Prosperity

Others,

Islam is peace, but peace imposed by martial law is not chosen.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/egypt-has-chosen-who-to-identify-with-and-it-s-not-iran.premium-1.461774

The state of nature is governed by a law that applies to all. Reason teaches any who will consult the law that no one ought to harm another in life, health, liberty or possessions. There is enough providence for each to obtain provisions for basic needs. There cannot be supposed any such subordination among us to authorize the destruction of another or others.

This is the basic reasoning that supports the law against killing. Killing another human being is identified as the crime of murder because it deprives another of any privilege and all liberty associated with life. Murder is now regarded as a capital crime insofar as it eliminates the ability to render restitution to the offended party.

Wars of aggression, genocide and mass murder stand as aggravated offenses that are greater in damage than the homicide of any individual. Nevertheless, punishment in the modern age requires proportionate restitution.

This restitution is not rendered in the brute form of an eye for an eye. It is given in the form of providing payment for treatment affiliated with the party who had suffered damage. Since health insurance supplies a large part of the payment for medical treatment, some monetary retribution is still regarded as a form of punishment in cases that are not as severe an offense as murder.

The freedoms of expression and assembly are believed to be protected when people are protesting policies that are harmful to the community. The condition is that the protest is expressed in a non-violent way. When these freedoms are treated as non-existent, it is a cause for concern.

When the exercise of these freedoms is identified as terrorism and punished with death by the state, the state has been made into an instrument for murder. It is a high crime. When the state exists in dependence upon crime, it is not credible as a representative of human rights for the people. The constitution for the state has to be re-written in a way that affects a change that restores faith in the ability of the leadership to lead in representation.

The current government in Syria stands in desperate need of correction. Assad needs to stand trial for his crimes against the Syrian people.

Prosperity

Song of Solomon 2, Mk.7, James 1, Deut.4, Ps.45, Ps.15

Listen to the voice of beloved light.
He sings over mountains.
He rings through the hills.
The sound of music resounds
with love throughout life.
Look, he stands outside
your window, shining
so you can see.

Arise my love.
Meet the day.
Night has past.
Birds are singing.
It is time to be on our way.

Listen and understand.
Nothing external defiles a person.
It is the corruption of free will
that goes from bad to worse.
Protect your heart
from defilement.

Be a doer of the word,
not a listener who does not hear.
Those who look into the law of liberty
and persevere in it
will be blessed
by the action.

The moral precepts of the commandments are ideals.
Love God. Love others. Love your enemies.
Love is the foundation for life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.

Faith, hope, wisdom, courage, self-control
and justice are virtues that transform
what was wrong with the past
into what is right for the future.

There are actions that do not show love.
Do not produce actions
that lack respect for life.

Do not create gods. Do not kill others.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not covet property. Do not steal.
Do not lie or falsely accuse any other.
These things cause damage.

Do no harm. Seek goodness.
Honor your parents, your friends,
your community and your people.
Respect those who are different.

Punishments for breaking the precepts must be aimed
at correcting correctly. Cruel punishment is not correction.
It seeks to destroy those accused of offense.

Laxity does not correct injustice either.
It allows aggression to run rampant.

Justice balances experience with potential.
She looks at the forces of the heart
that defile the person in order
to correct them.

Pride, murder, adultery, avarice, deceit, envy,
theft, slander, pride, promiscuity and the like
corrupt free will and turn the offender
from respect for liberty
within the law.

No one is above the law.
Any who acts as though
it were so, stands in need
of correction.

God has anointed you
with the oil of gladness.
Freshness of fragrance
radiates from you.
Music from the heart
of creativity makes you glad.
The dignity of nature is yours.

You dwell in the sanctity of love
so you may speak truth with your heart.
Observe the commandments of God
to live long and prosper.

==================

The opportunity for a non-violent solution to the political conflicts in Syria has passed.

Dave Matthews – The Dreaming Tree
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KKvRSP5MJU&feature=related

“The air is growing thick
a fear it cannot hide;
the dreaming tree has died.”

The dream for a peaceful transformation has died…for the time being. The death of the dream heralds the end of the state that had been. It is time for the Syrians to draft a new constitution with a document that will represent respect for the rights of all. Iran and Syria could use the Constitution for Afghanistan as a model for the change.

Democratic systems don’t specify the number of parties required for operation, but it is inconceivable that a single party state can act with representation for all the people. There is too much diversity in a body of people for resolutions to be drawn without debate supported by documentation for the freedoms of expression and assembly.

Celebrate liberty in the law.
Entertain debate.
Look for the best solutions
to conflict.

Steve K.

Conflict

Others,

Iraq now has a constitution with rights written into it, but the representation is compromised by double talk.

Sadam Hussein's Socialist Baath party was Sunni. Now the state is controlled by the Shiite majority, but the government is regarded as corrupt. The state will be corrupted by an unfair advantage for the majority until it learns to represent the various minorities.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/revisiting-iraq/

The Iraqi constitution states that there is freedom of religion after declaring that Islam is the official religion for the state.

Being in time is an important determinant in leadership. Heidegger offered a philosophical view of being that promoted economic recovery, but his affiliation with the partisan politics of the Nazi party corrupted his philosophy. It was exclusionary rather than inclusive.

Discrimination rules when others are excluded from the social dimensions of being. They are excluded on the characteristics of birth, social status, religion or party affiliation.

Iraq is regarded by many as the cradle for civilization in the Middle East, yet the code of Hammurabi listed the death penalty as the consequence for many infractions that were lesser in offense than murder.

While the code provided a basis for starting evidentiary investigation for accusations of crime, judgment was largely determined by the proximity of the accuser’s social status to the emperor. The code also initiated concern for restitution, but it was rudimentary. As mentioned earlier, judgment often resorted to the death penalty as retribution when restitution was deemed to be too complicated.

Respect for liberty is earned in the context of the law. We are born with rights, but we also earn them by showing respect for the rights of others. While there are times when offending the rights of an individual offends the rights of others, exclusive emphasis on the rights of individual elitists or opportunists does damage to the representation of justice in society.

The elitist advantage has been used to increase the prosperity of the wealthy over that of the people since the start of civilization. It needs to be corrected.

Many have appealed to God in affecting correction throughout time. The following re-write presents the appeal with contemporary language.


Agreement with Inclusion.
1Kgs.8, Ps.84, Josh.24, Eph.6

Congress
was the goal that stood
before the assembly.

They said, “LORD,
there is no God like you
in heaven or on earth.
You keep your promise
with love. You established
the pact for alliance
with your Beloved.
Keep the promise
for intervention
through faith in Christ.

Will God dwell on earth?
The highest heaven
cannot contain the essence
of the Creator,
much less the house
that has been built to honor
the promise.

When a foreigner prays,
then hear this in your dwelling place
and do what can be done
to honor the request.

My soul longs for the courts of the LORD!
My heart rejoices in the living God!
The sparrow has built her home;
the swallow has a nest for her young;
The temple of my God is home
for the Spirit of promise.

How dear your dwelling is!
Happy are they who dwell in your house.
They will always be praising you.
Joyful are those who find their strength
in praising you; whose hearts are set
on finding truth with faith in you.

One day in your house
is worth many more spent elsewhere.
It is better to stand at the threshold of the temple
than to dwell in the luxuriant homes of the wicked.

Revere the LORD.
Do your work with sincerity and faith.
Put away the gods that your ancestors had served.
Don’t serve those who exalt themselves
in the land where you are living.
As for my household and me
we will work for what’s best.

Be strong. Use power to build goodness.
Stand against the wiles of the deceiver who seeks to destroy.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.
It is against the authorities who use cosmic force
to promote destruction It is against those who use
authority to promote oppression with war, genocide and crime.

Stand strong therefore with truth and justice.
Walk with good news for peace through alliance.
Seek to win enemies to friendship to expand the alliance,
but do not compromise the search for goodness.
Spirit gives life. Flesh is the instrument for goodness.

Those who go through the valley that had been desolate
will find a place of springs. Rains have covered it with pools of water.
They will climb from height to height to scout the land
The God of gods will reveal himself from Zion.

=============================

Appeals for correction are often made to a larger political body. If a dispute was not settled fairly by the county, the state is contacted. If it is not resolved by the state, the nation is invoked. When it is not reconciled by the nation, international convention is referenced.

The song “I Was Here” calls for putting goodness in action as a means for promoting reconciliation prior to that dispute the leads to conflict and retribution in accord with the elitist advantage.

Beyonce – I Was Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI

“I was here. I live. I love.”

Being in time requires love to work for inclusion.

Love others. Love your enemies.

Steve K.

Wisdom

Others,

I used to say that the dichotomy between good and evil is false. We have better a polarity with 'good and bad.' Excellence is the opposition to evil. Now I see that good and evil are contrasted to propose that democracy is better than elitism.

Turn from evil. Do good. Work to resolve conflicts with reason.
http://bible.cc/psalms/34-14.htm

Evil is a controversial word, yet it is a key component in countless stories. The association with the homicidal impulse is so implicit, it hardly warrants expression. So what is the controversy?

President Ronald Reagan had used it to describe the empire promoted by the Soviet Union during the superpower competition. So? It presented a hypocritical dilemma. It is not “objective” to call another entity evil for doing the same thing as the accuser.

The US and the Soviet Union were guilty of sending in the troops to decide national issues for the people in the invaded nation. Invasion is an aggressive act. A war of aggression is unacceptable in international relations.

If the homicidal impulse is used to define evil at an individual or social level, then the genocidal motive describes it politically. Is there choice in the matter? Yes. Is it enough to point at authoritarian regimes to say that they do it, so NATO doesn’t have to worry about doing it? No. Has NATO been guilty of infraction? Yes. NATO negotiated two wars of aggression. The current policy of killing suspects as "militants" and non-combatants as "collateral damage" with drone missiles is genocidal.

Socialism is a flawed form of government. Whether it proclaims communism or implies fascism, the representation promotes industrial leadership as absolute power. Industrial leadership has displayed a lack of tolerance for protest. Protest is protected by the freedoms for speech and assembly.

Read the story for an example of fascism at work. The judgment against “Pussy Riot” suggested support for the establishment of religion.
 http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-08-17/pussy-riot-verdict/57109992/1

protected by the freedoms for speech and assembly. The judgment against "pussy riot" also expresses support for the establishment of religion.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-08-17/pussy-riot-verdict/57109992/1

What can be done to promote good? This argument will be controversial as well. It is the motivation to control others by unfair advantage that supports the use of genocide to oppress people in both foreign and domestic arenas of operation.

The bill of rights gives us freedom of speech to express opinions. It gives us the right to vote. In short, it gives us the right to participate in the political decision making process. Vote for the correction of the elitist advantage. Stand opposed to genocidal operations, nationally and internationally.

Live with care. Work with wisdom, not self-destruction.
http://bible.cc/ephesians/5-15.htm

It is difficult to live with care, when the burden for the economy has been placed on the middle class. The elitist advantage creates a sense of powerlessness in the people of a democratic republic. The bill of rights was added to the Constitution in insure that the people would be represented. When the wealthiest don’t pay for their share, the middle and lower classes suffer. It is difficult to make ends meet.

The money is in the hands of the wealthiest and the elite are paying to keep it that way. When there were programs for the people, money circulated through the economy. The public sector helped to support the private sector. Now there is not as much money available for the middle and lower classes to make ends meet. It is all too easy for those who don’t have enough to obtain provisions to let despair drive actions into self-destruction.

The wealthiest are not exempted from despair. The unfair advantage manifests as mania. Mania is a form of powerlessness over power. Powerlessness engenders despair during the crash from mania.

Living with care becomes even more important in an unstable economic structure. Many of us have had our shadow days. Things were done that were not beneficial for safety, health or social relations. Often enough, the cost for these actions was unaffordable. Repair becomes the name of the game in recovery. We need to live with care for repair.

What is the best way to live? The search for design in life helps each to find that answer for personal and social benefit.

Wisdom has built her house with seven pillars.
http://bible.cc/proverbs/9-1.htm

Consider the wisdom of Piceras, the seven fundamental parts of life.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/295/5563/2215.fullerlessness in the people of a democratic republic. The bill of rights was added to the Constitution to insure that the people would be represented. When the wealthiest don't pay for their share of the deficit, the middle and lower classes suffer. It is difficult to make ends meet.

The money is in the hands of the wealthiest and the elite are paying to keep it that way. When there were programs for the people, money circulated through the economy. The public sector helped to support the private sector. Now it is all too easy to let despair drive actions into self-destruction. This is true for the wealthiest as well since the unfair advantage manifests as mania.

Living with care however becomes even more important in an unstable economic structure. Many of us have had our shadow days. Recovery becomes the name of the game. We need to live in repair.

Now look at this re-write for ancient writ.

cidal motive describes it politically. Is there choice in the matter? Yes. Is it enough to point at authoritarian regimes to say that they do it, so NATO doesn't have to worry about doing it? No.

What can be done? This argument will be controversial as well. It is the motivation to control others by unfair advantage that supports the use of genocide to oppress people in both foreign and domestic arenas of operation.

The bill of rights gives us freedom of speech to express opinions. It gives us the right to vote. In short, it gives us the right to participate in the political decision making process. Vote for the correction of the elitist advantage. Stand opposed to genocidal operations nationally and internationally.

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
there's still time to change the road you're on."

Wisdom
Ps34 Prov9

Please, give me an understanding mind
to love other people; to choose good;
to turn from evil; to complete the work
that has been set before me.

Fear fear;
too much or too little
causes harm..

Fear apathy;
that which takes caring
and concern from you.

Fear panic;
that which disables movement
when you need to move
or makes you run into harm
when moving elsewhere is safest.

Fear mania;
that which makes the destruction
of others the motivation for movement.

Young lions suffer hunger,
but those who save surplus,
conserve energy
and preserve resources,
respect providence.

Those who respect provision
from the Creator
lack nothing that is good.

Wisdom has built her house
with seven pillars. Each day
is part of the building.
Each week builds the month:
each month the year;
each year a decade;
each decade a life.

Wisdom has gathered her provisions.
She has prepared the meal
and mixed the wine with water.
The table has been set.
Invitations have been sent.

She says,
“Come. Taste my bread.
Drink my wine. Listen to me.

“Leave immaturity.
Turn from evil. Do good.
Seek peace. Pursue it.
Make decisions with insight.
Walk in the way of life.”

Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
Those who look for goodness will act
for the love of others as well as self.
Lessons will be learned in the process.
Understanding is built, torn down
and re-built.

=====================

Goodness is essential to the quality of life. The search for it is the goal for both government and religion. What does this mean? Goodness has objective properties. Survival is regarded as a good for the life of the species. Obtaining provisions for existence is something that is necessary for the survival of each. Goodness also has subjective properties. There are things that are simply a matter of taste. 

Find goodness. Share it when it’s right. Share that amount that is appropriate for the independence of any who are receiving it.

Dave Matthews - So Much to Say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgJOjB8-e8w&feature=fvwrel

"I say my hell is the closet I’m stuck inside;
Can’t see the light.
And my heaven is a nice house in the sky.
Got central heating
and I’m alright…
Treading trodden trails for a long long time...
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself.
Sometimes, I find it better to be somebody else."

Look for goodness with faith. Find it. Enjoy it.
Share it when you can.

Steve K.

Genocide

The elitist advantage has been used for wars of aggression.
Wars for aggression kill people to oppress others.
The elitist advantage is genocidal.

Vote for the correction of the advantage.

Others,

Since the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11/01, US foreign policy has undergone some dramatic changes. The FBI investigation of suspected terrorist events was not used, but the official story was “backed up” by “experts” who argued that the WTC towers were destroyed by the jet fuel that had escaped from the airliners that had crashed into the towers. WTC tower 7 was destroyed even though no airliner was flown into it.

The official story stated that “Arab terrorists” had hijacked the planes. Afghanistan was identified as the location for the “terrorist training camps.” The country was invaded to “bring justice” to the victims of the attack. The country has not shown that they represent human rights for the people of Afghanistan.

Iraq was invaded under the premise that they had stock piled weapons of mass destruction. The country was invaded and occupied though the UN investigation did not find WMD’s.  Does Iraq have a bill of rights or are they puppets for western power?

Not only is the US still in Afghanistan, but there are American base camps in Iraq as well. It has been asserted that the war on terror is over, but NATO has initiated a policy of killing militants with bombs. Now the suspects who had been identified as “terrorists” are called “militants.” The non-combatants that are killed are still considered “collateral damage.” The current policy is still using procedures that had been initiated during the “war on terror.”

The account that “Arab terrorists” had destroyed the WTC towers was only the first step in what would become an openly sectarian assault on the Muslim world. When a suspect or a non-combatant is killed, it is murder. When large numbers of people are killed in order to oppress a population, it is genocide.

Does this story come as a surprise?

Armed Men Attacked Peacekeeping Force in Sinai
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=280896

Naturally, troops have to return fire when fired upon, but are they keeping peace for representative government? There is an uneasy feeling that the attack on the force in the Sinai is reminiscent of raids conducted by the ‘Apiru (Hebrews) on the established communities of the time. Western forces are being attacked by our spiritual ancestry.

The US finally attained a return to respect as a participant in global leadership when the former Secretary General for the UN, Kofi Annan, was called upon to lead an envoy into Syria in an attempt to head off violent revolution and establish a representative government.

Hopefully, it has become apparent to the western world that China has not only survived as a communist nation despite the fall of the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc, they have done well economically by maintaining a foreign policy wherein they only trade military supplies and supply advisers. They don’t send their army into foreign countries. We have something to learn from the love of our “enemy.”

We lost our way when we started shooting first and asking questions later. The administration for the US had actually discussed “first strike” policies as theoretically justifiable in legal terms. They had also talked about “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as water boarding and extreme rendition as though they were legally justifiable.

We cannot support a foreign policy that doesn’t uphold the principles promoted by the Constitution with the Bill of Rights. The war on terror re-instated imperialism with genocide. It is past time to eliminate the vestiges of something that had supposedly been stopped by World War II.

Goodness
Ps34, Ps130, Jhn6, Eph4

My soul waits for guidance;
more than the watchman for the morning;
more than the watchman for the morning.

Do not grieve the Spirit
who has marked you with oil
as a seal for holiness.
You have been sealed
for the day of redemption.

Put away falsehood.
Speak truth to others.
We are members
of the same community.
Work honestly with your own hands.
Save something to share
with the needy.

Feel angry, but do no harm.

Cry to the sky
from the depths
of your soul,
“I would die before hurting another,
but I feel that I am no better than my ancestors.
Let hate be taken from me.”

“Please consider my request.
If you were to condemn error,
who could stand?
There is forgiveness with you.
You will be respected.”

Wait for the LORD.
Have faith.

Let go of wrath, wrangling and slander.
Put aside all malice.
Be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.

Use your energy to get things done.
Speak about your feelings,
but find something to say that will
build relations for the future
in the community.

Impart grace through your words.
Those who listen will hear.

Jesus said to the people,
“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me
will not hunger.
Whoever believes in me
will not thirst.
I am the bread from heaven.”

“Your ancestors ate manna
in the wilderness, yet they
broke the law against killing
before crossing into the Promised Land.
They have died. This is the bread
that comes from heaven.
If you eat it, you will not die.

“I am the living bread
that has descended from heaven.
Taste and you will see
that I am good.
Whoever consumes
this goodness
will live forever.”

Forgive one another
as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Forgiveness given
with respect for consequence
will earn respect.

Be imitators of God,
beloved children.
Live in love
as Christ lives in you;
a fragrant offering
to the community.

==============

I look for an answer. My hope is for good reason. Guess I’ll just have to look around.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Look Around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnisBb2rVOg&feature=branded

"Soft walk to horizon,
one big crash that no one dies in.
This for the folks in Fayetteville.
It'll come true if you say it will.
Look around. Look around. Look around."

The elitist advantage makes the government of a country into a fascist enterprise. Government is controlled by the elite to profit from the industry of war. Look at the candidates carefully in the upcoming elections. Vote for those who will correct the elitist advantage.

Look around. Vote for the correction.

Steve K.

Bread

Others,

The commandment against killing is one of the most significant moral standards for all time. Lines get blurred however in international conflicts. What is acceptable in the rules for engagement?

UN involvement in the Syrian crisis has opened the door to criticism for NATO policies.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/04/world/meast/syria-unrest/

Thinking back to the Vietnam war, Americans are forced to admit that while there were Chinese and Russian advisers, the communists did not send in regular troops.

Western coalition involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq did not show as much restraint. Coalition support with advisors and arms for Syrian rebels on the other hand is consistent with the foreign policy exercised by both the Chinese and Russians in Vietnam. This said, read what the Chinese had to say about the Syrian government:

       “But most of [China’s] ire is reserved for al-Assad’s regime. It strongly condemns the
             “continued widespread and continued gross violations of human rights and
              fundamental freedoms by Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias.””
              (downloaded fm. CNN on Sat.Aug.4, 2012)

How is it that China survived as a communist nation when the Soviet Union collapsed? One reason is that the Soviet Union had occupied Eastern bloc countries and invaded other countries, e.g. Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. Afghanistan was particularly costly. They were over-extended economically.

 While China and Russia both issued statements against western intervention in Syria a US administration that had pledged to let the Syrian people work things out, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq; the bombing of Libya and the drone missile attacks in Pakistan warranted the statements. Support for rebels against the arms supplied by Russia and China (e.g. attack helicopters & tanks) however is justifiable.

While battle rages around Aleppo, Olympiad XXX continues in London. One competitor had his legs amputated as a baby because he had been born without the tibia in his lower legs. He has nevertheless attained competitive status in the premiere international competition for sporting events.
"But most of [China's] ire is reserved for al-Assad's regime. It strongly condemns "the continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias.""
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/04/world/meast/syria-unrest/

Pistorius Revolutionizes Olympic Notions
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/wires/08/04/2090.ap.oly.john.leicester.040812/

Some of the miracle stories in the gospel allude to the “lame” being healed from stigma associated with elitist imperial occupation. Anyone who was lame was regarded as inferior in the highly competitive social climate promoted by the military occupation and domination of the imperial power.

Jesus taught that the lame were loved by God and showed love for them despite the stigma against such a thing. This increased the sense of self-worth for those who were shown love and helped them to display remarkable changes in ability.

The ministry of Jesus was marked by his leadership by example. The following re-write celebrates his ability to develop the legacy of hope in the people of faith.

Essence
Eph.4, Ps78

Please lead a life worthy
of the calling to leadership.
Lead with kindness,
patience and love.
Maintain the unity of Spirit
in the bond of peace.

The people said,
“We had been saved from flood
by the ark of salvation.
We had been spared from drought
by saving the grain.

We had been delivered
from plague by sanitation.
There had been led from slavery
by the funnel cloud in the day
and the volcano’s fire by night.
We were provided quails as meat
and manna from heaven
when we had no food to eat
in the wilderness.

Resource management
characterized our character.
The law was given
as a call to administer
justice with equity;
to protest slavery and injustice;
to be firm with the wealthy;
to stand opposed to violence,
war and killing;
to punish murder;
correct other offenses;
to show mercy
to the poor;
and to encourage
self defense.

“We have been delivered from slavery.
We have been fed in the wilderness.
We have been released from captivity.
We have been taught to celebrate
the heritage of salvation.
 
“When we were on the way
to celebrate deliverance from plague,
the teacher taught us to share our sustenance
with faith.

“Now he must have gone home
to the town of comfort.
Let’s go to see
if we may find him there.”

They found the teacher
and asked for wisdom.
He said that love for others
guides us in all facets of the law.
The love of goodness leads us
into living with joy.
We are called to love our enemies,
so they will become allies.

Our task is to find the essence of goodness
and to share the wealth of our discovery.

Celebrate the substance of life!
Whoever eats this food will never be hungry.
Whoever drinks this water will never thirst.

Faith in God leads us to sustenance!

========================

Elitists seek to make those who are not in agreement with them weak. If they are not successful in weakening opposition, they make them into enemies that are at fault for error. Ordinary people are living in the midst of an economic assault on the middle and lower classes. Does this mean that all people are united in opposition to the elite?

There are the opportunists among the ordinary that work on exploiting the elitist advantage to oppress others. They try to make it seem that expressing an opinion that does not support the elites is like suicide. It is like “slitting my throat.” Many of us can relate to the words in the song, “slitting my throat is all I’ve ever….” had.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn_YodiJO6k

“Centuries are what it meant to me.
A cemetery where I marry the sea.
Stranger things could never change my mind.
I've got to take it on the other side.”

We are not suicidal. We have just been opposed to the elite from the start. We are the people. We will prevail.

The people united, will never be defeated!

Steve K.

Roar

Others,

The story about Jacob being renamed as Israel happens in Genesis 35:10, but when he blesses his sons it is called the song of Jacob's blessing.

http://bible.cc/genesis/35-10.htm

http://www.gcfweb.org/institute/genesis/week11.php

Songs are generally regarded as the most ancient of texts. Songs preceded the written tradition. They stand out as the most authentic historic markers. Thus, the story about his being renamed as Israel is a redaction from a different time. It was edited into the story of Jacob as a testimony to the importance of Israel in the legacy of Judah (Gen.38), a son of Jacob.

Reading the bible is different from reading most other texts. It is a community composition about faith in God that includes a variety of literary and journalistic styles. Unraveling that which actually happened in history is a mystery that has distinct clues. These clues are investigated in biblical source theory.

Bible history is a mystery that can help us to understand the history of the Middle East in relation to that of the world. It is work that has contributed to the improvement of society. Please show respect.

=====================

The name Judah means “Praise,” but it is related to word for Lion. He is called a lion’s whelp in Gen.49:9. http://bible.cc/genesis/49-9.htm The name “Assad” means “Lion.” Predators in nature act as a team. There is a hierarchy. They kill to eat, but if they fight it is for territory or status. It is not to kill each other.

Assad has NOT been treating non-Alawites with respect in Syria. He has been killing people, mostly Sunnis, for protesting his policies. This is not a reflection of nature’s way. It is the way of authoritarian regimes. If people disagree with government policy, they are shot, tortured or put in jail indefinitely. It is tyranny. It is not representative of government for the people. It is a projection of dictatorship for industry profit. The Assad family has been in power ‘over’ the people of Syria for over forty years.

His position is especially untenable, because it is the tyranny of minority over the majority of people. His regime will fall. It is a matter of time.

Syrian Army Mounts Assault Against Aleppo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19025955

King Herod was the ruler of Judea when Jesus was born. Another Herod was Petrarch of Galilee during his ministry. Herod translates as Hero. Herod however was not a hero.

Hero
Jhn6, Ps145

The Hero wasn’t trusted in the land of praise.
He was a servant of empire. Empire
had brought the cross as an instrument
of torture and death. Hero was called
a baby killer to warn others
of his affinity with tyranny.
Hero was not heroic.
He was a bully
with an army.

Empire had renamed the Circle Sea,
the sea of the Crown. When people
were traveling to the city of peace
to celebrate the triumph
of sanitation over plague, they
stopped to listen to the One who
saves from destruction.

The Anointed was teaching his students
to have faith in providence that
is given through provisions for people.
He asked them how they were
going to feed the people.

The student thought of provision
with personal experience. He did not
consider that the people had brought
food and drink for themselves. A boy
had been sent with food as an offering
for the service of teaching.

Christ blessed what had been given
in front of all to show that it was time to eat.
The people pulled out their supply of food
and shared the blessing.

The energy of your works praises you LORD.
We bless you for your provisions.
Food and drink give us energy to work.

May the Spirit be rooted through you
and grounded in hope.
What is the length, depth
and height of faith?
Let it be filled with
the fullness of God.

The students ate with their teacher.
They were satisfied. They were told
to collect fragments
of that which was left over from
the crowd. They gathered a supply
that was sufficient for their needs.

The people said, “This is the prophet
who was predicted to come into the world.
Let Providence lead us and keep us in peace.”

When the One who saves
suspected that they wanted
to use him to replace the Hero
he withdrew to the mountain.

Your people make known
the glory of your work.
They speak of your power.

Your peace is everlasting.
Your government represents
liberty and justice for all.
You are faithful in your words
and trustworthy in your deeds.

You uphold those who need to be upheld.
You lift up those who have fallen.
The eyes of all look to you for sustenance.
You give food in due season.

You open wide your hand
and satisfy the needs of the living.
You do the right thing
and put love into what you do.

The students began to doubt
that they could weather a storm
without the One who saves.
Their memory of his words and presence
calmed the turbulence of anxiety.

They made it to the other side
of the circle despite the storm.

======================

The existence of good will is often enough. It takes time to build consensus. It takes good will to build consensus that is beneficial for the people.

There are times when good intent however is not enough. The word “good” is attached to an action that is known to be harmful to trust. Consider the case of the married man who uses his marriage as a front for investment in the industry of war and uses the darkness of night to frequent a whore house.

The song sings,
“I know you didn’t mean it when you counted to ten.
You’ve got your reputation and your good intent.”

Kimbra – Good Intent (Warning: this video contains scenes with men dancing. LOL.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XjNlpe7hII

“Out to feed the habit when you’ve sowed that seed; nothing made you feel out of the ordinary. But the air turned somber and the night took heed, took you on the waltz of hypocrisy.”

A hungry lion is on the prowl. Watch the news for the push for war. Stand opposed.

Steve K.

Enemies

Others,

The law says, “You will not kill.” If you kill despite the statement, “You will be punished.” Punishment for killing had been treated as a lesser offense than other crimes prior to the provision against cruel and unusual punishment. People were killed by the state for a list of lesser crimes based on accusations.  After the provision had been established, the standards for justice began to evolve. Eventually, murder came to be regarded as the offense that required capital punishment.

If the accuser belonged to a group favored by the elite, then others were punished for belonging to groups that were not “protected” by the elitist leadership. Those who were not protected were called “the barbarians;” “the outcasts;” “those people”; “one of them;” the others. More recently, they have come to be called “immigrants;” “aliens;” “terrorists;” and “militants.”  

There were “rules” for judgment that were invoked by those who cared about justice, but there are cases in today’s society where people are convicted on charges based on accusation (e.g. Sandusky was convicted without physical evidence).

Syria presents an unusual case in authoritarian regimes. The elite actually favor a minority group, the Alawites, as “protected.” The position is regarded as untenable even in the league of dictatorships.

Syrian Forces Fight Back
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=278343

Israel has become increasingly authoritarian. They have the more common “justification.” The elites there support the status quo. Five Israeli citizens were killed in Bulgaria. Netanyahu claims that he has “fully substantiated intelligence” that it was the Hezbollah. The Hezbollah are Shiites.  The Iranians and Syrians are with the Shiia. This is his fully substantiated intelligence.

Netanyahu Promises to Punish Hezbollah
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/netanyahu-israel-will-do-whatever-is-necessary-to-protect-israelis-from-terrorist-attacks/2012/07/22/gJQAICU91W_story.html

The problem is that Israel will use US funded weaponry to attack and kill Palestinians who are Shiites. Surely, a Shiite neighborhood will be chosen for the bombing.  

Israeli intelligence has a list of “militants” who have been observed or have actually been recorded as making statements against Israel or allies. The procedure has not only been to “round up the usual suspects.”  The suspects were treated as terrorists i.e. they made angry statements against Israeli oppression, so they won’t admit that “Israel has a right to exist.”

They were killed at a ratio of ten to one. These suspects are now called militants because the US and the western coalition no longer support the “war on terror.” Who are militants? Those who are for a Palestinian state or at the very least, don’t approve of Israeli oppression, are militants.

The elites don’t want to recognize the existence of a Palestinian state, so they don’t admit to the existence of Palestinians as anything but terrorists (even if they are called militants now). When the US championed the “war on terror,” it was this policy of killing suspected terrorists as “terrorists” that was implemented. Calling them militants is not a big change. It is still a violation of the law against killing.

Netanyahu needs to be replaced by someone who does not support the killing of suspects. The US and Israel are guilty of supporting a policy that murders non-combatants as long as he remains in office. We cannot regard non-combatants that are killed as “collateral damage.” They were murdered because they were killed outside of the rules for engagement.

============

The suspect in custody for the Colorado shootings has a large amount of evidence against him. There are witnesses. There is ballistics testing. There is the documentation of the purchase of weapons and ammunition. There is not much question as to the guilt of the suspect. Still, he needs to be tried in a court of law. The testimony has to be corroborated by physical evidence.

If he is guilty, his defense can plead “not guilty due to reasons of insanity.” This is however a mass murder. Twelve people were reported killed. Eleven were seriously injured. About eighty were injured by the shooting spree. Insanity is a mitigating plea. Cases where four or more people are killed are regarded as mass murder. This should kick the mitigating plea out of the judgment.

Suspect in Custody after Colorado Theater Shootings.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/james-holmes-aurora-shooting-medical-student_n_1689794.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D182203

What does law about gun control have to do with mass murder? The debate at this point is between the position statements “Automatic weapons need to be outlawed again” and “Major purchases of weapons or ammunition need to be treated as probable cause for investigation.” The elitists will push for something else.

Nevertheless, If the murderer did not have ease of access to the automatic weaponry, he would not have been able to kill and injure all those people.

Gun Laws in Colorado
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78799.html

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Who are our enemies? The elites would have us believe that our enemies are those who do not agree with their “law.” Their law can have people killed based on accusation. Their law does not observe due process. They are pushing to increase vigilante justice and cruelty in punishment by Joe Citizen with a gun, because they make money off the sale of weapons whereas corrections are paid for by taxes.

The law says “you will not kill.” Their law says, “You will only kill if you are in our favor.” They are the enemy people, yet the law also says, “Love your enemy.” We are called to love those who make the poor; who make outcasts; who make aliens hostile; who make strangers suspicious; who convict people on charges of crime based on the social status of the accuser. It is no easy task, but we can use faith to help us to achieve the conversion of our enemies to allies. The following re-write looks at the grass roots movement to believe in love.

Enemies Ps.89

The witnesses gathered around
the One who saves and told him
what they had taught.
He said to them,
“Come away and rest.”
So many were coming and going
that there was no time for reflection.

There had been a time
when people did not know Christ.
No one had been anointed
to lead people into understanding
with goodness and joy.

Christ is our peace.
Peace has broken down
the wall of hostility
that had divided us.

Former enemies
were called to
reconcile oppositions
to represent the people.

They climbed in the boat
crossed the circle sea
and landed in the garden
of riches. Once they
got out of the boat,
the Healer was recognized.

People brought the ill
to the marketplace
and begged to touch
the fringe of his clothes.
Those who touched him
were healed.

You are no longer strangers.
You are not aliens.
You are not outcasts.
You are not unwanted.
You are citizens of the light.
You sparkle like stars in the night.
God loves you as the children of creation.
You are now anointed as beloved.

My hand will lift you up.
My arm will join with yours.
No enemy will deceive you.
You will not be brought down.

Love your enemies.
They will become your allies.

Faith will be with you.
Hope will shine for you.
Love will lead you
on the way.

Happiness will grow.
You will win prosperity
with dedication.
The rule of law
will reign in our land
and guide us around the globe.
Our haters will be our motivators.

Transgressions will be corrected
during confinement. Crime will
be judged by testimony
and physical evidence.
Murder will be punished
by what can be proved
in a court of law
with a jury of our peers.

Our beloved heritage will live
through time. Our love
will shine like the sun.
Creativity will
adapt to change
like the phases of the moon.

Leadership is our right.

======================

Christians proclaim love for Jesus as the Christ, but Christ is non-sectarian. Christ represents the Creator who makes the sun shine and the rain fall on all. It is this all-loving Christ whom we are called to respect with love.

Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=oni0tO_HN30&NR=1  

Public policy is not the sole province of Christians or any other religious sect. It is the province for the people of the world. Fairness in public policy is far too important to be regarded as impossible.  Freedom of religion is a provision that encourages people to work together irrespective of affiliation according to social group. When the law favors any religion, it is no longer blind to prejudicial favor. It is blind to justice.

You will not kill. Those who do will be punished by that which can be proved in a court of law.

Steve K.