Pagans in Utah?

Pagans in California, of course, half the state is pagan isn't it? Pagans in New York City, naturally you'd find 'fringe' religions in a city where most of the world does business and visits.  But Utah?  It's a Mormon state, the home of the Mormon religion.  What are pagans doing there?  Apparently having festivals with booths explaining different pagan and heathen faiths. 

There's hope yet and Odin walks the land again.

Pagan Pride Day to offer Utahns a peek at low-key but growing community

...and a little bit more...

I'm one of those folks that thinks the Internet should be the Wild West, very little law enforcement, you watch out for yourself, and those that want a good reputation will work at earning it and profit by it.  Many want controls that protect us when we're on the 'Net.  Trouble is, control of the Internet is akin to absolute power, and, yeah, absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Like this...

An amalgamated cybersecurity bill that lawmakers hope to pass before the end of the year includes new powers which would allow President Obama to shut down not only entire areas of the Internet, but also businesses and industries that fail to comply with government orders following the declaration of a national emergency...

We should all be very careful what we send out to the Internet...

The Bush administration was bad, they did evil, civil rights offending things like the Patriot Act.  The Obama administration is good, they respect people's civil rights.  Ummm...

The Obama administration is drawing up legislation to make it easier for intelligence services to eavesdrop on the Internet, including email exchanges and social networks...

Post Traumatic Stress

Our soldiers, (British, American, Canadian, Australian, etc.) are suffering post traumatic stress and it's apparently getting worse with each deployment.  What of the enemy?  Do they suffer the same symptoms?  They don't get to go home after a year deployment, they're there all the time.  They don't have professionals who are trained to help warriors deal with this sort of thing. 

I have a theory that they don't. The Islamic religion is in many ways a religion of conquest, there are instructions on how to wage war, who to wage it against, what tactics to use, and how to treat those you've conquered.  Islam means 'submission', Muslims must submit to Allah and those that are not Muslims must submit to Muslims.  My theory is that because their religion gives them an emotional and theological structure to in which to place and sanctify their actions, they suffer post traumatic stress less than our Christian based soldiers.  The New Testament is essentially a religion of peace, love thy enemy until thy enemy loves you. Based on that tradition, how do you view war?  Does that view set up our soldiers for increased post traumatic stress?

Liberals motivations, continued…

Is it spite?  Conservatives and the religious Right in particular seem to hate Muslims, therefore, to spite them, and give the Muslims some slack?  Turn a blind eye to the very issues that would otherwise cause problems?   

Is there some gain to ignoring the tenets of the Islamic faith?  What could a liberal gain from allowing a Muslim imam to spread their faith that is different from a Baptist priest? Does the Muslim faith help promote liberal ideas and plans in some way? It certainly doesn’t seem so.  Those nations that are predominantly or exclusively Islamic aren’t known for their gay marriage rights, empowered women, freedom of speech or any other issue that matches the liberal agenda and ideology.

Perhaps ignorance? Are liberals just uneducated as to the teachings of the Islamic faith?  That can’t be true as the speeches and texts of imams and Muslim thinkers are readily available.  The Koran can be found in just about any library and bookstore.  If liberals are ignorant it would have to be intentional. Are they?

Motivations of liberals

Liberals don't like religious Republicans.  No, wait.  The don't like the world view, philosophy, opinions, beliefs, or theological interpretations of the Bible, religious Republicans as individual people they may like, it's what makes them religious Republicans they don't like.

The reasons for not liking these things are usually given as they are exclusionary, narrow, insensitive, pretentiously ‘holier than thou’, self limiting, biased and even bigoted.  I’d have to agree with that list.  (Keep in mind I’m and atheist with heathen tendencies).

What I don’t understand is why liberals don’t hate Muslims even more than religious Republicans.  In the Muslim faith, women are virtually second class citizens, homosexuals are forbidden, all other faiths are considered inferior, cruel and unusual punishment is built into the teachings, seamless combination of church and state is the way things are supposed to be.  All these things are anathema to all liberals.  If any religious Republican, (or even a Democrat) were to voice them and demand that they be taken seriously, they’d be dragged through the streets. 

So what’s the motivation for NOT hating Muslims?

No submission

Thought you might like to read this letter to the editor of a British
national newspaper. Ever notice how some people just seem to know how to write
a letter? 
  
Here is a woman who should run for Prime Minister!
Written by a housewife, to her daily newspaper. This is one ticked off lady.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started
by Islamic people who brought it to our shores in July 2002, and in New York
Sept 112001 and have continually threatened to do so since?
Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day in
London, and in downtown Manhattan,  and in a field in Pennsylvania ?
Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or
crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured by a
justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting against in a
brutal insurgency.
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for
incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11 and 7/7.
I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring
about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by
beheading in Afghanistan
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick
Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Afghanistan come out
and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
mosques and behind women and children.
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of
Nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.
I'll care when the British media stops pretending that their freedom of
speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the
ground or their families waiting at home to hear about them when something
happens.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a British soldier roughing up an
Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:
I don't care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to
move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take this to the bank:
I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner - who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and
'fed special food' that is paid for by my taxes - is complaining that his
holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of
hearts:
I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and
other times 'Quran.' Well, believe me!! You guessed it ......
I don't care!!
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends.
Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous
behaviour!
If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you
choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed
by radical Muslims happen here in our great country! And may I add:
'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in
the world.  Our soldiers don't have that problem.'
I have another quote that I would like to add, AND.......I hope you forward
all this.
Only seven defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2.  The British Soldier.
3. The Canadian Soldier.
4. The US Soldier, and
5. The South African Soldier
6. The Ghurka Soldier
7. The Australian Soldier 

One died for your soul, the other 6 for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THEM.

GIVE THIS LADY A STANDING OVATION. SHE HAS INDEED TICKED ALL THE BOXES 
Isn't it interesting that so many people in the Western World feel this way,
but not one of our politicians, who are supposed to represent us, ever have
the guts to state the situation like it is???