Tag Archives: Violence

Oekraïne – Droogenbroodt

mystiek & filosofie

Oorlog in Oekraïne

De amandelbomen staan hier in bloei
een verrukking voor het oog
dat van schoonheid houdt

weldra zullen ook citrusbloesems
een verleidelijk parfum verspreiden

maar elders woedt de oorlog
ziet het oog verwoesting
en menselijk leed

daar bloeien geen bloesems
ze verstikken in de rook
van barbaars geweld.

Germain Droogenbroodt

Marioepol

Vredesduif

Het regent
het regent treurnis

voor onschuldige slachtoffers
voor de vernietiging van een land
voor de vlucht van moorddadig geweld

hongerig verlaat een tortelduif
de beschutting van haar boom

een strop gelijk
de zwarte ring rond haar hals.

Germain Droogenbroodt

Marioepol

Despoot

De nacht heeft de dageraad overvallen
en ontvreemdt van de vrede
het kostbare licht

De stilte verstomt
door schoten, kanongebulder
en huilende sirenes overstemd

Onberoerd door het leed
─ zelfs van zijn eigen volk
de heerszuchtige despoot.

Germain Droogenbroodt

Marioepol

Sporen

De storm is geluwd
met de zandkorrels vermengd
de algen op het strand

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Praying For The Victims Of Ukraine

Although far from the ongoing violence, the terror threat is close by, and we are with the Ukrainian people with our souls, hearts and prayers.

Becoming the Oil and the Wine

Today, I have decided to postpone my usual Fun Friday post to pause and take some time to pray for the people of Ukraine.

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Le nationalisme est une autre forme d’extrémisme par écrivain Mouloud Benzadi

 

mbenzadi

“L’une des principales causes de division, de guerre et de violence dans le monde est le sentiment nationaliste.
Le nationalisme
est simplement une autre forme
d’extrémisme. “

Écrivain Mouloud Benzadi

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Our God is not a Laissez-faire Ruler

Too many people have forgotten what went wrong in the early days of our universe, how the first man rebelled against God and how God gave them the right to take care of the things themselves.

Now the same people often blame God for the difficult times they get, not seeing that they themselves are at the cause of most of the problems in this world.

Coming closer to the times of the Greater Agony, we should make sure that more people come to recognise how Jesus is the way to God and to salvation, him having it made possible to enter the small gate, to a better world where there shall be no hate or war, but only place for peace and happiness.

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To remember

Habakkuk 1:3 Why make me look at injustice? Why tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction &  violence strife, & conflict

  • Who isn’t totally frustrated & deeply concerned by what we see & read in the news every single day?
  • How often do we begin to lose hope when we do not see immediate relief from our circumstances?
  • God commanding us to look around us to see where He is working.
  • God  controlling all things for the ultimate perfect good of His children.

Through Jesus' Love

Habakkuk 1:3
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

In this passage, Habakkuk is crying out to God in frustration because of the things he is seeing in the society of his day. Doesn’t this passage sound as if it could have been written today? Who isn’t totally frustrated and deeply concerned by what we see and read in the news every single day?

Perhaps this frustration is carrying over into our own personal lives. Who among us hasn’t cried out to God for relief from the struggles of work, relationships, addictions, afflictions or even sin itself? How often do we begin to lose hope when we do not see immediate relief from our circumstances?

God has a response for us just as he had for Habakkuk when He said, “Look among…

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Xenophobia, sexism, and violence mixed together to distract people from the real problems


Throughout history xenophobia, sexism, and violence are mixed together to distract people from the real problems facing their lives. The more things change the more they stay the same. These forces of division are just out of sync.
–  Rabbi Avi Katz Orlow
Purim Today: Xenophobia, Sexism, and Violence

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Coming together in dark days

A few hours before I shall light the first candle at nightfall I shall look at the 1st day of Chanukah but also shall see how many come to celebrate a feast, they also call the feast of light, but has its main day on the birthday of the goddess of light, December 25. Lots of heathen but also lots of Christians shall have little candles in their decorated trees.

In my home the coming days there’ll also be some light, spiritual and literal, to have me thinking of the wonders of the Most High. The Eternal Being have been for ever, having made us in His image, has always been prepared to be there for those who want to be with Him. These present times there may be lots of darkness, violence and hate against each other. The heavenly Creator never created the human beings to go fighting against each other. Those people who claim to be lovers of God, be it Jews, Christians or Muslims, should all feel united under the same umbrella of their Divine Creator. Especially in these darker and colder days of the year we should make more time to come in each others warm houses to feel the generous warmth of solidarity.

It is in those darker days when we do not have to go to work, but can enjoy some free time, that we should bring up remembrances of how we and our ancestors grew up. We must become aware of how our minds get filled with lots of stuff as we grow from baby to adult, and how we are modelled by it. Growing up we come to certain believes and want to follow certain ideas. The beliefs we create are part of what forms our being, but they are also based on our genetic heritage, what other’s tell us, and what we accept as fact based on our experiences.  (Which explains why siblings can be alike or different and also why some twins raised in separate home turn out to have similar tastes and beliefs.)

English: The Byzantine army under Nikephoros P...

English: The Byzantine army under Nikephoros Phokas captures Halep (Berrhoea), Syria, in February 963. Ελληνικά: Κατάληψη του Χαλεπίου (αρχαία Βέρροια) της Συρίας από τον βυζαντινό στρατό του Νικηφόρου Φωκά, Φεβρουάριος 963. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The day that Byzantine troops led by Nicephorus Phocas, who had lead an expedition against the Saracen Emirate of Crete, and stormed Chandax and wrested control of the entire island from the Muslims, in 961 defeated Moslem forces and seized Aleppo, we once more have a picture of a destroyed Aleppo and a ruined city of Mosul.

As the 10th century temporary turn of events could not have been good for the Jews who had been living in Aleppo since Biblical times because it was the Moslem conquest of the city in 636 that removed the disabilities placed on the Jews by the Byzantines. Lots of times the Jews had to face difficulties and many generations had to suffer under persecution, like the ones who found themselves squeezed out of the major cities and ports into the area known as White Russia on  this day in 1791 when Great empress of Russia Russian Yekaterina Velikaya, also known as Catherine II (the Great) created the Pale of Settlement.

When tonight I, like the Jewish troops with General Sherman, who kindle the first light of Chanukah in Savannah, GA. in 1864 (24th of Kislev, 5625) I’ll try to remember the good thing which happened to the Jewish community and the many signs which proof that they are a special blessed people. The world shall have to know that the Jews are the Chosen people who have been promised to reside in a Holy Land. This Holy Land may perhaps be something lots of people will not like to see realised, but the world must know that the Plan of the Most High Maker shall become a reality.

In the ancient books is being told of that Great Plan. Not only Jews know of it; Christians and Muslims are also told about the prospects believers in God may expect. In the Torah the Most High calls people to share the news of a Messiah, a liberator for all. Generally lots of Jews look perhaps at a different Messiah than the Messianic Jews and Christians. Though perhaps because many of the Hebrew people forgot about their Creator, it can well be that This Holy Creator made His call also clear to the goy or goyim. For that reason Christians and Jews should look at each other, know their roots, know their common writings, and should learn from each other how to prepare themselves for the day that Messiah may come or return to this earth for finally bringing to Jerusalem full glory, as the capital of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Jewish wedding in Aleppo, Syria, 1914.

Jewish wedding in Aleppo, Syria, 1914. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Though thick-skinned the Jews always tried to find a way to survive, never loosing their faith in their Maker and the hope in the promise made to him by their patriarch Abraham. Christians and Muslims today should also know that the Most High spoke about a terrible time, when more natural disasters would come over man, but also where children would come to stand up against their parents, and religions would come to fight against each other. We may well see lots of signs described in the Holy Scriptures as being the sings of the Endtimes.

Not having the pretension to be a spiritual leader or rabbi, but looking at the Torah, I can only come to the impression we have arrived in times that those who really love God should come together, unite and should come to spread the Good News. Lovers of God should spread the love and message of peace. Together they should become strong to help each other in the coming difficult times. By helping each other to come to understand each their way of life and come to see the religious teachings having to grow to a point where they shall be in line with God His teaching and not keeping any more to human dogmatic teachings.

Perhaps not regularly writing here, nor on my own site, I am honoured that I am allowed to share some thoughts from the Holy Scriptures and that I hopefully may show some ways Jews see the world and hold their religion high. By bringing also some news from the Jewish site I do hope this shall shed some light on present and future events and shall bring some more mutual understanding between the different religious groups our world has created .

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Please do find my introductions to my site

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Additional reading

  1. Roman, Aztec and other rites still influencing us today
  2. Holidays, holy days and traditions
  3. Germanic mythological influences up to today’s Christmas celebrations
  4. Solstice, Saturnalia and Christmas-stress
  5. Pagan Holidays
  6. The imaginational war against Christmas
  7. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
  8. With child and righteousness greater than the law
  9. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
  10. To freeze the fighting in Aleppo
  11. Old texts saved behind a wall at the Mar Behnam monastery

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Further related articles

  1. Living Beyond Our World
  2. Chankkah
  3. Toldos – Generations
  4. Happy Chanukah, Y’all!
  5. Holiday Traditions – Chanukah
  6. Our Style: Happy Chanukah!

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The twist of politics and expression

A retired public school administrator and history professor says political polls asked people all across the nation how they felt about issues and adds that hey have been publicized in the mass media and questions how minorities would not being protected?

He writes

Our laws call for equal justice for all. The problem is that certain segments of our society are in denial about some of the crimes committed in our country. For example, the Black Lives Matter supporters blame the police for the killing of a few black people some of whom had criminal records.  But they ignore the fact that the greatest killers of black people are other black people. In Chicago, the murder rate of black on black is greater than the casualties we suffered in Afghanistan. So why doesn’t the Black Lives Matter supporters focus on the greatest killer of young black men? {A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal}

That America where effectively a lot of killing goes on between the black population by their own skin-coloured compatriots, could once more shake Europe with something they never would have expected and would not have hoped for.

A great problem of the States and Europe is that they had to undergo a terrible stock market crash and a period with lots of job losses. Both parts of the world also had to face a lot of people becoming poorer.

He writes

According to federal government statistics, we have more poor people now than ever before in our history. Ever since Lyndon Johnson started to spend billions on welfare and food stamps through his War on Poverty, poverty has INCREASED not decreased. Under Obama, according to federal government statistics, our nation now has more people than ever before. Obviously throwing money at the problem has increased poverty, not decreased it. {A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal}

For him

ObamaCare is a total disaster.  Need I remind you that the Democratic Party politicians NEVER included Republicans in the drafting of the law. They refused to work with the Republicans.  So the high premiums and high deductibles which make ObamaCare unaffordable is entirely the blame of the Democrats. {A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal}

He seems to forget Obama Care could not really be worked out as envisioned, because the republicans worked against it. It also had to face the difficulty, that though the U.S.A. claims to be a Christian nation there is not much Christian love for sharing with the weaker and needy ones. A lot of American citizens seem to care most for their own self little cocoon and all the rest they do not bother how they can manage.

For Europeans all what is going on in the states should be a portent. We should be aware of the dangerous harbinger showing very similar situations we have already encountered with the Weimar republic. In the twenties and thirties of previous century there was also a nation where there was a big difference between those who had money and those who had to fight every day to have some bread on the table. Last century Europe also face a crisis which made them very much afraid of all that was foreign or different than the main stream. Also then we saw a man with a big mouth shouting load and promising a lot.

This time it was at the other side of the ocean that some bigger or larger man used similar rhetoric tricks to get the majority of people on his hands.

Those who had other viewpoints at that time were not tolerated and often considered traitors. Something we also found a man of the American senate calling Hillary Clinton and demanding her to be put on the electric chair. It is not because the U.S.A. is called the land of the free that they are really so free.

The man replies

Trump has done nothing to violate the freedom of people. He isn’t even in office yet.

though did he not give enough signals that he would love to limit the freedom of many?

It is the protestors who are either unwilling or unable to accept Trumps’s selection in a democratic process.  They are the ones who are creating the violence. When Obama won his elections, there were NO demonstration or violence committed against his supporters.

I agree with him that violence should not be permitted, in no circumstances, but to call Trump a full democratic process is to lay violent hands on the truth. In the U.S.A. people with not enough money never will make a chance to become a presidential candidate and once the are in, they have to count on people or worse organisations funding them. that the one with the biggest mouth can force them to step down, you can call part of the democratic system, so no objection to that. It is up to people to hear what a person is promulgating. It is up to the listeners to examine what that person in front of them is enunciating and if his or her words are filled with the truth or are distorting the truth. In the case of Donald Trump they seemed to be deaf for all the lies he told and for how he switched from one side to an other, turning like the wind. He could uncap whatever he wanted and they all wanted to take it in like sweet buns.

Hillary Clinton speaks to the press in New Ham...

Hillary Clinton speaks to the press in New Hampshire. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The writer thinks we in Europe must be taken by all the propaganda, because most of us seem to have a distorted view of what is going on in America, and perhaps in the world.

What I find strange the writer of A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal does not seem to see the difference of what the bible-scholar Bijbelvorsers wrote and on what he reblogged, taking everything what was reblogged on the Stepping Toes article A Progressive Call to Arms as the writing of Bijbelvorsers though the reblog was of an article the bible-scholar wanted to lay in front of the readers to think about it. By doing so the reactor to that article also misses the point of such reblog, and also of such a writing on Stepping Toes, where I created a site where people should be able to come together to talk about controversial matters.

The second part the retired schoolmaster is referring and commenting to is a text written by theindependentthinker2016. I must commit it disturbs me we are not given more information who this can be, or which organisation may behind that name. But that does not make me to disagree with a lot that writer tells us.

I also would love to ask the readers on this readers digest and on the other lifestyle magazine to think about their way of going on with politics, willing to see what is going on or wanting to close an eye for certain things.

Niemöller, author of “First they came …” at The Hague’s Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in May 1952

I too would like to call to remember what the ex-naval officer and commander of a German U-boat in World War I wrote. He also had faced a man who wanted to have control over everything, including the churches. Until his arrested by Hitler’s secret police, the Gestapo, he was not afraid to open his mouth and to defend those who had no voice. We as Christians should come up for the weaker ones in society and should look at what happens in the world, if it can endanger man, animal and flora.

Christians also should take care that we do not have a second generation to have a collective guilt. Lecturing widely, Martin Friedrich Gustav Emil Niemöller spoke freely in favour of international reconciliation and against armaments.

Like there has been given a call on the lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes, to remember his famous statement and provocative poem, I also would repeat that important saying here also:

 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

-Martin Niemoller

Let us always be prepared to stand ready, to defend those without a voice and those who are oppressed.
I also express my hopes that we shall not have to face such cowardice of American intellectuals following the rise to power and subsequent purging of his chosen targets, group after group.

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Please do find both articles

the original A Progressive Call to Arms

the repost A Progressive Call to Arms

the reaction A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal

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Additional reading

  1. Expanding opportunities for more American families
  2. Where is the USA wanting to go with the freedom of their people
  3. Islamophobia Must be Fought and Defeated
  4. Stand Up
  5. God Isn’t a Republican
  6. American Christianity no longer resembles its Founder
  7. 150 Years after the 13th Amendment
  8. Walls,colours, multiculturalism, money to flow, Carson, Trump and consorts
  9. Scepticals of the Bible
  10. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  11. Coming closer to the end of 2015 and the end for Donald Trump as presidential candidate
  12. Looking at an American nightmare
  13. Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory
  14. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
  15. Some quotes Americans should remember when going to the ballot office
  16. When so desperate to hold onto power
  17. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
  18. A strong and wise fighter who keeps believing in America
  19. Brexit No. 2 Blow-up
  20. Voted against their system
  21. Nigel Farage called Donald Trump’s victory ‘bigger than Brexit’

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Further reading

  1. Election Historic Tidbits
  2. President Trump. Why the surprise??
  3. When a Country Elects a Celebrity Populist
  4. Will The Whitelash Last?
  5. Trump v. Clinton
  6. Trump Thoughts
  7. Trump and the hidden racism inside us
  8. Ep.04: Sound The TRUMPet Of TRiUMPh 
  9. How the Atheists Rage That Donald Trump Triumphed in the President Election
  10. EU top dog: “We will need to teach the president-elect what Europe is and how it works”
  11. The Future of the Anglo-American Alliance?
  12. Anti-Trump Protesters March by Tens of Thousands Nationwide
  13. Presidential matters
  14. How Electoral College Cheats Democracy – Consortiumnews
  15. Trump the Puppet
  16. They Got It Backwards: Tell Tale Signs Of Blatant Hypocrisy
  17. Stand In Your Sovereignty
  18. Warding Against Hate
  19. Michael Moore Makes Another Prediction: Trump Voters In Michigan Are In For ‘A Rude Awakening’
  20. David Duke Calls Trump’s Victory ‘One of the Best Days of My Life’
  21. Wynwood Protesters Want Trump To Know They’re Watching Him Closely
  22. As many question if Trump will fully repeal Obamacare, Kellyanne Conway says his promise relies on this factor
  23. Mister Trump Goes to Washington
  24. Broward Republican Party Chairman Bob Sutton At Donald Trump Victory Rally
  25. On President-elect Donald J Trump, the Simpsons, and Leonard Cohen making sense of it all through the clarity of Erik Nielsen
  26. Donald Trump announces plan to deport three million immigrants
  27. Trump’s Family Plan to Cut Business Conflicts Falls Short, Experts Say

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Want to Stop the Contempt, Hate, and Violence?

Stop the Violence Movement

Stop the Violence Movement (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Helping to come over the prejudices can also be to focus more on what you have in common and to look over the differences each person has from taking his or her own culture with him or her, and considering it such thing as a diversification but also as an enrichment of your own culture and environment.

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To remember

  • Many beliefs divide us … religion, politics race, sex, etc.,
  • power to unite us = choice to respect … to value
  • ramping up some brain power?
  • Connecting the Dots … with The Respect Principle

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Preceding articles

Go outside. Let the world in.

Are you right down in the dumps? Stop digging!

Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians

Tolerance Ends When There Is No Tolerance Shown Towards Us

My two cents on the refugee crisis

Stabbed victim parent’s hope for less hatred and more tolerance

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CONNECTING THE DOTS WITH THE RESPECT PRINCIPLE

Many beliefs divide us … religion, politics race, sex, etc., … but the one thing with the power to unite us, even if we can’t yet love everyone, is the choice to respect … to value … all life and then use our heads and hearts to figure out how to live peacefully.
Remember, we know this now … only bullies, who are those the most frightened and/or broken, result to offensive acts towards themselves and others.
Science has also informed us we are only yet using a very small percentage of our brain’s ability, so instead of ramping up fire power, how about ramping up some brain power?
A simple way to start is “Connecting the Dots … with The Respect Principle” because the idea is logical, practical, and even compassionate and requires only one thing … that we stop treating some people as more valuable and others as less ……

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A Prayer for Wisdom Amid Violence

Editor’s note: The last several weeks have witnessed many events of violence that are difficult to comprehend, and which confound efforts to respond wisely and biblically: the Orlando nightclub shooting, repeated acts of terror in the Middle East, and most recently, terrifying violence involving police in the United States. As you process your own reactions to these events, please join pastor Mel Lawrenz in this prayer for God’s wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” — James 1:5

 

 

Dear God,

You have said in your word that whenever we know we need wisdom, we should ask for it, and that you will give it generously. In these perilous times, we pray for your wisdom from above.

Grant us wisdom to know the way you look on the affairs of our nation.

Grant us wisdom to understand how you view our world today.

Grant us wisdom to know what an ordered and just and compassionate society looks like.

Grant us wisdom to know what to do with the reality of evil.

Grant us wisdom to uphold the defenseless.

Grant us wisdom to love you and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Lord, we pray that our leaders will personally understand that you are a dynamic reality in the world and in our lives.

May we be a nation which depends on you, acknowledges your blessings, and values what you value. And on the day after the election, Lord, help us to be faithful members of your kingdom and responsible citizens of the nation we inhabit.

In Christ’s name and for his sake, Amen.

 

 


For more biblical insight to help you grapple with the difficult issues presented by acts of terror and violence, see this past posts:

Mel LawrenzMel Lawrenz trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large. He has a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, the latest, How to Understand the Bible—A Simple Guide and Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Prayers, Religious affairs

A charter for a truly free world and why we need it

Dear readers, for those who are new, we like to repeat our aims and about the idea behind our sharing.

Sharing Writings and linking

This website wants to bring an overview of interesting articles which were published on the worldwide internet and present some additional views on how we could come to a better world. Up until now we also wanted to bring additional literature in sight of our readers. For that reason we have, up until a few days ago, included several links into the articles, which opened automatically in a new window. But somehow WordPress changed the way to include url links and made it more difficult or time consuming, not allowing the enclosure feature to remember the previous used url codes and having each link to be separately indicated to open in a new window, instead of remembering it for all links on that page. This means we always have to look again for certain links and have to do much more work to include them. This makes writing our articles even more time consuming. For that reason we regret from a few days ago we did not include so many links any more and from today onwards you shall have to chose how to open the link. Until we do not find a solution to keep the fill in for the links remembering what we filled in previously, we shall have to limit such linking to tags and other articles than those of the particular website (in this instance From Guestwriter).

Secondly, we also received regularly complaints from people that we linked to their website or article and had to undo such links or write a letter first explaining why we included that link and asking what they wanted we did with it. Though most agreed then to have the link staying on the article, we had lost lots of energy writing back and controlling everything.
For that reason we are going to refer less to outside articles, but still use Zemanta for presenting some articles, but this time we are going to choose more those sites we do know and for other sites we are not always going to read them all, before placing the Zemanta link, and will withdraw them directly when a complaint or request for “why linking” is presented to us. (Simple as that.)

Now you know also why one or an other site shall be linked to more than others. Those who would also liked to be linked to, can always ask us to examine their website and to follow their writings, so that we can may have a choice out of their articles as well.

Authors sharing their writings

Concerning the writers on this platform, we still wait for more writers willing to share their ideas. Many who we have contacted wanted money to write or to help this site evolve.

We are very limited in funds and as such can not pay our staff. We also believe not everything has to be arranged by money. A money-free future is perhaps not possible, but lots of things could and should be done without money in the back of the head.

We still can do with people writing about the history of way of living, to show us how our lifestyle changed by the years of technological evolution. We also would love to find an author who want to talk about nature and show the world the beauty of it and/or can let our readers now what is important to look at at a certain moment in the year. (Parks to visit, special exhibitions, etc.)

A political and economical analyst is also welcome.

Because of our interest how human beings should try to make the best out of living with each other, we also could use some more writers who talk about keeping the family healthy, spiritually and health wise. Talks about marriage, brining up children are more than welcome.

Not everything for money

All That Money Wants

All That Money Wants (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are convinced there are many benefits for not having everything in return for money. Most reasonable people will have no trouble accepting a money-free where people want to share with each other out of brotherly love. That will give better quality of life for all, less inequality, poverty, crime, greed, corruption, pollution and waste; greater health, education, trust, respect, awareness, sustainability, community values, technological advances, etc. Most people want these things, but are they convinced of the feasibility. How is a moneyless society possible?

I am convinced that there is a misconception about the need of money.

Imagining a world without money usually raises the following objections immediately, each of which is linked to a particular lifelong held belief (in brackets):

1. You need to have exchange (You can’t get something for nothing)
2. No-one would do anything (money motivates people)
3. People would take advantage (greed is human nature)
4. I will lose everything I have (fear of loss, ownership)
5. Chaos and violence would ensue (society requires control)
6. Society would stagnate or regress (markets fuel progress)

The good news is that all of these objections can be overturned quite easily using just plain common sense and basic observations.

Something for something or nothing for something

I do agree that most people want something for something else. For generations we people are brought up with that idea. Even worse, often people consider somebody not right in his head when he just wants to do something, not requiring anything in the place. Naturally we all need something to eat and we need a roof above our head, whilst we can not all have the same skill. Not everybody has enough competence to do the things he need. So we often are for many things dependent on others.

I am a believer in the Divine Creator and I am convinced He created all beings in His image and with the idea that all creatures are there for some good reason and to complement each other. Rabbi Jeshua, better known today as Jesus, reminded his listeners to look at the birds who have no money but manage to have their food and everything they need to live.
The master teacher and the prophets of God asked the people to look at nature where we can see what man came to call “symbiosys“. Everywhere in the creation of the Most High where man did not interfere there is balance. We can see that in nature two species benefit each other (the bee taking nectar while helping the plant to pollinate is the most obvious example), but there is no intentional transaction taking place. Both species are ignorant of the desires of the other. Some look at it as purely an accident of evolution that has caused both species to survive and flourish. In nature we can find many plants or animals which make use of each other, but not really demanding a return as such, and most of all not being repaid by something we can compare with money. We invented that idea of intentional exchanges as an essential ingredient to life or to community, to cope with scarcity in more primitive times, and with more complex needs.

Motivation by money not the best motivation

Serious Money

Serious Money (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The money / value system that we humans operate in has its origins in more primitive times, but which has now made us hell-bent on keeping score and accounting for everything in a numerical sense, and at the expense of common sense and sustainability. It is true that people are motivated by money, and that the communist system failed because of people being too egocentric and not willing to work together for a communal idea, building up a society where everybody could live on the same terms and being considered of equal value. We love to have a hierarchical system and I do agree somebody who is just lazy and does not want to co-operate in the system can not have the same advantages as somebody who works hard.

But like in nature those animals not having money, we as humans also do not nervelessly need a currency to provide payment, which proved not always to bring that luck hoped for.

We all have look at “Money” as a handy tool or a commodity accepted by general consent as a medium of economic exchange. In industrialized nations, portion of the national money supply, consisting of bank notes and government-issued paper money and coins, provides a value or currency. Everybody expects everything  to be “prized” and  expresses the value of things in currencies or in money. In the so called “third world” or among less developed societies, we can see that currency encompasses a wide diversity of items (e.g., livestock, stone carvings, tobacco) used as exchange media as well as signs of value or wealth.

Human motivators Better values

We should come to see and understand that there are much better values than money. Think about the many other human motivators:

  • the desire to love and be loved, to meet people, to have children, to help others, to improve ourselves and our surroundings, to look good, to feel good, to learn, to challenge ourselves, to express ourselves, to innovate, to demonstrate our skills, etc.
    Every person alive is motivated by these desires to some degree. Because, after survival, these desires are what give our lives value and meaning.

Nature doesn’t keep score and why should we put everything in figures and balance it out to get even? Do you find it normal that people would seek exchange in their families or in their circles of friends? So why do we seek exchange in others? Among our loved ones, loving people shall tend to help each other out when they can and no-one will keep score.

Permitting exchanges between people having prices

Trying to get everything for yourself is not a natural instinct but a created attitude which can be transformed back to the innocent position we have a s a toddler. At the beginning of life the human being only asks and takes what it needs. Greed is not a basic element of human nature – it is even a deformed desire to stockpile something what the person may consider scarce and which he need to live, or a wrong attitude having come into the personality by the envy looking at others and comparing to others.

Like a squirrel collecting nuts, some may find greed makes good sense – because we don’t know what the future will bring. In a monetary world, the greatest scarcity is money itself, so it makes sense to accumulate it, and, since there is no upper limit to the money and property you can have, there’s no reason to stop accumulating it.

Map of the global distribution of economic and physical water scarcity as of 2006

Price systems may be considered the result of scarcity but for the first time in history, we have the technology to eradicate scarcity (or paucity) and to create an abundance of necessities for all humans on Earth with minimal physical effort. Primarily by coordinating the decisions of consumers, producers, and owners of productive resources people have taken refuge with their monetary system. Prices have become an acceptable expression of the consensus on the values of different things, and every society that permits exchanges between people has prices. Because prices are expressed in terms of a widely acceptable commodity, they permit a ready comparison of the comparative values of various commodities.

Machines to do the work of man

Normally we have enough technology to make work light for man. For lots of jobs the machines could do the work for man. What is going wrong today is that certain people, who do not do much work, can earn more than 300% than those who do the dirty work. And that is too much inequality. Such a difference should not exist. This way not having people being rightly paid according to what they do or which responsibility they take at a reasonable reward, prevents a nice way of living for everybody, as it intrinsically requires scarcity to perpetuate itself.

Ownership

Throughout history mankind has tried out several systems which all failed in a certain way. I as a Christian am convinced no human system can bring the right solution, but until the return of the Messiah we have to find ways to make life as smooth as possible and to have the creation in balance, not demanding too much of nature and not destroying so many things around us, which we have in loan and do not own. And there is the difficulty of it all, too many people think they “Own” and want to possess more. It is their fear of loosing what they “own” which makes them behave this way and often makes them blind for the way others (other humans, animals and plants) have to live.

The whole notion of ownership should be revised altogether.

We all need privacy and a certain amount of exclusivity, right?

Who wants to share their toothbrush, or have strangers walking around their home, for example?

Our normalised belief tells us that we define who uses what through something called ‘ownership’. Our laws define and protect ownership, with the threat of punishment to those who disobey (ie. stealing).

But where does this concept of ownership came from in the first place? Did we own nothing before someone wrote the law?

Given in loan

We think we own something and that the earth is ours. Believers in God do know that it is a gift from the Divine Creator and that we have received this earth in loan. It is not ours, it is God’s.

Growing up we make things our own. We create our personality. Growing up we collect certain things we consider our own. But we should know that once we die, the breath of life goes out of us, and we shall be nothing any-more with those treasures we collected. We can’t take those treasures with us in our grave, to an other life. It shall be of no purpose in our death. We shall just decay and become dust like many of those goods also shall become dust.

The point is that most things in the community belonged to no-one. Whatever items within the community that were not morally or logically entitled to anyone were used and shared by all.

So without ownership, what stops people from stealing? What actually stops people from stealing from each other is that it is anti-social, disrespectful and invasive, and people who do so are liable to become deeply unpopular. This social incentive for certain behaviour is far stronger than any rule could ever be, as it is dictated by how we feel about ourselves and our position in society. Yet we commonly mistake the rule of law as being the only thing that governs this behaviour.

Crimes, violence and Respect, privacy and exclusivity

Value for Money

Value for Money (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If we understand that respect, privacy and exclusivity are, in fact, already hard-wired into our social psyche – not dictated by external controlling forces – then we can begin to move beyond the traditional inefficient limits of ownership and with it, any fear of loss.

Throughout history we can see that it was the desire of power and the greed of certain people that brought misery to others. The last few moths I encountered many who said religion is the base of violence. When they would look closer at what really happened in history they would see that most criminal acts where done by non-religious people for political reasons and on second place or by people who used a religion as an excuse for their war of conquest. Today we see this by ISIS who present a similar war as the crusaders and do the same atrocities as the inquisitors a few centuries ago. Their killing had a duration of more than one century, whilst ISIS is only busy for a few years. Their terror is as abominable as the terror other terrorists bring. They bring fear and terror in the hope increasing their power. But most crime and violence is driven by desperation through lack of basic requirements for living, ie. theft, armed robbery, burglary, etc. and by having a low moral. Almost all other crimes can be seen as the secondary effects of poor upbringing. ie. where parents are poor, over-worked, unemployed, frustrated, depressed or disillusioned, etc. – all factors that can contribute to an unstable and unloving environment for children, who may later turn to crime as a result of low self esteem or maladjustment.

No incentive for crime

When you succeed into taking away the inequality and create a world where everyone will have free access to good food, housing, education and technology, it still won’t be perfect or eliminate all crime, but if everyone has a good quality of life and free access, then crime will have little or no incentive.

Driven by passion

In our commercialised society we are so used that everything is valued by a currency and money. The economists or entrepreneurs look at the system we are used to and cite economic incentive and competition as good for progress. Have you ever wondered with what they compared their luxurious system? Might it not be that because they start of with a false key that they come to false conclusions?

Are we really to believe that all innovators, inventors and artists will down tools the moment someone calls time on money? Obviously not, since we all know so many creative people that never achieve financial success, it shows us that they are not driven by money, but rather by their passions and desire to innovate.

Sharing people

I would love to call onto people to come to think about sharing more.

Often I do meet people who are very much afraid of a sharing system and think we can not do without money, though they themself use lots of tools without paying for them.  We can find lots of people who are using Open Source Applications, which they take it for granted they can use them because everybody is using them. Often they do not see other large scale innovative projects which are becoming the optimum means of production without a monetary incentive.

Lots of people behind the screens try to invent things which can be used by others, and use themselves things others created. Lots of people do forget that many computer programs like Linux, Chrome and Android have been developed freely by enthusiasts in their spare time,. It ware those people who were willing to spend their precious free time to create something for the good of the whole community and not just for themselves or to gain lots of money. The computer industry has led the way on this, but of course, there is no reason why ‘open source thinking’ cannot be applied in agriculture, crafts, construction or education, etc.

Difficult to get people to share something which they consider of their own

The big problem we are facing today is that there has been created a generation of people who mainly think about themselves. Their ego comes on the first place and they look for gaining as much as they can for their own, often at the cost of others.

In the past the economical factor, being of wealthy parents of a having a privileged background was the creating facility for equanimity or for daring taking risks. Comfortable upbringing, access to good food and education, often provided the luxury of time – not labouring for their keep – but spending it on developing their ideas and skills instead. But we also find lots of creative minds who had no financial security, though created masterpieces.

Having money does not mean being smarter. If society can work better without money, then all potential young Einsteins and Mozarts will have the optimal opportunity to exercise and advance their talents.

If we create a society where talents are recognised and stimulated and people can receive equal opportunities, so much more can come off the ground.

Why not believing in a a moneyless future?

You can see that money does not bring that happiness many people hoped for. It is not a bad tool to be used in exchange for things, but we should not put all our hopes on it.

We should go back to the natives. We best dare to look at those living in the Amazon or other not yet by capitalism spoiled places. We too can learn from populations where money is not the key factor to order their way of living.

We should also come to understand that in our society we do have so many things we do not need or do not need any-more. Why not giving that stuff away that is filling your cupboards? If you have certain talents, why not sharing them with others and letting them also enjoy them?

In case a moneyless future seems something interesting to think about or when you like the idea, why not join “a movement of believers”?

Please have a look at the underneath brief introduction to the charter for a truly free world.

You are invited to show your support by reading and signing The Free World Charter.

Thank you.

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***

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Preceding articles

Being ‘broke’ a state of mind

Luxury

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

Summermonths and consumerism

Less for more

Less… is still enough

Looking on what is going on and not being of it

Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism

The Existence of Evil

Spring playing hide and seek

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Why “Selfishness” Doesn’t Properly Mean Being Shortsighted and Harmful to Others

Hoarding Relationships and Things

Forward ever backwards never!

Watch out

Stop and Think

A bird’s eye and reflecting from within

We all have to have dreams

Material gain to honour God

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Additional reading:

  1. How we think shows through in how we act
  2. Greed more common than generosity
  3. Capitalism
  4. A look at materialism
  5. The business of this life
  6. Angry at the greedy state
  7. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind
  8. Detroit, A city not to be understood
  9. Catherine Ashton on the EU annual report on human rights
  10. Time to consider how to care for our common home
  11. Increasing wealth gap of immense proportions in the Capitalist World
  12. Democratic downfall
  13. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #6 Transport factor of immobilising financial growth
  14. A dangerous way of censorship
  15. Internet absurdities
  16. Changing screens
  17. Looking for Free Blogs and blogging
  18. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
  19. Inequality, Injustice, Sustainability and the Free World Charter
  20. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #5 Mortality of man and mortality of the spirit
  21. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3
  22. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 4
  23. The Question is this…
  24. True riches
  25. Count your blessings
  26. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
  27. Bearing fruit
  28. Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
  29. The 2014 year coming to its end
  30. 2015 the year of ISIS
  31. Coming closer to the end of 2015 and the end for Donald Trump as presidential candidate
  32. In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope
  33. 30 things to start doing for yourself – #6 is vital.
  34. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority

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Against cruelty in this world

Our feelings are with all those who have been hurt by the acts of brutal men.


There might be lots of violence which we seem to be unable to avoid.
We should let our voice be heard and protest against such cruelty in this world.

“Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.” (Romans 12:15 ASV)
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; them that are ill-treated, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3 ASV)


Dear God, we ask you that you bring light to many people
and show them your way to peace,
making them stronger to bear all the violence of this world.

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Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria

These days the west came to understand how seriously Islamic State group wants to launch “enormous and spectacular attacks,” as jihadis broaden their focus to target Western lifestyles.

The heart of Europe was severely hurt on the 22nd of March with up to 35 deaths and 396 wounded (as registered on the 31st of March).

The Paris and Brussels attacks have rightly caused outrage across the globe. However, while millions in the West took to social media to share their grief, there are numerous attacks across the world that go largely unreported in the mainstream media are which are forgotten or not remembered by lots of Westerners.

The “black flag of jihad” as used by jihadist militants since around the late 1990s

File:Régions naturelles de Belgique.jpg

Ardennes (in ‘darker’ green)

Our regions do know that IS is no longer content to simply radicalise people through propaganda, but is “trying to build bigger attacks.” for several months now that rebel group is also trying to bring jihadis trained in Syria into northern Europe to launch strikes, helped by those who are trained in West Flanders and in the Belgian Ardennes.

On 21 March, the Kurds celebrated the biggest cultural event of their year, Newroz or New Year, but once again they too were under attack by Turkey but also by groups of their own, namely the PKK.

Pro-Assad media hails recapture of ancient city as ‘strategic victory’ but others allege collusion between Damascus and retreating militants


A Syrian soldier looks at graffiti in Palmyra reading: “The Islamic State is staying’ (AFP)

Ruins of Palmyra

The ruins of Palmyra in 2010

The dramatic recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra by the Syrian army and its allies on Sunday prompted some commentators in the Arabic-language media to declare the beginning of the end for the Islamic State (IS) group, while others predicted a long and drawn out battle to come with regional and global consequences. {- See more at: Middle East eye}

Four days after the Brussels attacks the terrorists showed they were not at all only focussing on fakir Christians. At least 41 people were killed and 105 wounded when a teenage ISIS suicide bomber blew himself up at a small soccer stadium in the Iraqi city of Iskanderiyah, less than 30 miles south of Baghdad. The attack targeted the crowd watching an amateur soccer match on Friday evening in the mixed Sunni and Shiite town, and the city’s mayor, who was presenting awards to the soccer players at the time of the bombing, was among those killed. The BBC also reports that 17 of the dead were boys between the ages of 10 and 16. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack using its social media channels, according to the Site extremist monitoring group.

IRAQ-CONFLICT-UNREST

epaselect PAKISTAN SUICIDE BOMB BLAST AFTERMATHOn Sunday the 27th of March Pakistan got its share also with a bombing that killed 72 people and injured more than 350 at a crowded park on Easter Sunday. Though the violent Pakistani Taliban offshoot known as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar — which boasted that it targeted Christians in a crowded park in Lahore — once publicly declared support for ISIS, but has hit more Muslims and Hindy people than Christians.

Now it’s the subject of an intensive crackdown in the world’s second-most populous and only nuclear-armed Muslim nation. On dealing with the threat of Islamic State, Obama said he had invited participating nations to work on improving intelligence-sharing to prevent terrorist attacks.

“At our session on ISIL this afternoon there was widespread agreement that defeating terrorist groups like ISIL requires more information sharing,”

Obama said on Friday April 1, using an acronym for the militant group.

Pakistan, a country long considered an al Qaeda stronghold, feels more and more also the negative pressure of that group and similar related groups which want to govern lots of people, telling them what they can or not can do.

Those “cowardly” suicide attacks shall continue. And with them we can see the Biblical prophesies of having the religions coming up against religions, after the period when the people living in the land of Euphrates and Tigris would have fought against each other (Iran & Iraq).

Whilst US President Barack Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons yesterday after arriving in France for a Nato summit, where he won French endorsement of his new Afghanistan strategy, we should be fully aware that the war on terror continues and shall bring forth some other serious attacks form underground people or different cells which sprout up like ulcers.

It are those rebels who misuse the name of God and try to get religious people against each other. Believers in God should be very careful not to fall in the trap and going to one or another religious group. In Belgium, Holland, France and some other Western countries we can see movements from right as wall as extreme left wing organisations defiling the Muslim community.

Flag of Taliban

Flag of Taliban (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For sure the Western states do have to get a grip on rising violence by al Qaeda and Taliban militants driven from power in 2001 but never completely defeated. But Christians should be careful not to be carried away by hatred and should abstain from any violent action. They also should show their love for those who are different than them and who have an other faith than them, but who also sincerely believe in the Divine Creator.

We always should remember that those who rape and sell children, kill innocent people, burn Koran‘s, mosques and bring terror on so many places are all doing things which are against Koran teaching and as such against real Muslim faith.

They are not only misusing and defiling the Name of God, but they are bringing discredit to all those believers who belong to the Islam.

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Attacks targeting civilians linked to or inspired by ISIS Since January 2015, outside Iraq and Syria.
Circles represent number of deaths of confirmed ISIS-related attacks.
Attacks by ISIS 2015-2016 March

Islamic State claimed responsibility for several explosions causing many deaths and severely wounded, creating lots of horror and pain

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Preceding / Voorgaande

Tears for Belgium

A darker and stranger place

In tijden van gemeenschappelijk verdriet

Belangrijke onderbreking

Hoe te reageren op aanslagen in Brussel

peace not war

 

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Find also to read:

  1. Daesh hits heart of Europe
  2. A Black day for Belgium – Brussels Airport ravage
  3. Knife-trust in democratic sore back
  4. ISIL will find no safe haven
  5. ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action
  6. Condemning QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi their extremist ideologies and to clarify the true teachings of Islam
  7. Al Qaeda regaining foothold in Middle East bubonic plague for American elections
  8. ISIS has released pictures of the destruction of St. Elian’s place in Homs and the Baalshamin Temple in Palmyra

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Further related articles:

  1. Obama offers vision of world without nuclear arms
  2. Dundar: Turkish journalists are ‘freedom-fighters’ whose ‘fight has just begun’
  3. Suicide bomber kills dozens at football stadium in Iraq
  4. ISIS claims suicide attack on Iraqi stadium that kills 25

  5. IS Claims Suicide Bombing on Stadium in Iraq That Killed 29
  6. Suicide bomber kills 29 at football match near Baghdad
  7. Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar forms in northwestern Pakistan
  8. Pakistan Militant Group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Threatens Fresh Wave of Violence
  9. Lahore bombing: what is Jamaat-ul-Ahrar?

  10. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar: Group behind Lahore blast part of ‘saturated’ jihadist market
  11. Lahore Bombing Fuels Fears of ISIS Foothold in Pakistan
  12. ISIS Suicide Bomber Kills 41 at Soccer Game in Iraq
  13. Baghdad suicide attack: Death toll of Isis football stadium bombing rises to 41
  14. Where ISIS Has Directed and Inspired Attacks Around the World

 

Related articles

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Lifestyle

Il terrorismo è l’urlo di un bambino al buio

To remember:

When tidal wave of yet another tragedy linked to terrorism will subside, we will return all of our lives.

We’ve almost forgotten about Charlie Hebdo, gunshots in the Bardo Museum, the ones on the beach in Sousse.

Living in age of terrorism = gulp down tons of violence at speed of light.

ruthless process, perhaps the most terrifying of terrorism purposes: on the one hand aims at deceiving and stun, the other creates in us the awareness that fear walks hand in hand with us.

Brussels = city = distillation of different cultures + overall mix = cultural capital of a dream > Europe > perhaps proved more ambitious than what you thought over sixty years ago.

vibrant + dynamic city > reflected in Atomium

an eternal greyness surrounds the mussels, French fries, chocolate + most delicious beer in the world

Streets full of dirt that intersect with embroidered gardens by the cleanliness and order.

Brussels = not hit at random <= Belgium at crossroads of social redemption

child trapped in subway tunnel =  cry in the dark = Something atavistic, that binds us together. Because the greatest fear and that all we suffer is that of the unknown nightmare that assails us in silence and darkness of the night.

  A cry that can not have answers. Because it is too irrational. Especially to be explained to a child.

Let us remember that cry, before all is still metabolized. Before that our fears are deleted from the looming everyday.

The symbol of Brussels is Manneken Pis, a child from angelic features that pees. Perhaps it is now broken.

But if they reassemble, us, we can make sure he gets to pee.

Maybe in their own terrorists head.

Manneken Pis & terrorist attacks

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Approccio Serale

Lo sappiamo tutti. Quando il maremoto dell’ennesima tragedia legata al terrorismo si placherà, noi torneremo tutti alle nostre vite. Alle nostre bollette da pagare, al nostro Paese che ci delude quotidianamente, alla Juventus che ci fa incazzare e a Belèn che tenta di alzare lo share spostando l’aria con le natiche.

Ci siamo già quasi scordati di Charlie Hebdo, degli spari nel museo Bardo, di quelli in spiaggia a Sousse.

Vivere nell’epoca del terrorismo significa ingurgitare tonnellate di violenza e conseguente retorica alla velocità della luce. Metabolizzare tutto ed espellerlo. E aspettare che tutto torni, ciclicamente.

È un procedimento spietato, forse il più terrorizzante della finalità del terrorismo: se da una parte punta a spiazzarci e a stordirci, dall’altra crea in noi la consapevolezza che la paura cammini a braccetto con noi. Fino al punto di non percepirla quasi più.

Di Bruxelles ho un ricordo simile a quello che ho…

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Remain lovingly = No path for softies

BZN Liefdevol blijven

Remain lovingly. No path for softies.

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David Grégoire Van Reybrouck Flemish Belgian author who writes historical fiction, literary non-fiction, novels, poetry, plays and academic texts. He has received several Dutch literary prizes, including AKO Literature Prize (2010) and Libris History Prize.

Jens Stoltenberg February 2015.jpg

Jens Stoltenberg

One hears language of war here and there as a reaction to acts of terror worldwide. In his opinion column David Van Reybrouck pleads for other forms of resoluteness than war language. Immediately after the attacks in Norway the Prime Minister Stoltenberg pleaded frankly for

“more democracy, more openness, more participation“.

In this climate of violence we need this connective thinking. Violence starts indeed  where people allow themselves to be played off against each other and point at innocent people.

Only light can conquer darkness.
Last november ,’Hart boven Hard‘ (Heart above Hard) and other similar organisations have organised simultaneous “silent wakes”   in various towns in solidarity with all the victims of terror attacks and wars. Under the common motto “together against hate” the civil movement invites as many people as possible to make a gesture against violence, polarising and terrorism.
Also the youth brigade Tony! takes to the streets in order to commit hopeful attacks. In the autumn they drove through the city and projected connecting messages onto public buildings like the MAS. With this wildbeam action these young people offer a constructive counterweight. They choose for radical hope as a last freedom of the human being. The freedom to choose how we want to deal with the things thrown at us today.

An alternative for fear begins with …. YOU!
Every person who chooses resolutely every day to stay lovingly, to accept dialogue, to choose for encounter, knows that this is not an easy path to take. Resistance, disappointment, desperation are part of it. Resilience is a must. Notwithstanding this MWN summons – already for over 55 years – to choose this path. To keep trusting. Also when it becomes difficult. Because we keep believing in the silent force of many citizens who together keep delivering small , meaningful deeds. As a silent protest.

Dalailama1 20121014 4639.jpg

The present and 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

The Dalai Lama has spread a similar message :

“Violence is a reaction of shortsighted people that have lost the plot. At 81 I believe that violence cannot be solved by prayers or Governments. We have to create change at an individual level and then spread this to your neighbourhood and the society”.

BzN-Mov Without a Name-Logo_EN

BZN or MWN Who we are & What we do;

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Original Dutch Version /Nederlandse versie: Liefdevol blijven = Geen weg voor softies

 

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Additional reading

  1. Muslim Grooming (Rape) Gangs and Sharia
  2. When the wind blows hard on a tree
  3. Hope does not disappoint us
  4. If you do pray you shall not be disappointed

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Further reading

  1. ‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’
  2. Resistance (1)
  3. Resistance (2)
  4. Defiance vs Resistance
  5. ‘Let’s pull this humongous tree by the root’
  6. Goal Setting: It’s the Little Things
  7. We are Yedikule!
  8. Tout inclusif
  9. Revolutionary Internationalism Makes a Comeback in Oakland
  10. Activist hunting
  11. Thoughtful Thursdays #115 Three Wishes
  12. Day 378: Waking Up To Revenge
  13. Shards
  14. I Feel Broken
  15. What It Looks Like to Be So Happy It Hurts
  16. F.L
  17. Raw Thoughts
  18. good people
  19. New Beginnings

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Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis

To remember

  • great paradoxical absurdity > appalling violence in Paris > parts of media + certain individuals + groups = advocating denial of sanctuary to refugees – people who have experienced very same violence (at the hands of very same fundamentalists) = as a daily reality
  • one must empathise with those refugees fleeing violence and terrorism
  • exploiting anger + fear felt by so many people across the world in the aftermath of these horrible attacks, purely to further own Islamophobic + xenophobic narrative = misdirected anger + hatred = inexcusable + entirely unhelpful.
  • solidarité which must prevail
  • our obligations > kind of violence + terror from which refugees are fleeing
  • observe somewhat selective humanity + relative silence from same people in relation to events in Beirut + similar violence across the world
  • emergence of refugee crisis + displacement of millions of people = considered a consequence, in part, of failings of incoherent + ineffective foreign policy of certain Western countries

+

Preceding:

Paris Attack and Ranting

Spike In Anti-Muslim Attacks Casts Spotlight On Government Policies

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris

A husband’s heartbreaking tribute to his wife killed in the Paris attacks

++

Find also to read:

  1. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
  2. Do we have to be an anarchist to react
  3. Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
  4. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
  5. French Muslims under attack

+++

Reflections on Human Rights and World Affairs

Paris

The great paradoxical absurdity is that, because of the appalling violence in Paris on Friday night, parts of the media and certain individuals and groups are now advocating the denial of sanctuary to refugees – people who have experienced the very same violence (at the hands of the very same fundamentalists) but as a daily reality. For such people to express moral outrage and horror at the actions of the terrorists in Paris whilst simultaneously proposing that we withhold protection from refugees fleeing such violence in their own countries, it is entirely contradictory. If one genuinely feels outrage at the death of 129 people and injury of many more on Friday night in Paris, and empathises with the families of those killed, then one must empathise with those refugees fleeing violence and terrorism. Anything less is simply moral hypocrisy.

However, such moral outrage is not authentic, but opportunistic – exploiting the anger…

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The Crusader Rifle

A few weeks ago we could see on the Flemish television a documentary on The Crusader Rifle.

It is unbelievable that people who are calling themselves Christians promote such weapons were the name of God and God His Own Words are misused.

Naturally those people using those weapons are contributing to the same weapon industry who provides weapons and money to the ones who want to go to battle. They do not seem to read the Bible in its entity but only keep repeating some phases taken out of context, doing the same thing as their radical Muslim fundamentalist counterparts.

Unbelievable but true. We wanted therefore to share one of those weird American ideas which help to promote hatred in this world.

Lots of Americans do forget that much more people are killed a day by cars and by weapons of their own so called Christian people. Lots of people do overestimate the killings by religious terrorists. There are more political and other hate terrorist actions than those motivated by religious reason.

*

  • A new AR-15 “assault” rifle model, made by Florida Gun Manufacturer Spike’s Tactical, = billed as one that would “never be used by Muslim terrorists.”
  • “Spike’s Tactical Crusader”  = standard AR-15 by design + undergone a few “cosmetic” modifications to make it reportedly “offensive” to those of Muslim faith.
  • The Bible verse, Psalm 144:1 has been laser etched into the rifle => “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
  • including a few other “tweaks,” = laser-etched “shield and cross.”  + safety selector features the words “Peace,” for the safe setting, “War” for the semi-automatic mode, and “God wills it.”
  • The “reverse” site of the safety selector “bears” the Latin translations of those “words and phrases.”

The Crusader Rifle 02

  • They want to believe: one of the biggest threats in the world = Islamic terrorism
  • “former” military man + security “contractor” in the Middle East, Thomas understands well that many of the weapons “used” by terrorists are made in the United States and “paid” for by others.
  • Americans witnessed over 250 mass killings in 2015 alone > only one of those killings involved a self-proclaimed Muslim
  • escalating problem of gun violence
  • shameful marketing ploy = to profit from promotion of hatred, division, and violence.”
  • Florida owner of Florida Gun Supply his Inverness store =  “Muslim-free zone.”  => federal lawsuit, “violates” civil rights afforded to all Americans by the U.S. Constitution.

+

Preceding:

Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians

Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians

++

Find also to read

  1. Fear and protection
  2. Judeo-Christian values and liberty
  3. Christian values and voting not just a game
  4. Outreach to rednecks
  5. Maker of most popular weapon asks for repentance
  6. The trigger of Aurora shooting
  7. High time to review the right to keep and bear arms
  8. American Senate ignoring many voices and tears of their own people

+++

Andelino's Weblog

The Crusader Rifle 00

A new AR-15 “assault” rifle model, made by Florida Gun Manufacturer Spike’s Tactical, is being billed as one that would “never be used by Muslim terrorists.”

The “Spike’s Tactical Crusader” is a standard AR-15 by design, but this particular model has undergone a few “cosmetic” modifications to make it reportedly “offensive” to those of the Muslim faith.

The Bible verse, Psalm 144:1 has been laser etched into the rifle. It says, “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

The AR-15 also includes a few other “tweaks,” including a laser-etched “shield and cross.” The safety selector features the words “Peace,” for the safe setting, “War”for the semi-automatic mode, and “God wills it.”

The “reverse” site of the safety selector “bears” the Latin translations of those “words and phrases.”

The Crusader Rifle 02

Shooting “standard” .223 or 5.56 ammunition, the rifle may be modified further…

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Filed under Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Juridical matters, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs

Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians

Some may think

The world is telling Christians that they must be blindly tolerant of all things or they are haters. {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

The Christians who are asking to be tolerant do not ask to be tolerant to violence. They ask do be concerned about those in need, and they ask to sincerely investigate all things and not to make conclusions too fast, putting everybody on the same line. Like after the Parisian attacks, so many people getting to shout to get all the refugees out and to stop them entering the European Union because they would be bringing Islam over our regions.

Русский: скромная одежда для muslims и non-muslims

Русский: скромная одежда для muslims и non-muslims (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most of the from violence fleeing people are not practising Muslims and they just want to be spared of any fundamentalist teaching reigning over their life. We should not straight ahead think those people would bring radical Muslim teaching to our regions. Even when lots of them may be Muslim it should not frighten us that they would convert people here. If they are able to convert people to Islam others should ask themselves

People may think they don’t have to tolerate everything that crosses their path or that we or others think they should tolerate. {Churches response to Radical Muslims} It is given to everybody in our democratic countries to utter their opinion. We always should make that clear to any body entering our regions and certainly to those who want to live in our regions. Those who come to live in our states should very well know that here there shall have to stay freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Such freedom of speech makes it also possible that there shall be people who take a stand against those teachings they consider false and against tolerances, that plague, divide and destroy the people of God.

Though what we see today is that certain Christians do think that those refugees would come in here in Europe or in other parts of the Northern hemisphere to

divide and destroy the people of God {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

But is that so?

No, it is an idea that many want to pose because they are afraid of their own identity being hurt. In case they would stand strong enough in their shoes they should not worry. Christians should even be joyful because this would give them more opportunities to preach their faith and convert others to their faith. Is it not because so many Christians do not preach any more and are themselves not active in the Witnessing process that they consider those who are preaching as a danger. As such we also find a lot of aversion and opposition against Jehovah Witnesses, Christadelphians, Mormons and other preaching believers.

Christians should know there is a Big Battle coming. They should prepare themselves and their children for it, but also should warn others around them for the dangers that shall come over our world. But they also should know that in the Holy Scriptures is written that one of the signs of the Last Days shall be that religion shall come to rise against religion. Those religious groups fighting against each other should not make us afraid but should make us even more prepared to go out in the world and to preach the Truth. In case our teachings are founded on the Truth, we should not have to worry. We also know that man can kill man but they shall not be able to take man away from God when that man is in God.

English: The Ethnic composition of Muslims in ...

The Ethnic composition of Muslims in the United States, according to the United States Department of State based on the publication of Being Muslim in America as of March 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We do know many Americans do think they are the centre of the world and that Islamic leaders saw America as the central power of Christianity. We have no idea where they got that from, but for sure it is true that radical Muslims do consider Christendom (and not Christianity) as their arch-enemy. In case they should know better Christianity than they should be more moderate and recognise that not all Christians do worship a threeheaded god. They should know that there are also many Christians who worship only the One True God, Allah, The Elohim Hashem Jehovah. If they knew their history they should be able to see why Mohammed was the right person in its time on that place, but that throughout history there have always been true worshippers of the Only One True God, the God of Abraham (Ibrahim).

Tom Harkness is right in saying

Everything about the West they view as Christian, all that we find valuable they hate; democracy, transparency, the rule of law, human rights, the separation of religion from governments are all discredited in the eyes of the jihadis (Wayne Grudem; Politics according to the bible). {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

That is today’s biggest problem, that those fundamentalist Muslims are doing exactly the same thing as the fundamentalist Christians from some centuries ago but also from those today.

Certain Christians do want to believe there are some extra-terrestrial demons hovering around, which they call devils, under the leadership of their head-devil Satan who organise a world-war against Jesus. They forget that according to the Holy Scriptures a satan is any adversary, like Peter was called a satan. so they teach people

so that you have a sound response either in your own mind or when people are attempting to discredit the truth that this is a battle between satan and the Jews and satan and Christians. {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

They are right in the fact that it is a satan who goes into battle with the world of God. The adversary of will trample hard. He knows the end shall be coming near and it is high time to go into the counter-attack. Real believers of God have to see that and should recognise the dangers of getting pulled in the trap to act also against the Will of God.

People like Imam Sheikh Muhammad Ayed,  who has told Muslims to use the migrant crisis to breed with European citizens and

‘conquer their countries’.

are the ones who put oil on the fire and spread the lies which are fed with messages from negative reacting Christians and National Socialists.

‘Throughout Europe, all the hearts are enthused with hatred toward Muslims. They wish that we were dead, but they have lost their fertility, so they look for fertility in our midst,’ {Imam tells Muslim migrants to ‘breed children’ with Europeans to ‘conquer their countries’ and vows: ‘We will trample them underfoot, Allah willing’ }

God is a God of love and order. He wants us to feel respect for all creatures, including those who do not love God. We should not kill them but should present them a life full of hope and glory. With our strength of faith we should bring them over the line, getting them to see where the true expectations of God are.

The real reason radical Islamists attack America, may be born out of a want to create an Islamic State and to destroy Jews & Christians, but it is mainly also because they consider the West interfering with their politics and hindering their cause in their own regions, which do not belong to America nor Europe.

It’s important that we understand the background. These attacks are not caused by people experiencing poverty or oppression in poor nations. This was started and is maintained by well-educated upper class, largely college-educated mostly wealthy men. (Wayne Grudem: politics according to the bible) {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

We even should come to see who are really backing ISIS and providing them with the necessary funds to get all that weapon arsenal.

English: There are apparently as many Christia...

There are apparently as many Christians as Muslims in Lebanon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Please let us always remember

“There are peaceful Muslims in the world that simply want to live their lives just like you and want their children to live peaceful and successful lives. The problem is not the peaceful Muslims but the radical Muslims. There are 1.2 billion Muslims, not all are radical. The radicals are 15-25% according to all intelligence reports around the world. That leaves 75% who are relatively peaceful people.” {Churches response to Radical Muslims}

We should concentrate much more on those peaceful Muslims as well on the peaceful Christians and should react to those Muslims and Christians who want to destabilise the world by their messages of hate and intolerance.

+

Preceding articles:

Paris Attack and Ranting

Problematic Or Patriotic? Two Ways To Talk About Muslims

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

Migration not something to fear

What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?

Social media and asylum seekers

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Real progress leaves nobody behind

Spike In Anti-Muslim Attacks Casts Spotlight On Government Policies

Don’t be Muslim

Children of Men

Tolerance Ends When There Is No Tolerance Shown Towards Us

My two cents on the refugee crisis

++

Find also to read:

  1. Meaning of life
  2. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  3. Suffering through the apparent silence of God
  4. If you have integrity
  5. Integrity of the fellowship
  6. More Muslim children than Christian children growing up in our cities
  7. Being Charlie 10
  8. 2014 Religion: with a.o. Global war against Christians
  9. Syrian but also Belgian connection to French attacks
  10. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
  11. Paris attacks darkening the world
  12. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  13. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
  14. French Muslims under attack
  15. Americans wrongly informed about situation in Europe
  16. Trump brand of migrant demonization #1
  17. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
  18. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
  19. Daring to speak in multicultural environment
  20. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
  21. Faith related boycotts
  22. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
  23. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
  24. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
  25. Europe’s refugees just follow the ancient routes for the peopling of Europe in the Neolithic
  26. American atheists most religiously literate Americans
  27. Is Turkey attempting to resurrect the Ottoman Empire
  28. To freeze the fighting in Aleppo
  29. Is ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action
  30. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
  31. Funding of ISIS
  32. ISIL will find no safe haven
  33. Wrong choices made to get rid of Assad
  34. Cities not under fear but monuments feared
  35. Rampaging, demolishing sacred sites and cultural heritage
  36. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
  37. If you want to go far in life
  38. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind

+++

Further related reading

  1. Syrian Tourists
  2. Syrian refugees: Nothing “Christian” about Fearing Muslims?
  3. Op-Ed: There is no “radical Islam” and there is also no “moderate Islam”
  4. The acts of war
  5. I.S.? We Haven’t Seen Anything Yet!
  6. Radical Muslims and Americans
  7. Remembering 9/11…14 Years Later: A United States President Stands Poised to Give Radical Islamists Nuclear Capability
  8. The Crusader Rifle
  9. Brits in Costa Del Sol, Costa Brava and Costa Blanca now ‘top targets for ISIS attack’
  10. ESPN Liberal Logic
  11. Muslim Takeover Of Bendigo Must be Halted
  12. Egypt by
  13. The UN Needs A Boot Up The Backside
  14. Violent extremists up to interpretation by homeland security chairman Mike McCaul
  15. “Extremists…have given Islam a bad name, but…have no connection with the religion” Really?
  16. Does Minnesota House ISIS’ “Farm Team”?
  17. ISIS or Daesh
  18. Will Bangladesh propaganda help Rohingya Muslims?
  19. The Time is Now to Stop Radical Muslims
  20. The Third Jihad
  21. Glenn Greenwald: Greatest threat to free speech comes not from terrorism, but from those claiming to fight it
  22. The argument for deluded losers
  23. Oops! Nemtsov killed by radical Muslims, not Putin fans
  24. Congress Defies Obama. Warns Iran.
  25. The Hidden Menace
  26. On Aggression
  27. Extremists and Terrorists Miss the Mark
  28. Oh Dear God: Copenhagen Shootings
  29. Still freedom of speech on Danish TV
  30. A special kind of hate
  31. A no–go zone For truth
  32. Why Would I Distrust Muslims Baroness Warsi?
  33. The RCT Talk Show
  34. to our 21 Christian Egyptians who fought for their Faith up to their last breath
  35. Are Christianity and Capitalism Compatible?
  36. Day Six: Hell House

+++

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Religious affairs, World affairs

Children of Men

It is very easy to find a scapegoat. When terrorists shock the population many politician get an extra weapon in their hand to help them in their particular course, to perform their already preconceived plan.

Islamic fundamentalists are not afraid to kill other Muslims and enjoy the fear they can bring over man. those giving in to that fear make the terrorists win in their aims.

*

Last Friday night, Paris attacked by three cells affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS => country’s worst wave of violence since World War II.

Source: Gregorio Borgia/The AP

  • many GOP presidential candidates intensified their rhetoric for the U.S. => cease accepting Syrian refugees.
  • Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio + Ted Cruz called for a halt to accepting Syrian refugees.
  • leading GOP candidate Donald Trump told refugees could be ISIS >migration >Trump has seen > all men = all strong-looking guys > not that many women.

UN Refugee Agency, over half of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) registered Syrian refugees = female (50.2% as of this writing).

Nearly 40% of the refugees = under the age of 12.

 

  • Trump’s “take in 250,000 from Syria” = higher from 10,000 Syrian refugees White House would accept

That the United States has a far more superior security process in place than that of Europe may be that with such an amount of people entering Europe, it is nearly impossible to have straight ahead a thorough check. they must account or hope for a next and better control when those refugees enter their new domicile.

0111For United States of America: Before entering the country > refugees must have an in-person interview with a Department of Homeland Security representative, pass security checks + a medical exam (including testing for tuberculosis = can take possibly 8 weeks) => can take up to 24 months before process completed for a refugee to even be allowed in the .

very expensive screening procedures for all Syrian refugees who have come to the United States + very careful vetting process (including intelligence community, national Counterterrorism Center, Department of Homeland Security).

  • Dealing with people who’ve suffered horrors of war, women,children, orphans => can’t just shut our doors to those people => sort out how to focus on terrorists to keep out of the country

 

We can’t make the mistake of identifying refugees as very terrorist threat they are running from.

 

+

Preceding articles:

Paris Attack and Ranting

Problematic Or Patriotic? Two Ways To Talk About Muslims

Migration not something to fear

What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Real progress leaves nobody behind

Spike In Anti-Muslim Attacks Casts Spotlight On Government Policies

Don’t be Muslim

++

Additional reading:

  1. Between Alpha and Omega – The plan of creation
  2. Economic crisis danger for the rise of political extremism
  3. Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
  4. Europe and much-vaunted bastions of multiculturalism becoming No God Zones
  5. Is ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action
  6. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
  7. Paris attacks darkening the world
  8. A sleeper cell of militants was said directing attackers sent back to France from Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria
  9. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  10. Islamic State pushing at an open door to divide Europeans
  11. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
  12. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
  13. Islamophobic hate crimes rise in UK following terror attacks
  14. Trump brand of migrant demonization #1
  15. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
  16. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
  17. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
  18. Asylum seekers crisis and Europe’s paralysis

+++

Further reading:

  1. How the terror attacks in Paris unfolded
  2. Paris attacks: Suicide bomber identified; ISIS claims responsibility for 129 dead
  3. The Paris attacks: What we know now
  4. Paris terror: Video captures terrified customers fleeing café amid fears of another attack
  5. Salah Abdeslam: Police stopped Paris attack suspect near Belgian border hours after killings – but let him go
  6. Salah Abdeslam: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
  7. After Paris attacks, fugitive slipped through police dragnet
  8. Brussels Connection Under Spotlight After Paris Killings
  9. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
  10. Paris attacks: Anonymous launches its ‘biggest operation ever’ against Isis, promises to ‘hunt down’ attackers
  11. Paris attacks: How the minute’s silence was held around the world
  12. Socio-Political Ethics In Islam And The West: A Comparative Perspective
  13. Search continues for Paris attack suspect as France launches airstrikes on Islamic State targets
  14. Paris on edge as panic erupts among crowds of mourners
  15. Paris attacks: Isis threatens strike on US capital in ‘new video’ – live
  16. Suspected terrorist cells in 2 European countries raided; 2 killed
  17. US, French Defense Ministers Discuss Campaign Against Islamic State
  18. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
  19. Ordinary peace-loving person tries to make sense of terrorism
  20. The Liberal Islam Problem
  21. The France theater Attacks
  22. Paris attacks: What we know so far about the victims
  23. In Photos: As France mourns, Europe holds moment of silence in honour of Paris victims
  24. Post About it, Be About it: thoughts on social media activism
  25. Terrorists Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees
  26. The Islamic State’s trap for Europe
  27. Paris attacks could shift US presidential race
  28. Syria’s civil war now Europe’s war after Paris attacks
  29. US, French Defense Ministers Discuss Campaign Against Islamic State
  30. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
  31. Ordinary peace-loving person tries to make sense of terrorism
  32. The Liberal Islam Problem
  33. The France theater Attacks
  34. Paris attacks: What we know so far about the victims
  35. In Photos: As France mourns, Europe holds moment of silence in honour of Paris victims
  36. Post About it, Be About it: thoughts on social media activism
  37. Terrorists Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees
  38. Reuters: Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries
  39. Making ☮ : Where does the peace symbol come from?
  40. Paris, Pussies And Pinterest
  41. A Moment of Silence
  42. Passport found near Paris suicide bomber shows few security checks exist for migrants in the Balkans
  43. Facebook defends using Safety Check after Paris attacks
  44. “We The People Speak” Marketing Campaign
  45. When Compassion Imperils our Security
  46. TV Quiberon 24/7 WORLD – Minute’s silence for Paris victims
  47. I’m with you
  48. Celebrities mourn Nick Alexander, merch manager killed in Paris attack
  49. Anonymous declares war on Islamic State after Paris attacks
  50. BidenJam Returns: Lame-Duck VP Brings L.A. Road Closures Monday & Tuesday
  51. A Message About The Paris Attacks, And Also Peace
  52. French fighter jets bomb ISIL capital in Syria as ‘massive’ retaliation for Paris attacks
  53. Make no mistake, the Paris attacks were a result of Religious Fundamentalism
  54. Paris attacks deepen Republican opposition to Syrian refugee influx
  55. On the attacks in Paris.
  56. Disturbing comparisons
  57. Investigation on Paris attacks continues as authorities look for suspects
  58. Feelings on Refugees, Post-Paris Attacks
  59. The other side
  60. So many women stand waiting behind fences…
  61. Hello from the other side…
  62. The Migration of the Irish to Newport in the 1800’s.
  63. America, the Not So Promised Land – The New York Times
  64. Walter Noteboom’s Emigration Record from the Netherlands
  65. San Marino and Paris
  66. Beach Bound
  67. Poll: Third of Jewish Israelis favor urging Arab Israeli emigration
  68. The Feld family – part two
  69. Dithane and Doodlebugs
  70. Jews Leave Europe as Arab-Muslims arrive
  71. Armenia’s independence generation
  72. Leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again!
  73. Moving Home, Moving On
  74. Looking for emigrants from the Rhineland?
  75. I Need to share…

+++

Drinks and Wings

Last Friday night, Paris was attacked by three cells affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS, resulting in the country’s worst wave of violence since World War II.

As we learn more of the tragic events and the perpetrators themselves, many of the GOP presidential candidates intensified their rhetoric for the U.S. to cease accepting Syrian refugees.

The candidates’ comments blur the line between what you would expect from a presidential nominee and memes your crazy uncle posts on Facebook.

1 meme

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Political affairs, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Don’t be Muslim

With everything what is going on in Europe and the Middle East many who want to worship only One True God may think it is better not to become or to be a Muslim. For non-trinitarian Christians this might be a good thing to be able to welcome those who love the Divine Creator, the God of Abraham.

But fear is not always the right or good reason to change faith. When it is fear for God than it is very good to make the right choice going on the right path, following Allah‘s commandments and coming to an understanding of the sent one from Him.

All those who dare to call themselves Christian should be worried about the recent of Islamophobic reactions. The Parisian attacks did not help, neither the refugee crisis nor the Muslim community or Ummah.

Lots of people do forget under the victims were also non-believers, Christians but also Jews and Muslims. From several sites we do hear Jews and Muslims who are bullied, or have witnessed, or have been victims of racial crimes. Racial slurs, violent confrontations, verbal abuse; the full spectrum of hate crime has been on show.

We condemn every terrorist act but we also should condemn every antisocial behaviour. We must warn others and be careful not to become blind ourselves for what is really going on and how some may try to get more power in our society.

People should remember that those who call themselves Jew, Christian or Muslim should follow the Holy Scriptures. Torah (Law), Nebim (Prophets), Kethubim aleph (First Writings) Kethubim Bet (Second Writings or Messianic Scriptures = New Testament) and Quran or Koran condemn such violence and hatred. Those who are terrorising lots of people in the name of Allah are abusing the God’s title and God’s Name.

Too many people seem to be blind and deaf about Islam which says no to terrorism, It is up to the Muslim teachers, imams, preachers and followers of the prophet Muhammad to show the world that those terrorists are not representable for Islam and that the real Muslim faith is a very peaceful religion.

*

the writer her mind turns to her mum worrying about her every time she sees a post about an attack or abuse.

heart aches > anything happening to her +  anyone harming her + looking at her as someone other than who she is <=== loving, caring, selfless + humble human

cycle of violence numbes

here + Middle East + Asia = affected by violence

know people who have lost relatives in Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan. Iraq, Pakistan etc. etc. etc.

More Muslims are killed + affected by terrorist’s attacks than any other group of people

> unenviable position of being part of a group which is labeled both victim and perpetrator.

+

Preceding articles

What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Real progress leaves nobody behind

Migration not something to fear

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Poster: Please help the refugees

 

++

Additional reading:

  1. A world with or without religion
  2. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
  3. Migrants to the West #1
  4. Migrants to the West #5
  5. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
  6. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
  7. ISIS cannot be presenters of the real Islam
  8. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
  9. Malaysia requires sole use of God’s title for Muslims
  10. Shariah and child abuse – Is there a connection?
  11. Where do we stand in the backdrop of Charlie Hebdo Massacre ?
  12. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
  13. Quran can convert to Christianity
  14. Muslims should also Fear God
  15. Al-Fatiha [The Opening] Süra 1: 4-7 Merciful Lord of the Creation to show us the right path
  16. Islam says it admires faith based on logic, what about the others

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Political affairs, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

112314 – A Peculiar People

In Belgium lots of protests are going on against the measures taken by the government, bringing all burden onto the less earning people while the rich are saved and do not have to contribute to the economical crisis, have lower taxes than most people and even have companies or CEO’s not having to pay taxes.
In other countries battles on the streets are delivered or for the injustice which is done on social or juridical matters.

Some may think Christians may not higher their voice and have to let everything happen. But you can also wonder if a Christian does not have to come up for those who have no voice, like animals and plants and for those who are done injustice.

In certain states, like the United States of America, the injustice of treatment, the in-equality of race, and certain political decisions are used to create scenes of rioting, looting, and burning private and public properties. This is totally against the Law of God. Also a few weeks ago in Belgium some fighters used the national march against the government to make hammock and damage a lot of private goods and to seriously wound many cops. They misused and disordered the otherwise peaceful march.
The way we want to react to those “protestors” blocking roads and impeding the flow of traffic of travellers, who have no connection with the cause for which the protesters, aka anarchists, are mounting in their charge against decency, is important and gives the other person an opportunity to show other ways to get justice and to get the voice of the people resounding.
There may be people who do not like it that there are also “people who have decided to make a statement for their cause by lying down on department store floors and interfering with people who just wanted to buy some goods at those stores.” Those who object we have to ask what their reason of objection is. Often we hear selfish reasons, like that they can not get where they want to be in the time they want to be. Or that they are hindered because they can not get what they want. when they react to the protesters, not showing empathy for their cause, they often show their own selfishness and their exclusion for coming to understanding for what the protesters want to give a voice.

Both parties can be doing the wrong thing. Both parties can go much to far in their reaction against the other.

In such turmoil the true inner side of a person can come unto the surface. In such occasions where people feel their frustration can not receive a valve of expression, they can go much too far and loose all boundaries of respect and decency.
It is in such instances a Christian has to be careful not to chose the wrong site or not to give the impression he does not want to do with it at all.

It may be true that in certain cases (not all) some may consider this “peculiar” to relate to “such unlawful actions”. Some might also think it are only anarchists who are “truly odd and strange in the way that they go about life”. They seem to forget that lots of human beings do strange things and more than once go out of the boundaries of the “normal”.

Of course, the word “peculiar” can find its way into biblical scripture, like “the Jews were said to be a peculiar people because they were chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world (Deuteronomy 14:2). Those of us who have come to saving faith through Jesus, the Messiah, are also said to be “peculiar” people.”

Certainly today those following the Laws of God are called peculiar or weird figures. Often they are considered to be fools, believing in fairy tales.

Jesus even told his followers it would not be easy for those who wanted to follow him, and that they would be shunned and would be hated in different circles, even in the family they would find members who would oppose them.
Those who show the outside world that they love God and have chosen to follow His son’s ways, are ridiculed, but know that they should not worry so much. They know they should fear God and not the human beings. But that does not mean they just do have to let everything happen what other human beings decide. We always should show our praise for God and His Creation. As such we shall have to show the world our respect for that creation and should make others aware of the value of that creation which we are allowed to use, but may not try to destroy. So, we do have to take care of mother earth and also do have to come up for it. We can not allow others to continuously rob it and destroy the life chances of animals, plants but also for other human beings. Therefore contrary many Christians may think, we should give a voice to the ones who do not seem to have a voice or who are pushed in the corner.

We, as believers in Christ, may also appear to the anarchists as being “odd” and “strange” because we don’t embrace their methods of “bringing about change” in our nation, but we can show to them other ways to demonstrate peacefully and to use other ways to give a voice for the right cause in righteousness.

Not reacting at all can give opportunities to silence the democratic system and to have other human beings using their power to oppress others. We should give dictatorship and oppression no chance. We also should avoid that others get the means, like weapons to oppress others.

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Of interest:

  1. Voice for the plebs
  2. The Y generation in conflict with itself
  3. To Work Longer or Die Younger
  4. Depression Economics and Paul Krugman
  5. Anti-Crisis anger calling out
  6. Ability for a community to come back from a crisis
  7. Violence or an other way to win
  8. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
  9. Shame on American police
  10. A dangereous way of censorship
  11. Democratic downfall
  12. Censor looming around the UK corner?
  13. Internet absurdities
  14. The Protester named Person of the Year 2011 by Time Magazine
  15. Catherine Ashton on the EU annual report on human rights
  16. Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America at war
  17. Ukrainians should be free to shape the future of their country
  18. Person of the year
  19. Journal for and from bothered citizens
  20. Re-Creating Community
  21. Chinese Village in Revolt
  22. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protesters Gain Strength
  23. Busting Protesters, not Bankers
  24. UK Protesters Charged as Organized Criminals
  25. Thai Court Sides with Protesters

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  • Are you looking? (hopeofglory.typepad.com)
    This one nation under God has experienced a losing of itself under its present “leadership”. Focused on things not familiar orpreviously welcomed in this United States of America, these things have allowed many to lose their way.Believers associate this loss with a turning away from God. It’s a judgment of sorts on the abandoning of God and country, morality and responsibility, faith and respect. A sad commentary on the ease with which some will forfeit independence for dependence, goodness for wickedness, apology for justification. None of it typical of the America we used to know and love.
  • Calmness is Settling in Over Ferguson (fggam.org)
    We continue to be in constant prayer for Ferguson and the United States of America, America, Bless God!
  • Boko Haram: Nigeria berates US over ‘no weapon deal’ (sundiatapost.com)
    Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye has chided the United States of America for refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria to effectively contain the Islamic insurgency in Northern Nigeria.
    He said the war against the insurgency would have been won long ago, had the US agreed to sell weapons to Nigerian government.
  • Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 (wdeaver.wordpress.com)
    Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
  • The Constitution of the United States of America, 19th Amendment (nesaranetwork.com)
    The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Eternity

Psalm 8 King James Version (KJV)

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts…

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Ecological affairs, Economical affairs, Juridical matters, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Social affairs, World affairs

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