, could we count on all the Jews in the US military to support and not sabotage the operation?” I have seen some truly idiotic and despicable comments that state that ‘Jews are over-represented in Hollywood’. You ken me drift, I think.

2. Usually, I point out that Jews are a race and an ethnicity, not just a religion. Don’t believe me? Look it up. Without exception, I hear this: “You can convert to Judaism, that makes you a Jew, so you’re WRONG.” Never mind that if your mother’s a Jew, you’re born a Jew. This is pretty much a false dichotomy: there’s more than one way to be a ‘member’.

3. Entering into discussion with these folks and calling shenanigans usually ends up degenerating into a pissing contest. I get accused of being brain damaged, rabid Zionism, and other ridiculous nonsense. Even of not being a ‘True Atheist™’

4. Usually this devolves even more into ridiculous comparisons: Israel commits genocide, accusations of apartheid, comparisons to Nazi Germany (that last part should Godwin a thread, but doesn’t, as the clown is usually building up some lather).

Now, as a qualifier, some people go directly to number 4. Once upon a time, I was one of those folks. And someone challenged me on it. So I did the research. I’ve other posts on the subject, so before you take a swing at me, do a little reading up. I have valid reasons for ‘switching sides’.

One of the issues you’d imagine I’d have as an atheist, is this: they started the whole shebang, the whole monotheistic trinity of nonsense we have to endure and combat in the name of reason and rationality. More correctly, their ancestors did that, and I’m not a big fan of children inheriting the ‘sins’ of their fathers folderol. The other fact of the matter, is that aside from the latest problems occurring in Israel, Jews aren’t in the news. Or rather, they’re more sporadically in the news – outside say, the Madoff scandal, the contrast of bad press from either Islam or Christianity (or the variants thereof) outnumber the bad press from Judaism by at least 20 to 1 (that’s a guessed margin – feel free to correct me).

Have no doubt, I’m firmly against religion. As Einstein so succinctly put it, "the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions." My major beef is that folks (especially on the left) indulge themselves in (sometimes unknowingly) distinctly racist (yes, Jewish is a race) scapegoating, which I might add, is a religious practice, and one that should be tossed in the garbage with all the Talmuds, Korans, and bibbles. I do have a sort of empathy for them as a people, because I’m fairly sure no other group gets blamed for so much on so little evidence, and anti-Semitism is an evil Christian legacy that atheists should not espouse.

Make of that what you will.

L’Chaim.

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Allegories Gone Wild – Superiority Is Only Skin Deep…

Cross posted @ God Is 4 Suckers!

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.  - Ezra 9:2

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: – Deuteronomy 23-3

Of the myriad metaphorical monsters spewed forth from the womb of that old whore Christianity, there are few that are quite as odious or repugnant as the concept of the ‘holy race’. There can be no viler concept than that of race trumping rights, no greater kindling for the flames of xenophobia, no more irrational excuse for bloodletting and the horrific crime of subjugating one’s fellow man (or woman) than that worst of crimes, racism.

A major dominionist sect named Christian Identity are a group of mental pygmies who envision themselves (representing the white race) as a ‘holy race’:

The term "Christian Identity" has two distinct meanings:

Anglo-Israelism (a.k.a. British-Israelism): A theological belief that the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Scandinavian, Germanic and associated cultures are the racial descendents of the tribes of Israel. Thus, by extension, Americans and Canadians, are composed of the descendents of the ancient Israelites of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).

Racist, Christian-based faith groups: A number of small, extremely conservative Fundamentalist Christian denominations which have accepted Anglo-Israelism, and grafted it to racist, sexist, anti-communist and homophobic beliefs. They view the Jewish people as descendants of Satan. Followers tend to be involved in political movements opposing gun control, equal rights to gays and lesbians, and militia movements.

It is this sort of madness that makes me so virulently anti-bibble.

History:

The Christian Identity movement is a movement of many extremely conservative Christian churches and religious organizations, extreme right wing political groups and survival groups. Some are independent; others are loosely interconnected. According to Professor Michael Barkun, one of the leading experts in the Christian Identity movement, "This virulent racist and anti-Semitic theology, which is practiced by over 50,000 people in the United States alone, is prevalent among many right wing extremist groups and has been called the 'glue' of the racist right."

What is truly brain-dead, is the fact that they owe their ‘theology’ to actual ancient Semites, specifically the Israelites.

The largest Christian Identity movement has traditionally been the Ku Klux Klan which was reorganized in 1915 by William Simmons, a Christian pastor. He had been inspired by the film The Birth of a Nation which portrayed the KKK as a champion of white civilization. The KKK slid into obscurity by the second World War, but was revitalized in the mid 1950's as a reaction to enforced racial integration in the southern US.

That the CI is connected to the genetic rubbish of the pinheads of KKK is of no surprise.

And yes, the FBI has files on these people. A simple scan is enough to curdle the blood:

Quoting the FBI's Megiddo Report on domestic terrorism:

"Wesley Swift is considered the single most significant figure in the early years of the Christian Identity movement in the United States. He popularized it in the right-wing by 'combining British-Israelism, a demonic anti-Semitism, and political extremism.'  He founded his own church in California in the mid 1940s where he could preach this ideology. In addition, he had a daily radio broadcast in California during the 1950s and 60s, through which he was able to proclaim his ideology to a large audience. With Swift’s efforts, the message of his church spread, leading to the creation of similar churches throughout the country. In 1957, the name of his church was changed to The Church of Jesus Christ Christian, which is used today by Aryan Nations (AN) churches."

Such is the price of free speech – it does not guarantee lucidity of mind.

"One of Swift’s associates, William Potter Gale, was far more militant than Swift and brought a new element to Christian Identity churches. He became a leading figure in the anti-tax and paramilitary movements of the 1970s and 80s. There are numerous Christian Identity churches that preach similar messages and some espouse more violent rhetoric than others, but all hold fast to the belief that Aryans are God’s chosen race."

Other current organizations which follow Christian Identity beliefs are: American Nazi Party; Aryan Nations; Church of Jesus Christ Christian, Aryan Nations; Confederate Hammerskins; Jubilee, National Association for the Advancement of White People; The Order; radical modern offshoots of the original Posse Comitatus; Scriptures for America, White Aryan Resistance (WAR) and White Separatist Banner. Many small groups fade in and out of existence frequently.

There is no doubt that these folks would gladly espouse dominionism. And of course, like all crazed cultists, they too embrace an ‘Armageddon’:

"Christian Identity also believes in the inevitability of the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ. It is believed that these events are part of a cleansing process that is needed before Christ’s kingdom can be established on earth. During this time, Jews and their allies will attempt to destroy the white race using any means available. The result will be a violent and bloody struggle -- a war, in effect -- between God’s forces, the white race, and the forces of evil, the Jews and nonwhites. Significantly, many adherents believe that this will be tied into the coming of the new millennium."

(Points finger to head, rotating index finger, whistling.)

"The view of what Armageddon will be varies among Christian Identity believers. Some contend there will be a race war in which millions will die; others believe that the United Nations, backed by Jewish representatives of the anti-Christ, will take over the country and promote a New World Order. One Christian Identity interpretation is that white Christians have been chosen to watch for signs of the impending war in order to warn others. They are to then physically struggle with the forces of evil against sin and other violations of God’s law (i.e., race-mixing and internationalism); many will perish, and some of God’s chosen will be forced to wear the Mark of the Beast to participate in business and commerce. After the final battle is ended and God’s kingdom is established on earth, only then will the Aryan people be recognized as the one and true Israel."

As this will never happen, it’s easy to see how this sort of group dynamic becomes a powder-keg.

"Christian Identity adherents believe that God will use his chosen race as his weapons to battle the forces of evil. Christian Identity followers believe they are among those chosen by God to wage this battle during Armageddon and they will be the last line of defense for the white race and Christian America. To prepare for these events, they engage in survivalist and paramilitary training, storing foodstuffs and supplies, and caching weapons and ammunition. They often reside on compounds located in remote areas."

What is even more frightening, is that like-minded zealots have been forming ties – the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that. For some more eye-popping rhetoric:

"We are going to build the Kingdom of our God on this continent if we have to turn it into a Bosnia first! Death may find you in front of your one-eyed church of Satan or in the filthy bingo parlors where you worship your devil god, but be sure that you will not escape the consuming fire that is the real baptism of the Holy Ghost, The God of Racial Israel.

‘One-eyed church’? Or more to the stupidity – BINGO PARLORS?!? Are you kidding me?

That an evolutionary by-product, perceiving the different as dangerous, has become so twisted into xenophobic hatred, is heart-breaking.

And that this sort of mental rabidity still flourishes, is a sad testament to what little progress we as a species has made. It enrages the hearts of those of us cursed with empathy, it belittles the dignity of Man, it smears the monuments of progress with offal, it threatens to benight us with the ignorance of mental rubbish.

It is to weep.

Till the next post, then.

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Recent Israeli Demographics

More signs that Israel’s not the big fucking boogeyman the Left wing guano bats claim it is:

Study: 51% of Israelis secular

Three months after indicating only 20% of Israelis are secular, Israel Democracy Institute reports new data stating 50% of Israelis are secular, 30% are traditional and 19% Orthodox or haredi

Its previous study caused bonafide uproar. Religious Jews rejoiced, secular Jews were offended, and even Yair Lapid was called in to assure secular Jews that “they are not vanishing just yet”. Now, however, it appears that this was truly much ado about nothing.

Three months ago, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) released its annual Democracy Index, which revealed a marked decline in the number of Israelis that define themselves as secular, and had indicated that only 20% of the Israeli population can be regarded as secular in its religious beliefs.

Research study conducted by Israel Democracy Institute reveals percentage of seculars has dropped by 50% in past 30 years. Ashkenazi academics less observant than others; there are hardly any Sephardim who define themselves 'secular.' And how does religious affiliation affect political opinions?

This represented a new “low” for Israel’s secular population, which had seemingly declined from 41% in 1973 to 20% in 2007.

On Sunday, however, the IDI’s Guttman Institute released new survey data revealing very different figures, and indicating that Israel’s secular Jews constitute roughly half of the country’s population. The discrepancy between the two studies, researchers maintained, was due in large part to a misinterpretation of earlier survey data.

A message on the IDI’s website stated that “The 2008 Israel Democracy Index uncovered the following breakdown of Israel’s population: 51% of Israelis are secular, 30% traditional, 10% Orthodox, and 9% haredi. We are sorry for any misunderstanding stemming from earlier data which might have conveyed the wrong impression.”

The Guttman institute also maintained that its newly released data is virtually identical to survey data obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics, which indicated that 44% of Israelis are secular, 25% are traditional but not religious, 14% are traditional and religious, 10% are Orthodox and 7% are haredi.

I find that interesting, as Iran has had an Islamic hardcore component in its government since the Shaw got booted.

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The Illogic of Anti-Zionism - How The Liberal Leftie Atheists Have No Legs

I think I've made this fairly clear in the past: I am Pro-Israel. I feel that not only is anti-Israel sentiment a hold-over of a Christian meme, there is no, I repeat NO conflict between my non-belief and support of Israel, and furthermore, I have solid valid reasons for supporting that country.

I am currently engaged in a(nother!) pissing contest at the Nogodblog.

In the past, I've striven to have logical, consistent debates on the topic. I have endeavored to answer any and all objections without resorting to the usual schoolyard tactics ('hey shithead, yer mamma!' that sorta thing). Usually, it ends badly, mostly because there's only so many times I can wring the piss out of my shoes before I lose my temper.

So, without resorting to any logical fallacies whatsoever, I will expound on two (yes, two! Only two! I am also striving to be less logorrheic, yay!) simple principles that should convince the less stubborn of the illogic of it all.

Point number one: moral relativism. By it's very definition, as follows:

Philosophical view that what is right or wrong and good or bad is not absolute but variable and relative, depending on the person, circumstances, or social situation. Rather than claiming that an action's rightness or wrongness can depend on the circumstances, or that people's beliefs about right and wrong are relative to their social conditioning, it claims (in one common form) that what is truly right depends solely on what the individual or the society thinks is right. Because what people think will vary with time and place, what is right will also vary. If, however, changing and even conflicting moral principles are equally valid, there is apparently no objective way of justifying any principle as valid for all people and all societies. This conclusion is rejected by consequentialists (see consequentialism) and deontologists (see deontological ethics) alike.

As I have stated in the past, I've pretty much chucked moral relativism in the trash. If this is your particular -ism, then you can simply restrict your trenchant criticisms to the society and environment you find yourself in. Of course, you can tailor this definition to suit your needs, but then it becomes dangerously close to Loki's Wager, so best to be careful on this one. It's thin ice.

Point number two: the Is/Ought problem. For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, it is as follows;

In meta-ethics, the is-ought problem was raised by David Hume (Scottish philosopher and historian, 1711–1776), who noted that many writers make claims about what ought to be on the basis of statements about what is. However, there seems to be a significant difference between descriptive statements (about what is) and prescriptive statements (about what ought to be).

Hume discusses the problem in book III, part I, section I of his A Treatise of Human Nature:

“In every system of morality, which I have hitherto met with, I have always remark'd, that the author proceeds for some time in the ordinary ways of reasoning, and establishes the being of a God, or makes observations concerning human affairs; when all of a sudden I am surpriz'd to find, that instead of the usual copulations of propositions, is, and is not, I meet with no proposition that is not connected with an ought, or an ought not. This change is imperceptible; but is however, of the last consequence. For as this ought, or ought not, that expresses some new relation or affirmation, 'tis necessary that it shou'd be observ'd and explain'd; and at the same time that a reason should be given; for what seems altogether inconceivable, how this new relation can be a deduction from others, which are entirely different from it.
”

Hume then calls for writers to be on their guard against such inferences, if they cannot give an explanation of how the ought-statements are supposed to follow from the is-statements. But how exactly can you derive an "ought" from an "is"? In other words, given our knowledge of the way the world is, how can we know the way the world ought to be? That question, prompted by Hume's small paragraph, has become one of the central questions^{[citation needed]} of ethical theory, and Hume is usually assigned the position that such a derivation is impossible. This complete severing of "is" from "ought" has been given the graphic designation of "Hume's Guillotine".^[1]

A similar (though distinct) view is defended by G. E. Moore's open question argument, intended to refute any identification of moral properties with natural properties—the so-called naturalistic fallacy.

How do the ruminations of a 17th century skeptic tie in to the current crisis in the Middle East? It's incredibly simple.

At no other time in history, has there ever been a liberal democracy (yes, I used the code words, don't whinge on about it) founded and maintained by Jews in the history of the world. Yes, there IS discrimination, there IS racism, yes there ARE theocratic elements involved, yes, Israel is in NEED of reform. None of these detract from the reality of the situation. And also, never has there been a Jewish founded democracy smack dab in the middle of a bunch of crazy assholes hell-bent on their destruction (and this has been so for the past 60 years or so).

So the Is/ought problems is applied thusly: there is no criterion for a Hebrew democracy aswim in the waters of genocidal madmen, as to how they should respond to every situation.

This is not a cart blanche waiver releasing the Israelis from critique. It is a democratic country, and there are standards to abide by. I feel they responded badly in the 2006 Hezbollah debacle: there was an instance where the term ethnic cleansing can be applied ( the Palistinean exodus, which I think both sides are culpable), and I've always considered Ariel Sharon something of a piece of shit.

But when it's a limited democracy (I use the word limited to capitulate to those who adhere to an absolute definition of the term) that is under fire on a daily, almost hourly basis, when survival is meted out based not on constraints formulated by those who are detached from the conflict, but based on the minute-to-minute reality of the process, then who among us would perform better, all arm-chair analysis aside?

Principles are a hard thing to adhere by, when the messy business of survival interferes. And yet, in the humble opinion of this deponent, the Israelis have somehow managed to maintain enough of a yardstick to be able to measure by.

Till the next post, then.

 

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Anti-Semitism - Your Christian Heritage

In these week of Passover (no, I'm not Jewish. No, I'm not celebrating it.), these thoughts have been nagging at me.

Now, Passover is a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt, a seminal event in their annals, one that we the educated know never happened.

Of all the peoples of the world, I doubt there is one group that is more hated, more reviled, more spat upon and more mistreated than the Jews.

I think this is well past its shelf life. It should've expired by now. But to this day, Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites seem to abound on both sides of the polarized political sphere. More on the left side than the right.

Michael Shermer, in his excellent book Why People Believe Weird Things, that Holocaust deniers tend to focus a great deal on the doings of the Jews.

So, for the nutshell version:

They left Israel, and wandered for centuries. They have dwelled in almost every country on earth. And in doing so, have been discriminated against, slaughtered at the whimsy of local populaces, and otherwise been the scape goat of each of those respective societies. From Luther to Hitler, there's been centuries of horror perpetrated against them. When the Final Solution was enacted, it was apparently the last straw. Zionism (a lackluster movement until then) picked up the banner, and the push for a safe haven for the Jews became more of a shove.

Can we blame that old whore Christianity for it? The bastard child of Judaism, the chameleon of many colors, that borrowed heavily from an epistemology not its own? Of course we can.

Matthew 27:

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

This then, is the root of xenophobic hatred. There's more to be found here, all of it revolting. There's even a table of comparison showing  canonical law juxtaposed to the Nazi anti-Jew laws. The correlation is chilling.

That the concept of the scapegoat originated with the Jews is an irony not lost upon me.

I am not intimating in the slightest that Israel is above approach. That country should be criticized like any other, a level playing field. Nor am I elevating the Jews to another plateau on the concept of reparation. I have (on more than one occasion) mocked their superstitions acerbically.

Presently, most on the left are carrying on about Israel accepting faith-based money ("Hey, y'all live in the Promised Land. The Ah-pock-oh-lips is a-comin'!"). So let me trot out a little analogy for ya:

If a Christian (or even a Scientologist! HORRORS!) were to rescue me from, say, a gang out for a wilding, or throw me a lifejacket while I was drowning, or offer me a hand up as I hung off a cliff, well, I'd be some kind of jackass to refuse on principle. (Of course, were the Xenuphiliac to know that I'm an SP, chances are good that s/he'd be more likely to pry my fingers off the rock.)

I am pointing out that when someone begins to lather at the mouth about the Zionist movement, the ridiculous blatherings about 'apartheid' or 'ethnic cleansing' (there's been one incident, the Palistinean Exodus, which Israel was clearly guilty of, in 1948), or genocide (compare the population figures from 1948 to that of today, and get back to me on that), that person should stop and think.

I might even suggest that this is a meme passed on for many generations. I might hint that this is an old, old legacy carried on for generations by Christians. I might propose that you should carefully examine the epistemology of the opinion you opine upon (say that three times fast, I dare ya): you may very well be carrying on an old religious tradition unwittingly.

A tradition better served by a funeral pyre, upon which we scrap the useless memes and traditions of superstitions and xenophobia.

So think, and clearly.

L'chaim.

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Why Do I Support Israel?

As a left-leaning liberal, it seems to be the unspoken rule that I should be foursquare against Israel, its existence, and weeping bitter tears over the Palestinian mistreatment by same.

I used to do this. But, as per my motto (LOOK IT UP), I checked my bias at the door, and began to look at both sides of the conflict.

The facts, as they are, are astounding.

1. Israel is by no means a theocracy. The Zionist movement was (and is) secular in nature. There are no Arab secular movements (Turkey is a secular government overall, but creationism is making inroads there).

2. Israel is by no means Apartheid:

"1. Israel is considered to be a free nation.
2. The largest is the fact that within the borders of Israel proper, there is no political or legal distinction by race, religion, or sex with regards to voting rights. Like every country Israel, does limit political participation to citizens of a certain age, and does limit immigration into their country.
3. Hospitals and public services do not discriminate based upon race, religion, or sex. It should be noted in order to cater to the ultra-religious Jewish segment of the population (12-17%, see Religion in Israel), that for limited periods of time, certain community facilities (such as swimming pools) are men, or women only.
4. In small villages, cultural groups (religious) are the norm, but in the cities, and larger communities there is a mingling of ethnic and religious backgrounds.
5. The apartheid regime had gangs/militias/police enforcing rules through violence to which there was no legal recourse. This does not exist in Israel. And random attacks of violence are persecuted through the legal system.
6. Israel did not forcibly remove, or encourage the Arab population to leave Israel to the now occupied territories.
7. Arabs in the both Israel and the disputed/occupied territories have full access to Israeli courts and its legal system. The West Bank and Gaza were Arab lands designated to be used in the creation of a Palestinian state in 1948. These areas were then conquered in that year by Jordan, and Egypt respectively. In 1967 Israel took control of these lands from the Arab occupiers."

Follow the link provided, and compare it to Saudi Arabia.

I might also add, that not only does the Knesset have Arabian members, some of them are Palestinian.

There is no 'genocide' being enacted there. Do the math. ""The Palestinian population in west bank and Gaza in 48? 500,000. The Palestinian population after 50 years under the "Nazi" Zionist regime and their "holocaust"? 8 million. That's a 1600% increase. Jews must be really inefficient at that whole ethnic cleansing thing." [update - current figures are now at 9.8 - 10.8 million]

And when the military enacts an atrocity? "In its initial statements, the Israeli government initially declared that those critics who regarded the IDF as having responsibility for the events at Sabra and Shatila were guilty of "a blood libel against the Jewish state and its Government." However, as the news of the massacre spread around the world, the controversy grew, and on September 25, 300,000 Israelis — roughly one tenth of the country's then-population — demonstrated in Tel Aviv demanding answers."

So much for ethnic cleansing, hmmm? During the Hezbollah fiasco, Israel actually dropped fliers warning of impending attacks on targets.

Let's not forget that post-1948 (the Arab-Israeli war), that "During the war, approximately 720,000 (according to the UN) Palestinian Arabs fled to neighboring states, creating a desperate refugee problem which their host states refused to relieve. Discrimination and mistreatment of Jews in Arab and Muslim countries worsened, resulting in the Jewish exodus from Arab lands. Jewish immigrants and refugees continued to pour into Israel. Temporary refugee camps called ma'abarot were set up in Israel during the state's early years to absorb Jewish refugees. They were provided for in terms of funds and homes."

So let's nutshell this:

1. Voting rights. Compare to Arabic/Muslim countries (or apartheid), and tell me who's more 'liberal'.
2. Hospital care doesn't discriminate. Compare again.
3. Diversity is the norm in metropolitan areas.
4. Full access to the legal system.
5. The citizens protest when massacres occur.
6. Israel dropped fliers when engaged in military action.
7. No genocide is being enacted.
8. Not a theocracy by any stretch of the imagination.
9. And of course, the big gun: nobody cares if you're religious or not. You can even get elected in Israel! "Shulamit Aloni (1928—): Israeli politician and left-wing activist.She served as Israel's minister of education from 1992 to 1993." (let's see THAT happen in a Muslim country!) Given the flurry of concern generated in the US by Pete Stark's admission, I'm starting to think Israel's WAY ahead of us on so many items, in its short history.

The more I look at it, the less sympathy I have for the Palestinians. I have severe doubts they would've implemented any of these items if they were in 'power'.

That dear readers is my nickel's worth: spend it as you will.

Till the next post, then.

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SORRY, NEVER GOT THE MEMO….

Lately, I keep running into a pile of nonsense on the Web, as follows:

1. I can’t support Israel, because I’m an atheist. Say what?!?!? Says who?
Apparently, this person. Read on.
That’s about the stupidest argument I’ve ever heard. A. Israel’s not a theocracy (there are theocratic elements, but we got ‘em too, and by no means is it apartheid) and B. It is by far the most ‘liberal’ government in the Middle East. Not to mention that it’s about the only stabilizing element thus far. Also, it’s the ‘No true Scotsman’ fallacy writ large.

2. I can’t say certain ‘words’, like ‘design’, or use loaded sentences such as ‘the darkness that lurks within us all’. My homesick ass, I say. I’ll use any phrase or word as I please. You think there are contextual underpinnings? That’s your problem, not mine. Ask me what I mean, don’t assume that I’m hinting at some allegorical folderol underneath.

3. For an atheist, I sure make a fuss about religion. Why do I care? For the umpteenth (and hopefully last) time, I’ll explain this:
Religious people are consistently sticking their nose in matters that don’t concern them. I’m all for live-and-let-live, hey, worship away, do as you like. Just keep it in your church, your little clique, etc. Wait for the rapture, the second coming, whatever it is that blows your dress up. Just stay out of my government, mind your own beeswax.
Short version: you say your ‘kingdom is not of this earth?’ Then wait for that castle in the sky to lower the drawbridge. I want no part of it.

4. You’re such a big, mean poopie-head.Oh, frickin’ grow up. If your faith is built on gossamer wings, that’s not my problem. Entirely yours. The aphorism about heat and kitchens springs to mind. You don’t like what I got to say? Don’t listen.

5. We are ‘our brother’s keeper’.We’re not related, so piss off.

Any questions?

/autorant off

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