Airborne Combat Engineer

National Day of Prayer

[LINK] President's proclamation

George Washington proclaimed this National Prayer Day.

Hopefully, we all pray EVERY Day. Lord knows the world and our Nation needs it, not to mention ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities.

God helps those who help themselves.

Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.

The origins of Easter traditions

[LINK] RelgionFacts.com* [good reference site for all religions]

The origins of the word "Easter" are not certain, but probably derive from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring {2}.

There is evidence that Christians originally celebrated the resurrection of Christ every Sunday, with observances such as Scripture readings, psalms, the Eucharist, and a prohibition against kneeling in prayer. {6} At some point in the first two centuries, however, it became customary to celebrate the resurrection specially on one day each year.

Over the centuries, these religious observances have been supplemented by popular customs, many of were incorporated from springtime fertility celebrations of European and Middle Eastern pagan religion. Rabbits and eggs, for example, are widely-used pagan symbols for fertility. Christians view the Easter eggs as symbols of joy and celebration (as they were forbidden during the fast of Lent) and of new life and resurrection.

Here's hoping anyone reading this is celebrating this day according to its significance to them.

Those living in countries where they can believe and do as they will have at least one good reason to celebrate.

*The site has been developed by a young man with a bachelor's degree in religion from an American university and a master's degree in religion from a UK university, who is currently working towards a doctoral degree in the history of religion. He doesn't specify his religion, and says his goal is to provide neutral information.

See also: History Channel

Is the 4x4 Pope a Neocon?

James Taranto @ The WSJ asked the question in his 19 APR 05 column.

"Panzer Pope" called for refusing Kerry communion

AFP reports:

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, intervened in the 2004 US election campaign ordering bishops to deny communion to abortion rights supporters including presidential candidate John Kerry.

In a June 2004 letter to US bishops enunciating principles of worthiness for communion recipients, Ratzinger specified that strong and open supporters of abortion should be denied the Catholic sacrament, for being guilty of a "grave sin."

He specifically mentioned "the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws," a reference widely understood to mean Democratic candidate Kerry, a Catholic who has defended abortion rights.

The letter said a priest confronted with such a person seeking communion "must refuse to distribute it."

Pope Benedict XVI represents the right wing of the Catholic Church. "Progressive" cardinals reportedly tried to block his election. Critics of his selection say the Catholic Church will see little liberalization under his leadership.

Apparently he was ordered to be in the Hitler Youth and work for the Nazis. He may not have explored religious options to avoid service (he says resistance would have been futile), but his heart was not in it, and he did later desert.  He earned the nickname "Panzer Cardinal" not for his German combat experience (he says his rifle was never even loaded), but rather for his reputation for running over others to get his way.

Some blogs such as Thought Crimes are already "piling on."  Many expect the MSM to do the same, perhaps with a tad more sutlety.

Newsflash: Christian ideologues parachuting into NJ

I know it's hard to believe they've gone this far, but the Cranky Neocon [a member of the elite "Band of Blogheads"] found it in print:

Mark Brownstein, a Maplewood resident, said he resents ideologues who are parachuting into the district, threatening to bring lawsuits. "The passion of the opposition to the policy and the suggestion by some that there needs to be greater interjection of religion into the holiday concert heightens my suspicions that this is about something more than the crusade for educational freedom, ..."

Religious controversy aside, I'm lead to ponder how awesome the Crusaders would have been had they had one or more Airborne divisions (especially if they could airdrop hores -- or better yet camels -- and why not? Dogs were airdropped in WWII).

Cranky shows his extreme right-wing crusader bias by making this remark:

Interject religion? Hello? How many years ago did this happen? When did the idea of a secular winter holiday become the de facto norm and this religion interjection become the Trojan Horse?

If you don't care to enter your zip code and birth year to read the article to which CN links, here's the "creeping Christainity" (copyright ACE) [this decade's communism?] the Board of Education is resisting:

Despite pressure from residents and outside interest groups, the South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education stood by its policy banning Christmas carols from being played at instrumental holiday concerts this year.

Who said it first?

The linked article [ACE has not verified it] quotes Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini [remember him?] as once saying:

“Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those [who say this] are witless. Islam says: Kill all the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Does this mean that Muslims should sit back until they are devoured by [the unbelievers]? Islam says: Kill them, put them to the sword and scatter [their armies]….  Islam says: Whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for the Holy Warriors! There are hundreds of other [Qur’anic] psalms and Hadiths [sayings of the Prophet] urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all this mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.”

I'm thinking he was paraphrasing the phase made famous by the A-Team's "B.A" (played by "Mr. T")  -- "I pity the fool!" -- with that "I spit upon those foolish souls" talk -- or is that the other way around? (I'd have to research the timing, and it's just not worth it.)

Muslim groups like CAIR have an active PR campaign to convince us Muslims are not inherently against us "infidels" but we have to wonder sometimes.

Judge for yourself by following Jihad Watch, authored by Robert Spencer, who has been following developments for two decades.

[It's linked way down in the left sidebar, which is a virtual cornucopia of information re. the subjects with which ACE deals. Even if you don't value my post selections and admittedly ultra-right-wing, non-nuanced-thinking, you can learn by visiting ACE.]

I've said before, and will say again: The peaceful Muslims are not doing nearly enough to denounce and help eradicate the militant factions.

1407Z THU 16DEC04. Front Page Magazine.

Christian right trying to make Christmas about Christ

The AP has uncovered another conspiracy by the Christian right-wing conservatives:

Emboldened by their Election Day successes, some Christian conservatives around the country are trying to put more Christ into Christmas this season.

Where did they ever get this warped idea? Probably from all those "bible belt" TV programs.

Had the Democratic Party candidate won, the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy would have not been so "emboldened" to expand its crusade to conquer America, declare it a predominantly Christian country, and revise the history books to make it appear it has been so since the Pilgrims landed.

This attempt to reverse the secularization of the holiday is typical of a group which would have us believe the early American settlers and the original thirteen colonies openly embraced Christianity.

Next thing you know, they'll  be trying to tell us Thanksgiving had something to do with thanking God, rather than eating turkey and lazily watching parades and football games as we absorb pounds.

Please do your part to avoid offending those of other faiths (and the leftist moonbats) by sending only secular "Holiday Cards" this season. I'm sure they'll return the favor by not referencing their religious beliefs when their special religious days roll around.

Inside greeting: "May the nutcracker visit you this holiday season."

1320Z WED 15DEC04. AP (via In the Bullpen via Say Anything)

(Please note this post is filed under satire/humor, if it's not obvious to you.)

Diversified WWII prayer book helping troops

1145Z FRI 15OCT04. Fox News.

Evan Hunsberger, 19, an Eagle Scout from Orange, CA; took the special prayer book his grandfather used during World War II and had it republished for local military bases.

Little did Hunsberger know that the book, which comforted his grandfather during combat, would also end up providing solace to troops fighting today.

In addition to raising money to republish the prayer book, Hunsberger updated it with 40 additional prayers from rabbis, Muslim clerics and women to make it more diverse and reflect modern-day armed forces.

When Pentagon officials heard about the project, they ordered a million copies and agreed to distribute them, though that was before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They can’t take on projects like that now because of security risks. But to date, at least 120,000 have gone to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.