Pro-Syrian protestors massed today in downtown Beirut seeking to force the resignation of Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
The demonstrations are aimed at toppling Lebanon's democratic government. The methods for change include threats of intimidation and violence.
At the rally chants of "Death to Israel" was common. Calls for eliminating the U.S. Embassy from inside the prime ministry were also present.
Saniora said that "Lebanon's independence is threatened and its democratic system is in danger."
Hezbollah tried to portray the protest as all Lebanese, not just Hezbollah supporters, urging the demonstrators to wave only the Lebanese flag and to not feature Hezbollah's yellow flag with a fist and Kalashnikov rifle.
The cease-fire with Israel is being seen as a victory by Hezbollah, increasing the group's popularity, and emboldening the group to grab more political power.
This is actually just more evidence of a campaign by Syria in an attempt to regain its lost influence in Lebanon. They are using the erroneous idea that the United States is dominating the country as a rallying cry. Nonetheless, fear has gripped Lebanon. Those supporting the democratic government fear that Syria and Iran are gaining influence in the country.
Here in America airport officials in Minneapolis have stated that they will consider setting aside a private area for prayer and meditation for Muslims.
In Chicago a public Christmas festival has dropped New Line Cinema as a sponsor because it is worried that the ads for its film, "The Nativity Story" (which is a fantastic movie, by the way - I saw it tonight) might offend non-Christians.
A spokeswoman for the Mayor's office of Special Events said that the city did not want to appear to endorse one religion over another. However, there will be representations of other faiths, including a Jewish menorah.
A spokesperson from New Line Cinema said that she found it hard to believe that non-Christians who attended a holiday festival called Christkindlmarket would be surprised or offended by the presence of posters, brochures and other advertisements of the movie. One would assume that if people were to go to Christkindlmarket, they'd know that it is about Christmas.
15 comments:
You know, the SCOTUS ruled over a decade ago in the boy scout case regarding "accomidating" religion in our society. Are you suggesting that Xianity should be the only religion our society accomidates?
Also, would you source your article about the Nativity movie? (I was just today taken to a very bohemian, coffee shop, the kind with punk rockers, and rappers, and tatooed and pierced people...the kind of people that you guys demonize San Fransico for, and they had a big poster for the movie in their lounge area, where are the local papers are. So you can't generalize.)
I don't demonize anyone...in fact to be honest.....Some of the peopleI think you are describing are the most socialy conservative.
What bothers me even more is that you Mudkitty always assume we are placing people in groups. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I liken myself to people who agree with the way I believe, not the way they look or dress.
Because I listen to a mainstream version of Heavy Metal, ie: Korn Disturbed, does that make me idolized in a group that you think I fit in. Hmmm?
No, cuz Korn Disturbed sucks, and I don't know what group you fit in other than, perhaps the rightwing.
And a lot of rightwingers do sport the skinhead look, but that wasn't what I was talking about and you know it. It isn't a matter of you fitting in. You know what the "San Fransico" reference meant. Don't play coy. Jenn uses it as a slur all the time, and she's not just talking only about the gay people who live there.
How strange that you would pretend to not know what and who I'm talking about.
I am not saying that Christianity should be the only religion society accomodates, but right now it is the only religion that society not only refuses to accomodate, but is out ot eliminate. Funny you guys brought up the band Korn - the lead singer Jonathon Davis is my cousin - seriously.
No Way Doug!!! The Boys def. no how to bang!!
No one's out to eliminate Xianity, especially since over 80% of Americans identify as Xian. Give me a break! That's such Henny Penny!
Mudkitty, please source the SCOTUS case you are referring to. I would think that you of all people, with your ridiculous penchant for demanding sources of every quote instead of responding to the actual content, would have done that in your comment. You can also source for us where you got the 80% statistic and sources to support your theory that eliminating Christianity is "Henny Penny".
Then if Douglas gives you the source of his post, perhaps you can actually for once make a lucid, logical point that deals with the subject matter.
I love how you hypocritically demand everyone provide source references to everything they say and then you respond with blanket statements, no facts and no "sources" of your own.
Troll.
Douglas, you're spot on.
Okay, Mudkitty, you say nobody is trying to eliminate Christianity - then why are you Xing out Christ in your spelling of Christianity? Without Christ, there is not Christianity, and by Xing out Christ you are trying to eliminate Christianity - obviously not a task you can do on your own, it's the principle of the thing.
couldn't have said it better myself, Gunz. Thanks, and God Bless.
DG - why is it that I have to always explain to people who claim to know the bible, that X is the earlist known Greek symbol for "the Christ" and that the earliest known bibles are written in Greek? And DG - I never thought I'd have to explain that to you.
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Christopher, it's the famous Boy Scout Public Accomidation case...drugRush Limbaugh was all over this like white on rice. Try to keep up. All SCOTUS decisions are part of the public record. Look it up.
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Gunz, you speak of faith as if it were nothing more than an insureance policy...if, if, if, be on the safe side...no wonder your handle is Gunz...you're frightened of something. People. I would venture to say, you're frightened of people, especially those who are different from you.
Mudkitty-I see you are pushing your childish insults and epitaphs on this blog now. Didn't you get banned at Bushwacks blog for your personal attacks and insults at others? You don't ever learn.
I would like to know your source on where "X" came to be known as the early Greek symbol for "The Christ", because I don't know where that comes from. I know the "t" was a latin symbol for the cross, but never Christ. I know that the fish symbol was once a christian symbol...so I am waiting on a link for the infamous "X". Please make sure it is a solid source and not something like "wikipedia" or an opinion.
As for the SCOTUS, yes decisions are part of public record, but you need to quote all of them, or at least refer to them, or heck...just read them in context before you start quoting only the parts that you like.
As far as Gunz's faith, you are again, clueless. If you go back and read what Gunz actually stated, you would realize he wasn't saying.."there might be a God and if there is, I might believe in him"...He was clearly speaking that there IS a God and he does believe in him...but for those who are not sure, the ideology of having a God and a savior are non threatening and sensible.
It's kind of like this...If you believe in God...when you die, you go to heaven, when you don't believe in God, you just die. Well what if the athiests are right, then fine...I just die and there is no problem. But what if the Christians are right, and if I die, and I don't believe, than I burn in hell. That would be a problem. With Christianity there is a win/win situation if you believe in God. But with Athiesm, Muslims, and others, there is no win/win situation. That was the point Gunz made. I hope that is clearer for you.
Well, Gunz, you're the expert in personal attacks, so I defer to your greater knowledge.
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Epitaphs? Ok...?
As for the X - it is comman knowlege in theolologian circles. Very comman. In fact, it's pretty much comman knowlege. Go to Belief.Net. Go to any Catholic Site. Go to any historical site. The examples abound. And I, too am skeptical of Wiki.
Look, the boy scout desicion is only about 10 years old. Look it up. I'm not here to do your homework for you. I'm sure somebody here remembers the controversy...about the Boy Scouts discriminating against gays and atheists, while using public land. You must be very young indeed, not to remember it.
As for your god and heaven thing; I wouldn't worship a god who rigged a system like that even if there was evidence that he was real, which there isn't. If I met your god, the first thing I would say to him is "what were you thinking!"
Mudkitty-Again, the X is not common knowledge. I have several books on Christian symbols, and the X is not there as a symbol of Christianity. So where it the link? You have provided NO proof. At least I back up what I say with links. You leave nothing, but expect everyone to believe you because you say..."it's there".
Epitaphs-making a reference to something in the past or dead. Find a dictionary!!!! Epitaphs are commonly used on tombstones or gravemarkers, but they are infact statements of things past.
I fully remember the Boy Scout program, and shame on them for forbidding child molesters around children! We should just invite all pedophiles into our homes and camps for our children and offer them up for lunch...
Can you point out exactly where Gunz attacked you??? You took the gloves off here, yet you are moaning about it.
If you met "my god" as you called him, you would not get the opportunity to come like that to him with your arrogance, pride and foolishness. You have obviously NEVER opened up ONE page in the bible. We are the creation, he is the creator. You would fall on your knees in awe. Even in the references where Satan went before the throne of God, he never mouthed at him like you propose to. All I can tell you is..."go for it, but you're on your own".
Mudkitty, again, either like a moron you have totally missed my point or you are just ignoring it and changing the subject like I said you would.
You demand anyone that challenges you to provide documentation of what they say, yet you refuse to do the same in return, you hypocrite.
And I find it increasingly harder to even read your comments when you cannot even spell "common". Either get a spell checker or take a class. Your attempt to make people think you are trying to make an intelligent argument kind of fails when you can barely spell words at a third grade level.
Now, for everyone else... I said this at Bushwack's blog and then I fell into the trap again. Mudkitty is just a troll who has fun flaming us and watching knowing that she (he?) is getting our goat. I still think that this "mudkitty" is an adolescent who is just having a good time trolling. Seriously. Read all of the comments on this page and then picture mudkitty's words coming out of a bratty twelve year old. You'll get it.
Now, this time I mean it. I'm not falling into this childish trolling. I will not respond to mudkitty again here or on any other blog.
Embyo - just go to Belief.net or anyother biblical website.
I know what epitaph means, that's why I questioned your incorrect useage of the term.
Homosexuality is not the same as pederasty or pedofilia. But I don't expect you to know that, I assume your parents kept you out of health class and sex ed.
And guess what, you just bore false witness when you said I never opened a page of the bible, even though I've read it cover to cover several times, which is more than you can say for yourself. If you really belive in your god, you should ask him for forgivness for bearing false witness against me.
As for your insights into human nature, you guys have shown yourselves to be as ignorant as I have said. I am a middle aged married lady "with a past" as DG knows by now.
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