Which religion allows you to smite someone just because you think he might want to smite you? And ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ doesn’t leave much room for bombing girls’ schools
Things appear to be working in our favor in Venezuela since the change. The new Supreme Leader got a short time to get on board or he will probably become a target if he isn't already.
Bill must have forgot about Tom's Oil Picks and the Trade of the Decade. Go back to connecting your dots and stay out of religion.
It's interesting how people pick and choose passages in the Bible to back their position. Perhaps these so called Christians should focus on passages such as Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven".
Maybe it's s a new form of tough love. Bomb the hell out of them to show your love!
And there is considerable confusion about Bible passages that apply to individuals but not to nations. Many times I have seen the Bible quoted where the verse or verses apply to individuals as if it applied to nations. A good example is Romans 12 which applies to individuals and not governments. Read Romans 13 for instruction on God’s mandate for government.
I am listening to a Barbara Tuchman book about one century in the Middle Ages.
Anyone that thinks the origins of Western Civilization are enlightened…I have a bridge in Brooklyn.
These were times when religion, the pope, was a secular power. He raised armies and slaughtered.
I often wonder, where was God during all this consistent slaughter. Where was he during WW1, WW2 when 70 million died.
The Catholic Church reached people through a parish system, a system of indoctrination, man’s religion. It still exists today and does not preach Christ. The sole purpose seems to be raise money and perpetuate itself. One man rules it, and they say they control the keys of heaven.
I was raised by this system and when I found myself desperate, it did me no good. I experienced Christ, had a new foundation.
I still do not know what religion is, man’s creation or the term Church. I only know Christ lives, is God, came to earth as man, with a message of hope and salvation, the Key to the Kingdom of God, the peace and happiness beyond the understanding of the world.
I don’t go to church and have nothing to do with religions but live from by “The Word,” Christ. I have the same zeal for the Word as a Conquistador for gold.
"where was God during all this consistent slaughter. Where was he during WW1, WW2 when 70 million died."
I've often wondered the same thing. We've killed that many, and likely more, via legalized "right to privacy" abortion, and yet, the slaughter continues. At least I'm allowed to protest the killing in a war; I'm NOT allowed, at least in some jurisdictions, to protest the slaughter of innocents in the womb. It has often made me question why I should care at all about America, except the America I once knew didn't codify, much less tolerate such depravity. Best always. PM
Well Billy, if there's one thing you've mastered, it's quoting out of context, as laced throughout today's missive. Hey, whatever floats your boat, huh Billy?
"But which religion allows you to smite someone just because you think he might want to smite you?" Bill in today's missive
I guess our dear editor's head was in the sand, or somewhere else, when the Iranians were openly and brazenly chanting "Death to America!" (more than once). I don't know, where I come from that qualifies as more than "thinking" they wanted to smite us.
According to locals, the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab was a former military facility converted into an all-girls elementary school.
At the time of the airstrikes, the school was located close to the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex which includes the headquarters of the Asif Brigade of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
-
What kind of government intentionally adjoins girl's schools next to military installations?
I'm sorry, Mr. Graham aside, but when your enemy makes his religion also his politics, it is, by definition, a religious war. It has been since the days of the Prophet (peace be upon Him, please), and it is now. It's sad that such is the case, but acting as if religion is not at least a component in this particular campaign and in our overall political-cultural struggle ongoing is delusional. If it makes one side feel better about it to claim "Gott mit uns", so be it. It doesn't change the arrangement, which is, as von Clausewitz said, the continuance of politics by other means. Best always. PM
It's not just the Iranians who mix religion and politics. Nentanyu always mentions the Amaleks whom were exterminated by the Israelites according to their Bible. Even though their is no historical or archeological evidence that that tribe ever existed. Netanyahou and his ilk compare other people to the Amaleks to justify their actions. In that bookof moral certitude King Saul was punished by god for failing to complete the genocide because he spared their king and some animals.
I'm sorry; I did not mean to imply that Iran is exclusive in its application of religion as politics. I renounce the implication and apologize that I had not given the disclaimer upfront. My premise still stands: it's sadly, regrettably, and irrevocably a religious war, because one side has made it so. Despite my enjoying Mr. Graham's utterances with extreme caution, he is right on this one. Dead-nuts right, as they say out in the country ("country" in the sense of "rural area") where I live. Best always. PM
P.S. Your choice of word "mixing" is curious. Iran doesn't "mix" religion and politics.
Their religion IS their politics. No mixing at all, because to them, it's one and the same. PM
Same thing goes in Israel. They believe an old book authorizes them to expand their kingdom. One Israeli minister recently remarked that after Iran Turkey is next. Our best bet would to have listened to good ol' George Washington and avoid foreign entanglements. China is spending money on infrastructure while we're spending it on war. You mention Lindsey Graham saying that he's 100% with Israel. Washington and the boys probably would have had him imprisoned as a traitor.
The Koran not only allows but actually commands the taxation and killing of all who are “non-believers”. Doesn’t require smiting by the neighbor. Just their existence is sufficient.
I've read five books on Islam and they ALL tell their people to kill the non believers. No exceptions. These books were co-authored by Muslims and English writers. Packed with references. Events from 632 AD to around 2008. There is no misunderstanding of the goal of Islam, eliminate non believers.
I do accept the bible as God word to his people. I also accept it is difficult at times to understand what it means. At least the bible doesn't command us to kill all no believers.
I got to hand to ol' Bill today. He is spot-on and thoroughly enjoy him rubbing MAGAs and zionist the wrong way. And, it is quite amazin' how you see almost no information or pictures out of Israel on Tel Aviv or Haifa. Wonder why? Must be their "Dome" defense is working so well. And, no news about the underground bunker being clobbered. Plus Trump's Grand Strategy is - well - is there one? Must be because doesn't God talk directly to him? America is blessed to have politicians (I meant real estate investors) running our country like Trump, Graham, and Cruz. They absolutely know whatever is best for Israel is best for us peons here in America too. After all, Trump is all in on America First!
“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln said that in a far graver hour than ours—and it bears repeating today, because the temptation to claim divine sanction has never been stronger, nor more dangerous.
Which religion allows you to strike first because you think someone might strike you back? Fourteen centuries of history answer with a roar. Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War Between Islam and the West lays it bare—cities sacked, kingdoms toppled, campaigns waged under the banner of faith. These are not tales. These are not abstractions. This is blood, fire, and iron. And we dare ignore it at our peril.
Yet here we are, pretending all sides are equally innocent. Bombing girls’ schools? Horrific, unthinkable. But ignoring patterns of expansion, pretending history is a neutral observer? That is a sin of blindness. Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam reminds us that when faith met force, courage and discipline, forged in fire, held the line. Not speeches. Not self-declared prophets. Not those who claim whispers from heaven as a license to kill.
Look to Two Swords of Christ: Five Centuries of War Between Islam and Warrior Monks of Christendom. Monks, knights, clergy, women, laymen—they rose because reality demanded it. Because the innocent begged for protection. Because justice itself trembled under the march of swords. They did not act for glory. They acted because evil does not wait. It does not pause. It does not negotiate. And neither can we.
God blesses all families of the earth. Iranians. Israelis. Americans. All. But blessing does not excuse blindness. Love thy neighbor does not excuse ignoring history. Moral law is not optional. Historical clarity is not a suggestion. They are the slender reeds on which civilizations rest, and one false step snaps them. One misread threat, one act of naïve righteousness—and the world burns.
So before anyone claims God is “on their side,” remember Lincoln. It is not whose missiles fly fastest, whose rhetoric dazzles, or whose prayers echo loudest. The question is whether we ourselves are on God’s side. Standing in truth. Grounded in humility. Armed with moral clarity. Acting rightly when the world demands lies.
History does not lie. Scripture does not bend. Moral law does not wink. Evil will not wait. The world is not naïve. Neither should we be.
My grandfather told me we should always "Do unto others as they do unto you but do it first." I'm not sure what that meant but I am sure it fits into this conversation somewhere.
When I look at the infrastructure that religions have invested in, of built places, words written in tomes by mortals, vestments that adorn those seen as ‘Who-Saids’, and blessings for every human frailty imaginable, I draw a blank.
This small planet really needs a damned good cleanse, reality check and reboot, maybe AI can suggest a better model for human behaviour as to living, departing and then what?
Please stop. You’re wasting my time with your pontificating. Stick to the financial ramifications of unfolding events. Your recent columns aren’t helpful; they’re annoying. Stick to your knitting, or get a replacement. Stephen West
Things appear to be working in our favor in Venezuela since the change. The new Supreme Leader got a short time to get on board or he will probably become a target if he isn't already.
Bill must have forgot about Tom's Oil Picks and the Trade of the Decade. Go back to connecting your dots and stay out of religion.
It's interesting how people pick and choose passages in the Bible to back their position. Perhaps these so called Christians should focus on passages such as Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven".
Maybe it's s a new form of tough love. Bomb the hell out of them to show your love!
And there is considerable confusion about Bible passages that apply to individuals but not to nations. Many times I have seen the Bible quoted where the verse or verses apply to individuals as if it applied to nations. A good example is Romans 12 which applies to individuals and not governments. Read Romans 13 for instruction on God’s mandate for government.
I am listening to a Barbara Tuchman book about one century in the Middle Ages.
Anyone that thinks the origins of Western Civilization are enlightened…I have a bridge in Brooklyn.
These were times when religion, the pope, was a secular power. He raised armies and slaughtered.
I often wonder, where was God during all this consistent slaughter. Where was he during WW1, WW2 when 70 million died.
The Catholic Church reached people through a parish system, a system of indoctrination, man’s religion. It still exists today and does not preach Christ. The sole purpose seems to be raise money and perpetuate itself. One man rules it, and they say they control the keys of heaven.
I was raised by this system and when I found myself desperate, it did me no good. I experienced Christ, had a new foundation.
I still do not know what religion is, man’s creation or the term Church. I only know Christ lives, is God, came to earth as man, with a message of hope and salvation, the Key to the Kingdom of God, the peace and happiness beyond the understanding of the world.
I don’t go to church and have nothing to do with religions but live from by “The Word,” Christ. I have the same zeal for the Word as a Conquistador for gold.
It is what I write about in substack.
"where was God during all this consistent slaughter. Where was he during WW1, WW2 when 70 million died."
I've often wondered the same thing. We've killed that many, and likely more, via legalized "right to privacy" abortion, and yet, the slaughter continues. At least I'm allowed to protest the killing in a war; I'm NOT allowed, at least in some jurisdictions, to protest the slaughter of innocents in the womb. It has often made me question why I should care at all about America, except the America I once knew didn't codify, much less tolerate such depravity. Best always. PM
Well Billy, if there's one thing you've mastered, it's quoting out of context, as laced throughout today's missive. Hey, whatever floats your boat, huh Billy?
"But which religion allows you to smite someone just because you think he might want to smite you?" Bill in today's missive
I guess our dear editor's head was in the sand, or somewhere else, when the Iranians were openly and brazenly chanting "Death to America!" (more than once). I don't know, where I come from that qualifies as more than "thinking" they wanted to smite us.
Yes, somewhere else. Up his arse.
According to locals, the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab was a former military facility converted into an all-girls elementary school.
At the time of the airstrikes, the school was located close to the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex which includes the headquarters of the Asif Brigade of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
-
What kind of government intentionally adjoins girl's schools next to military installations?
I'm sorry, Mr. Graham aside, but when your enemy makes his religion also his politics, it is, by definition, a religious war. It has been since the days of the Prophet (peace be upon Him, please), and it is now. It's sad that such is the case, but acting as if religion is not at least a component in this particular campaign and in our overall political-cultural struggle ongoing is delusional. If it makes one side feel better about it to claim "Gott mit uns", so be it. It doesn't change the arrangement, which is, as von Clausewitz said, the continuance of politics by other means. Best always. PM
It's not just the Iranians who mix religion and politics. Nentanyu always mentions the Amaleks whom were exterminated by the Israelites according to their Bible. Even though their is no historical or archeological evidence that that tribe ever existed. Netanyahou and his ilk compare other people to the Amaleks to justify their actions. In that bookof moral certitude King Saul was punished by god for failing to complete the genocide because he spared their king and some animals.
I'm sorry; I did not mean to imply that Iran is exclusive in its application of religion as politics. I renounce the implication and apologize that I had not given the disclaimer upfront. My premise still stands: it's sadly, regrettably, and irrevocably a religious war, because one side has made it so. Despite my enjoying Mr. Graham's utterances with extreme caution, he is right on this one. Dead-nuts right, as they say out in the country ("country" in the sense of "rural area") where I live. Best always. PM
P.S. Your choice of word "mixing" is curious. Iran doesn't "mix" religion and politics.
Their religion IS their politics. No mixing at all, because to them, it's one and the same. PM
Same thing goes in Israel. They believe an old book authorizes them to expand their kingdom. One Israeli minister recently remarked that after Iran Turkey is next. Our best bet would to have listened to good ol' George Washington and avoid foreign entanglements. China is spending money on infrastructure while we're spending it on war. You mention Lindsey Graham saying that he's 100% with Israel. Washington and the boys probably would have had him imprisoned as a traitor.
The Koran not only allows but actually commands the taxation and killing of all who are “non-believers”. Doesn’t require smiting by the neighbor. Just their existence is sufficient.
I've read five books on Islam and they ALL tell their people to kill the non believers. No exceptions. These books were co-authored by Muslims and English writers. Packed with references. Events from 632 AD to around 2008. There is no misunderstanding of the goal of Islam, eliminate non believers.
I do accept the bible as God word to his people. I also accept it is difficult at times to understand what it means. At least the bible doesn't command us to kill all no believers.
Jim Marshall
I got to hand to ol' Bill today. He is spot-on and thoroughly enjoy him rubbing MAGAs and zionist the wrong way. And, it is quite amazin' how you see almost no information or pictures out of Israel on Tel Aviv or Haifa. Wonder why? Must be their "Dome" defense is working so well. And, no news about the underground bunker being clobbered. Plus Trump's Grand Strategy is - well - is there one? Must be because doesn't God talk directly to him? America is blessed to have politicians (I meant real estate investors) running our country like Trump, Graham, and Cruz. They absolutely know whatever is best for Israel is best for us peons here in America too. After all, Trump is all in on America First!
...because Minneapolis is such a safe place for Christians I suppose.
Right !!!!!!!
Mr. Bonner,
“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln said that in a far graver hour than ours—and it bears repeating today, because the temptation to claim divine sanction has never been stronger, nor more dangerous.
Which religion allows you to strike first because you think someone might strike you back? Fourteen centuries of history answer with a roar. Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War Between Islam and the West lays it bare—cities sacked, kingdoms toppled, campaigns waged under the banner of faith. These are not tales. These are not abstractions. This is blood, fire, and iron. And we dare ignore it at our peril.
Yet here we are, pretending all sides are equally innocent. Bombing girls’ schools? Horrific, unthinkable. But ignoring patterns of expansion, pretending history is a neutral observer? That is a sin of blindness. Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam reminds us that when faith met force, courage and discipline, forged in fire, held the line. Not speeches. Not self-declared prophets. Not those who claim whispers from heaven as a license to kill.
Look to Two Swords of Christ: Five Centuries of War Between Islam and Warrior Monks of Christendom. Monks, knights, clergy, women, laymen—they rose because reality demanded it. Because the innocent begged for protection. Because justice itself trembled under the march of swords. They did not act for glory. They acted because evil does not wait. It does not pause. It does not negotiate. And neither can we.
God blesses all families of the earth. Iranians. Israelis. Americans. All. But blessing does not excuse blindness. Love thy neighbor does not excuse ignoring history. Moral law is not optional. Historical clarity is not a suggestion. They are the slender reeds on which civilizations rest, and one false step snaps them. One misread threat, one act of naïve righteousness—and the world burns.
So before anyone claims God is “on their side,” remember Lincoln. It is not whose missiles fly fastest, whose rhetoric dazzles, or whose prayers echo loudest. The question is whether we ourselves are on God’s side. Standing in truth. Grounded in humility. Armed with moral clarity. Acting rightly when the world demands lies.
History does not lie. Scripture does not bend. Moral law does not wink. Evil will not wait. The world is not naïve. Neither should we be.
Yours, discernment, and witness,
Jack Chadwell
Some days I'm too busy to stop and read BPR. Then when I do, I kind of feel like I haven't missed anything.
That's the nature of soap opera. And it's by design. Best always. PM
And you probably feel you need to take a shower.
Bill you mentioned it yourself this morning. I will bless those who bless you and curse those (Iran) that curse you. Seems to me to be from God.
My grandfather told me we should always "Do unto others as they do unto you but do it first." I'm not sure what that meant but I am sure it fits into this conversation somewhere.
Did God set this all in motion with Issac and Ishmael?
When I look at the infrastructure that religions have invested in, of built places, words written in tomes by mortals, vestments that adorn those seen as ‘Who-Saids’, and blessings for every human frailty imaginable, I draw a blank.
This small planet really needs a damned good cleanse, reality check and reboot, maybe AI can suggest a better model for human behaviour as to living, departing and then what?
Please stop. You’re wasting my time with your pontificating. Stick to the financial ramifications of unfolding events. Your recent columns aren’t helpful; they’re annoying. Stick to your knitting, or get a replacement. Stephen West
Actually, according to the image from the Visual Capitalist, Maine not Arkansas is the fifth highest gainer in terms of migration.