Bible
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Are there ligitimate reasons why many do not trust those of the Islamic faith? For instance ‘During the month of Ramadan alone, the world witnessed 160 Islamic attacks in 29 countries, in which 1627 people were murdered and 1824 injured.’ At the same time ‘…Australian officials rush to declare that Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, revealingly they have referred to Islam or Islamic culture to exonerate Muslims on several occasions. In April, despite pleading guilty to sexually assaulting eight women and girls on a beach in Queensland, a young Afghan man was acquitted. The reason for the acquittal: “Cultural differences”. According to the judge, “seeing girls in bikinis is different to the environment in which he grew up”. The teen received two years’ probation without being convicted of anything.’
Then there is Labor MP ‘Anne Aly, Australia’s first female Muslim Member of Parliament’ who ‘said that racial-discrimination laws should be expanded to cover insults based on 
religion as well. The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, has voiced similar opinions.’
Then there are those Muslims who ‘have decided to create a “safe space” on their own, segregated from the rest of Australian society. In Brisbane, the Australian International Islamic College is planning an exclusively Muslim enclave, including a mosque covering 1,970 square meters; a three-storey elder-care and residential building, 3,000 square meters of retail space and 120 residential apartments, in addition to new classrooms and a childcare center for 2,000 students. The existing site is already home to the college, which caters to students from kindergarten to 12th grade. So much for “multiculturalism”.’ https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10604/australia-madness
It is hard to believe but the Islamic Council of Victoria ‘has called for funding for federal counter-terrorism and anti-extremism programs be side-tracked, and to instead put the focus on these so-called “safe spaces”.’ These safe spaces are needed because Muslim young people ‘“are feeling more emotionally overloaded” and a “safe space is needed for them to meet and talk about a range of issues.”’ https://tenplay.com.au/news/national/may-2017/peak-islamic-group-wants-funding-for-safe-space-for-youth-to-rage-and-vent
Is it justified to fear Islam as there are an increasing number of Muslims gaining positions within government and mainline media? Muslims claim to be a minority but that is only because they are in Western nations built on Christian and European values! This Muslim “minority” could have gone to any one of the 50 or 60 totally Islamic countries in this world but NO they chose to come to a non-Islamic country! Why? Why go to a country where sharia is NOT the law of the land?
As you watch the video remember these Muslims are only a minority because they chose NOT to go to one of the 50 or 60 totally Islamic nations that favour Islam but restrict the freedom of anyone not a Muslim, behead Christians, will not allow Christian churches, will not allow Bibles etc. etc.
Are all Bibles the same? Does it really make any difference what English Bible you use? The answer to question one is; if they are different they are not the same. The answer to question two is; do you want a Bible with all that God spoke or only what man thinks God spoke?
Dr. Boys wrote ‘Recently, a highly trained and very successful New Jersey pastor announced that he would be preaching the following week in his Gospel of John series but would not deal with John 7:53-8:11–the woman taken in adultery who was forgiven by Christ. The pastor, very close to me, wrote, “we conclude without doubt that John 7:53-8:11 was not 
part of the gospel of John as the Apostle wrote it.” I disagree. There is plenty of doubt.
I believe that pastor, far more qualified than I, was wrong. In a discussion with him or other scholars about biblical manuscripts, I would feel like a mule at the Kentucky Derby. But he is still wrong. In fact, he has to be wrong because God promised to preserve His Word. If He did not, then the Bible is untrue, unreliable, and unnecessary.
Even though that pastor is my very special first grandchild (and the father of four precious great grandchildren), he is still wrong! Of course, he knows my position on this issue.
He also suggested that pastors need to know the biblical languages in order to provide correct instructions to church members; however, if pastors know those languages, they must use the correct manuscripts and reject the corrupt ones. But his suggestion smacks of Roman Catholics who made it illegal for members to keep a copy of the Bible in their vernacular. The Catholics were to come to the priest for a “correct” interpretation. One reason God gave us the Bible in our language was so we could all become Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” While it is good to know the original languages, it is not a requirement to be an effective pastor.
Some pertinent questions about the Bible’s reliability will be helpful: Could a sovereign, all-powerful God lead and direct men to write a perfect book? Of course, the question demands a positive answer. Question two: Could a sovereign, all-powerful God, after directing men to write a perfect Bible, then keep scribes and translators from error? Again, the answer must be positive. Third question: Why would a sovereign, all-powerful God direct men to produce a perfect Bible to give mankind directions for life and death, and not preserve its perfection?
Pastors who take the modern approach tell us that the Bible is perfect in the “originals” but they seldom tell their audience that no one has seen the “originals” in 2000 years! Why would God give man the “originals” for a few years and leave following generations with an imperfect book? Why give the human race a perfect book then take it from us?
The disputed passage belongs in the Bible; if the Bible is not reliable in John 7 and 8, it is not reliable in John 3 on which personal salvation rests. The Bible is the Words of the 
Living God which will stand forever. If our critics are correct and we do not have an available, accurate, and authoritative Word then where on the face of the earth can we find His will?
Admittedly, the issue is one that good, great, and godly scholars have debated for centuries. One of the earliest objections to the John passage is that Christ seems to be abrogating the Old Testament law requiring death for adultery. Ancient Jews were fearful that Christ’s leniency might give succor to their wives about adultery! Ambrose (died 420) mentioned this in a sermon on David and Bathsheba condemning those who were critical of Christ and those who excised the passage. So the passage was in the Bibles of the early 400s.
Many other Latin Fathers including John Chrysostom and Augustine of Hippo all speak of the passage as being canonical! Augustine (died 430) said some scribes removed the passage because it might seem that Christ was nonchalant about adultery, but Augustine did not advocate removing it from Scripture.
Jerome (died 420), who translated the Latin Vulgate, agreed the passage was legitimate and left it in his translation. Furthermore, he says that the disputed passage was found in “many Greek and Latin manuscripts” in Rome and the Latin West, late in the 4th century.
However, an overzealous scribe decided it would be best to remove the passage rather than cause concern and possibly encourage loose living with scriptural justification! Such scribes were guilty of taking away from the Word of God which is dangerous.
The disputed passage is included in the 1611 KJV, in the 1587 Geneva Bible, 1568 Bishop’s Bible, 1539 Great Bible, 1537 Matthew’s Bible, 1535 Coverdale Bible, 1526 Tyndale Bible, and 1382 Wycliffe Bible. Modern Bibles omit it, footnote it, or bracket it so that readers get the message: it is not reliable. It is fake news, a false story by fallible writers.
All liberals and many Evangelicals teach that the John passage should not be in the Bible, yet the new translations keep putting it in the Bible! The RSV even took it out causing a furor, then replaced it in a later edition to make people happy and to continue selling Bibles! (Is it cynical to suggest that modern translations are all about money?) Modern translators know that removing that famous story would precipitate rebellion, revolution, and ruin in their Bible market. So they knowingly use a passage that practically all their liberal experts agree should not be in the Bible! If a passage does not belong in the Bible (according to their research and convictions), they should do the principled thing, but modern translators have taken a stand like a crippled chicken. They place the disputed passage in their translations because of cash, cowardice, and convenience.
There are some reputable scholars who agree with my grandson about whether or not the passage belongs in John’s Gospel. Among them are: Bruce Metzger, Leon Morris, Merrill Tenney, D. A. Carson, Ed Blum, Colin Kruse, John Piper, R. C. Lenski, Alfred Edersheim, G. Campbell Morgan, and A. T. Robertson.
Some in the above camp consider the defense of the passage and defense of the KJV a “cancerous sore,” “cultic,” “near cultic,” and “deplorable.” Such “scholars” are, in my opinion, “deplorable.”
Other scholars accept the passage as scriptural: Dean John William Burgon, Zane Hodges, D. A. Waite, David Otis Fuller, Edward F. Hills, A. W. Pink, R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, James Boice, J. C. Ryle, and John Calvin. So, there are good, highly qualified men on both sides of this issue.
Evidently, there is some doubt. It is not as clear as the critics say.
According to the number of manuscripts that have and don’t the passage, 1,495 Greek manuscripts include the John passage or part of it, and 267 do not include it. Moreover, 
the 267 manuscripts are very early. Most people are impressed with the “earliest” manuscripts but valid, original manuscripts were in the hands of early church fathers who quoted from them from A.D. 150 forward! They quoted, for example, from the last twelve verses of Mark so how could they quote from manuscripts they didn’t hold in their hands? Manuscript date is part of the equation, but it is non-determinative. Manuscripts should be accepted unless proved defective.
Even Aristotle’s dictum supports that approach. He said, “the benefit of the doubt is to be given to the document itself, not arrogated by the critic to himself.” However, modern translators think they are more trustworthy than the document in question, but I wouldn’t trust them to walk my dog!
The fathers of modern Bible translations, Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1903) and Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828-1892) declared, “The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11.” These so-called earliest and most reliable manuscripts were polluted at an early age by the Gnostics whose headquarters were in Alexandria, Egypt–the same city where the Vatican manuscript arose. When the Gnostics didn’t agree with some doctrine or passage, they either subtracted it, or changed it in some way to fit their heretical theology. Hence the production of the Vatican and Sinai manuscripts.
Westcott and Hort, like many liberals, gush over the “earliest” and “most reliable” manuscripts but the earliest are not always the most reliable. Both men were unbelieving Anglican priests.
It should also be remembered that the main reason there are so many older manuscripts extant is because they were avoided by the early church leaders because the documents were corrupt. They didn’t get worn out and thus survived to be found and used to confuse Christians today.
Moreover, the “earliest” and “most reliable” manuscripts are identified as Vaticanus and Sinaiticus from the fourth century. Westcott and Hort assumed that both manuscripts were far superior and since those manuscripts did not have the John passage, that was enough for them. However, traditional Greek manuscripts preceded the 4th century manuscripts of Vaticanus and Sinaiticus and were quoted by many church fathers such as Irenaeus who wrote from 150 A.D.! Since very early church fathers quoted from Mark 16:9-20 for example, then it is false to claim that the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus were the oldest known manuscripts.
But it gets even worse for proponents of modern translations. Dean John Burgon was a famous scholar and Bible defender (died 1888) and he declared that Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are among “the most corrupt copies in existence.” Older does not equal reliable.
According to Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, the African Church corrupted the New Testament as far back as A.D. 150! He also declared of the Codex Sinaiticus (Aleph) from the 4th Century: “From the number of errors, one cannot affirm that it is very carefully written.”
Of the Codex Vaticanus (B) from the 4th Century, he declares that a marked feature is the great number of omissions and calculates that whole words or clauses are left out!
Not a good recommendation for the much vaunted Sinaiticus and Vaticanus–from a scholar recognized as an expert by both sides of the controversy.
Most readers do not know of this Bible disagreement in Fundamentalist and Evangelical ranks. Most religious leaders do not believe the KJV is totally reliable while many do. However, I have noticed for many years the tendency of both sides to demonize the other. Those critical of the KJV are often very arrogant and vicious in their opposition, even calling us “cultists.” They quickly slide by the fact that many of our persuasion hold degrees just as reputable as theirs.
And on the other side, some in our group give good ammunition to the other side by making irresponsible and ridiculous claims. Some claim the KJV is “better than the Greek”; others declare than the KJV must be used in preaching or a person cannot be born again! There are devoted dummies on both sides of the issue.
If a man tells me he sincerely wants to know about eternal things, I will send him to the King James Bible for the truth. I tell him that it is God’s instruction manual for mankind 
which was accurately translated into English from the reliable and preserved Hebrew and Greek texts and preserved by God therefore, is totally reliable.
All the modern versions are based on corrupt Vaticanus and Sinaiticus and the work of evolutionists Westcott and Hort, radical unbelievers. They were Anglican scholars who never missed a chance to denounce, deny, and denigrate the Bible; but they did not disprove it. According to Dr. Jack Moorman’s book on Bible manuscripts, Westcott and Hort’s Vatican and Sinai manuscripts of the New Testament contain more than 8,000 differences with the traditional text underlying the King James Bible!
I can’t think of anything more shattering than for congregations to be told that the Bible on their laps is full of mistakes, misquotes, and misinformation. It is not if it is the KJV.
All right, for sake of argument, I could be wrong. If I have placed too much confidence in the Word of God, I will discover that at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I suppose Christ will say, “Don, you were wrong about the KJV being totally reliable. You were too committed to my Word!” I believe He will correct my error but with a smile and nod.
After all, I have only convinced people to place too much reliance on the Word of God–not the worse sin to commit; however, those who burn incense to the corrupt modern translations are guilty of taking away from the Word of the living God who promised to preserve it forever!
If I am to be wrong, it will be in favor of the Word that He promised in Psalm 12:6-7, “The words of the LORD are pure words: …Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” Either He did or He didn’t!
So, honest people will look at the issue and come down on the side that is most convincing; however, it takes character to change when one has gone on record for most of his or her life. It’s difficult to admit a mistake. Tolstoy expressed this when he wrote, “I know that most men…can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their lives.”
However, having a reliable Bible is not a simple issue but it is sublime. I’ve made my decision and if I’m wrong, Christ will correct me. Same with you!’ http://donboys.cstnews.com/does-the-bible-contain-fake-news-and-false-stories-by-fallible-writers
It’s almost as if the UK has a death wish! In spite of the recent Islamic attacks ‘The annual Al Quds, anti-Israel demonstration took place Sunday afternoon in
London, where Hezbollah terror organization flags were permitted to fly.
Despite a petition signed by more than 20,000 individuals calling for a ban on the march, London Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to stop an anti-Israel event that included Hezbollah flags.
The petition stated, “After the terrible recent terrorist events in Manchester and London, this display of extremism has no place on the streets of the UK.”
In a written response to the pet
ition, Khan stated, “As is the case for any group, protesters have the right to march as long as they do so within the law. The mayor does not have the power to ban a march in London.”
On their website, the IHRC (Islamic Human Rights Commission), responsible for organizing the march, stated that participants “are welcome to bring flags that show solidarity with the Palestinian cause,” but flags of proscribed or illegal organizations are not allowed. The group added, “You
can bring a Hezbollah flag to show support for the political wing of Hezbollah. This is because the political wing of Hezbollah is not a proscribed organization.”
Both the political wing and the military wing of the terrorist Hezbollah organization use the same flag.
Accompanying the Hezbollah flags were placards supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and accusing the Jewish state of war crimes, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. Marchers delighted in chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which signals the true intent of the organizers: the total destruction of the Jewish state. In previous years, chants also included, “we are all Hezbollah” and “we are all Hamas,” where self-proclaimed peace activists had no problem proclaiming their support for terrorist organizations openly committed not just to the destruction of Israel, but also to the killing of Jews.
Jewish and pro-Israel groups organized a counter-demonstration, and a significant police presence ensured the sides were kept apart. The counter demonstration was addressed by Kay Wilson, victim of a horrendous terror attack in 2010.
Wilson told the crowd, “It is a racist slur to say that all Muslims are terrorists. However, it is deluded, dangerous and disingenuous to claim that terrorism has absolutely nothing to do with Islam.”
Al Quds Day was established in Iran, in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution, in support of the Palestinians and condemning Israel. The IHRC’s are closely connected to the Iranian regime and hold an annual march in London on the weekend after Al Quds Day, which takes place in Iran on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
In 2012 the current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the march and spoke in 
support of the Palestinians and condemned Israel. In the past, Corbyn has referred to both Hamas and Hezbollah, as his friends. Since becoming leader of the Labour Party, Corbyn has been accused of ignoring a rise in anti-Semitism in the party.’ https://worldisraelnews.com/al-quds-march-goes-ahead-london-hezbollah-flags/
In spite of the hate these Muslims and some non-Muslims have for the Jew and the nation of Israel, God’s Word says ‘As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the 
LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever’ Psalm 125:2.
Thankfully Obama and his Muslim Marxist buddies are out of office; But are they?
http://www.mrctv.org/videos/bernie-sanders-rips-trump-nominee-being-christian
Does Bernie think (that is if he has the capacity to think) Muslims believe non-Muslims are going to Heaven? If he does he is more stupid than I thought. However, this type of questioning would never be allowed toward a Muslim! Again, Bernie showed what an arrogant ignorant man he is!
- ‘The implication is that Muslims too love Jesus — an approach that is bound to attract Christian passers-by (including priests and nuns) if only out of curiosity. But
the Jesus of the Qur’an is not the Jesus of the New Testament. For Muslims, he is not the Son of God, not one third of the Trinity, did not die on the cross, was not resurrected after death, and is not God incarnate. He is simply one of a long line of prophets, important — yet inferior to Muhammad. - “We call them stinking kafir [non-Muslims], dirty. But, of course, akhi [brother], if that’s going to run them away from al-Islam, we don’t say that to them in front of their face.” — Abu Usamah, an imam at the Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham.
- No one loves the kuffaar. No one loves the kuffaar! [unbelievers] … Whether these kuffaar are from the UK, or from the US … We love the people of Islam and we hate the people of the kufr. We hate the kuffaar. Whoever changes his religion from al-Islam to anything else kill him in the Islamic state. — Abu Usamah al-Thahabi, Channel 4 documentary, 2007.’ https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10385/hoodwinking-kuffar
Islam is diametrically opposite Bible Christianity. These poor saps that seek to dialogue with the Devil will be the first on the chopping block. Again, as I wrote yesterday not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists for many years now have claimed that they are Muslims.
What is the answer? There MUST be questions asked of migrating Muslims concerning Sharia and many other Islamic beliefs that are in total opposition to a free society. Even then there is great danger in such a mass migration of Muslims into a free society. May our political leaders get their heads out of the sand and into reality.
‘Under Old Testament law, vulgarity was forbidden and the penalty was serious. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)
Under grace, the standard for such speech is even higher. It extends to any words that have the slightest bent toward disrespect of God’s name, vulgarity, swearing, and even vain repetition. In setting a higher standard, Jesus said that committing such an act in the heart is the same as actually doing it. (Matthew 5:29) The epistles overflow with commands saying that questionable speech and vulgarity do not belong in the mouths of the saints. Paul tells us that if we rein in our thoughts, we can guard our words against those things that offend a holy God.
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (II Corinthians 10:5)
With all this in mind, can you tell me why our present world is covered with a tidal wave of vulgarity? The offense is multiplied when humans, made in the image of God, actually defend the right to be foul mouthed! A celebration of vulgarity.
WHO SHOULD BE SURPRISED?
A foul mouth 
rises from a corrupt, putrid heart. We are surprised when a wicked heart is polite, kind, reasonable, and gentle in speech. It does happen. The reader has learned by now that I leave the devotional ministry, in the main, to my other friends; and they do well with it. My task, however, is to be a truth teller; and even believers are uncomfortable with truth in plain speech. Let’s be clear about this. Any heart that has rejected Christ as Savior is “wicked”. It has committed the most heinous sin that can be committed. The murder of the unborn and sodomy are wicked acts, but rejection of the Son of God, His deity, and His virgin birth are the height of wickedness. That is why liberalism is a wicked movement. It is why the majority of people you know are wicked. That is why some politicians, judges, and business men and women are wicked. So, when they vent their wickedness through their foul mouths, it is only a confession of just how evil they are. We are obligated to remember that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. We are commanded to remember that God hates all sin, both small and great. While we are commanded to love all mankind, we must hate what God hates.
IMMERSED IN A WORLD OF VULGARITY
It is everywhere – news, radio, television, printed media, and our own communities. Spirit-filled Christians are buried in verbal filth at work, school, and out in public. No-one seems to care that God has forbidden such low-level conversation. If we go out for a special dinner, the conversation at the next table often turns to garbage. Try enjoying a night with the family at a special sports event -there is an onslaught of offensive language on all four sides. How many times have you been driving somewhere and encountered vulgar warfare between drivers or pedestrians? We live in a world where many people have the morals of a “junk-yard dog” with language to match. If you want a real eyeful or earful, go to social media. If you try to have a reasonable discussion, some liberal will bust in with a string of vulgarity that only demonstrates that he doesn’t have the slightest idea of what an answer should be… but he sure knows how to cuss!
You get the point: it’s a bad world out there. Let me ask you a question: Is there anything God’s people can do when buried in such despicable situations? There are times when it is best to be silent. In the vulgar world, people have been known to become violent if they think you are “judging” them. We know what Jesus did under such temptation; He quoted scripture. Many of you do that on Facebook. We can try a reasonable answer, but that usually doesn’t work with people who have rejected truth as a way of thinking. We probably don’t think of praying for depraved people, but that might be the first thing that should come to our mind. Of course, you could isolate yourself and pretend it is not really happening; but remember that “Silence isn’t always golden; sometimes it is just plain yellow!” Of course, you could side with the perpetrator and defend him/her by attacking the person who brought up the subject of holiness and truth.
THIS IS WHAT REALLY HURTS
It is so easy to pick on the children of the devil. In case you have forgotten, anyone who is not a child of God through faith in Christ is a child of the devil. That is the reason why they lie, cheat, steal, and communicate with vulgarity.
Would someone please explain why there is so much vulgarity flowing from the mouths, pens, and keyboards of those who call themselves Christians? You can see it for yourself. Go to Facebook right now, and see how many vulgar words are being used by those you think are believers. Sure, they think hiding vulgarity in code (OMG, etc.) is not the same thing. Shame on anyone who tries to defend “hidden swearing”. If I were an unbeliever, I sure would not be impressed with the fact that your foul language is just like mine.
You sure wouldn’t expect to hear this kind of language at church, right? Then you might want to listen a bit more carefully. Have you listened carefully to the conversations of teens? What boggles my mind is that several “evangelical gurus” have been championing vulgar language inside their messages and teaching. It may get some laughs, but it is not funny. Teaching others to sin does not set well with a holy God. Those who feel free to abuse grace hate it when their feet are held to the fire. When they are angry about the message, they attack the messenger. That is an old liberal trick.
APPLICATION
This seems like an impossible task. How do we get rid of this plague? In our own lives, we follow the commandment “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation”.
(I Peter 1:15) Since God lives within us, the answer is that His holiness makes it possible for us to live His holiness out in our living and speech. That means we don’t defend vulgarity in our lives or in the lives of others. Remember – silence is approval.’ https://shepherdstaff.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/vulgarity-celebrated/
Dr. Don Boys is right when he writes ‘Damascus is the world’s oldest city, more than 6,000 years old, and it will be destroyed to the point of being a “ruinous heap.” Unattended sheep will wander in the streets with no one to shepherd them. Isa. 17:1 declares, “The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.” We may have been watching that passage become reality as war has raged in Damascus and other Syrian cities.
Now we see heart-wrenching videos of babies, children, and innocent men and women dead from a chemical attack on the northern city of Khan Sheikhoun that would make a stone cry. It is alleged that Assad, the dastardly, devious dictator of Damascus dropped the deadly gas, but no one has proved that and Syrian officials have vehemently denied responsibility. The Local Coordination Committee, a monitoring group, said the airstrike was carried out by Russia–a supporter of Assad.
Frankly, it doesn’t make any sense for Putin to order such an attack. He has nothing to gain and much to lose by such irresponsible violence. Same with Assad, after all, he seems to be winning in the very vicious civil war. Could the chemical attack be a false flag operation whereby rebel terrorists attacked their own people to place blame upon Assad and/or Russia?
The conflict is not between two groups but involves Assad’s forces fighting a rebel group consisting of hundreds of groups numbering about 100,000 fighters. Then ISIS got involved and it’s now at least a three-way fight. There are no “good guys.” Now, both Assad’s forces and the rebels are fighting a separate battle against ISIS at the same time. It’s a major mess in the Middle East.
President Trump authorized an air strike against the Assad regime Thursday night in retaliation of the chemical attack; however, some Americans think he may have acted without all relevant facts. Trump’s attack upon Syria was a benefit to ISIS terrorists! Something’s wrong here because ISIS is a far greater threat to the U.S. than is Syria.
Trump must remember that his first priority is protecting the U.S.; however, the gas attack, while horrendous, was no threat to Americans. At least his response sent a needed message to the world: the U.S. will respond when U.S. officials deem it essential–but was it essential?
Are only Americans outraged about innocent deaths to the extent of doing something about it? Other national leaders are acting as cheerleaders but not getting “into the game.”
Meanwhile, an assortment of U.S. politicians from across the political spectrum has joined in beating the war drums. But then, older politicians have always managed to find the guts to send younger men to fight their wars.
Are we to do what others are responsible to do? Isn’t the United Nations supposed to keep the peace, protect the innocent, and bring the bad guys to justice? Alternatively, doesn’t the pecking order demand that surrounding Muslim nations bring the dictator to justice? Of course, other Muslim leaders have bloody hands also. Does any sane person believe that Assad will be replaced by a devotee of peace, justice, and freedom after he is greeted by his 72 virgins in Paradise?
Events are taking place that I predict will escalate the war, eliminate the Christians, exclude any voice of reason, and engage Israel in constant confrontations. Assad is not a good guy but he is preferable to the alternative. He is a known entity and he has not been shelling Jews on the Golan Heights. A new Syrian strongman might break the treaty and the shelling of Israel could again become a daily event as in the past.
Will we see Damascus totally destroyed? What a tragedy to see this historical and biblical city in total ruins! Will the UN get involved and escalate the disturbance into a catastrophic event or will they help provide peace, protection, and prosperity? We may soon know the answer.
As ruthless a dictator as his father was, President Bashar al-Assad should be called Bashar the Butcher. While all people of good will want to see him assume room temperature, it is not wise for the U.S. to assume the role of paladin of the world. Those rebels in Syria without a doubt are Muslim extremists. Let them fight their own battles. The choice between the two sides is not a choice between good and evil but between much evil and more evil.
The U.S. does not have a horse in this race, but we do abhor the killing of innocent people. While Assad is a vicious dictator, he has permitted Christians to practice their faith and has kept relative peace until recent years. If Assad goes, the Christians will be totally destroyed in Syria. If he is deposed, Muslim fanatics will fill his chair. Most reasonable people prefer a sensitive, peaceful conservative but in the real world that is not going to happen.
The Syrian opposition is a mixture of fanatics, freedom lovers, and criminal opportunists. Incredibly, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for supporting them with “humanitarian aid.” We have seen this movie before. Non-thinkers praised the uprisings in Libya, Sudan, Bahrain, etc., and now we realize that we got much more than we wanted. Radical Muslims have been enabled and are now in control. Sharia law will be forced on the people in all Muslim-dominated nations. Turkey is going in that direction as I write.
Russia, China, and Iran are backing Syria’s dictator while Saudi Arabia is opposed to him and supports a new government in Syria, hoping that it will not be as friendly to Iran.
When former Saudi King Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud was on his deathbed, he warned his sons “to keep your eye on Syria” since anything good for Syria is considered bad for Saudi. While both Syria and Saudi Arabia are Muslim, the Saudis are of the Sunni fanatical Wahhabi sect plus their country is the location of Mecca (birthplace of Mohammed) and Medina. There are no churches of any kind in Saudi Arabia and even other Muslim sects such as the Shiites are without mosques in most major areas!
Syria is more secular than Saudi Arabia but Sunni Muslims are the majority religious group in both countries. There are about two million citizens in Damascus and 85% are Sunni Muslims that are served by about 2,000 mosques in the city. The Grand Mosque of Damascus is one of the largest, oldest, and holiest sites for Muslims.
Fanatical, committed Muslims are dangerous, devious, and deceitful people and we are fools to waltz into the crossfire. The free world should permit these countries to work out their own differences, remove their own totalitarian leaders, and worship however they choose. The U.S. can cheer the good guys (better guys) but we don’t have the money, personnel, or authority to get involved.
Damascus will be destroyed and while that will be a major disaster, it is more preferable than Dallas, Denver, or Detroit being destroyed. And don’t be deceived, if those on the streets of Damascus have their way, it will be an American city that will be a “ruinous heap.”
President Trump should stay out of Syria. Let “peaceful” Muslims take care of Assad and hang him after a public trial for using chemical gas. If Damascus is to be destroyed, let Muslims do it!
No one elected America as the world’s moral and humanitarian watchdog.’ http://donboys.cstnews.com/damascus-will-be-destroyed-but-let-muslims-do-it
