Thoughts on Saddam's Execution

Interesting article from Salon.com about the political and religious motivations that played into Saddam's execution. For those of use who were wondering what the rush was, this might answer the questions.

I found this section most interesting:

The tribunal also had a unique sense of timing when choosing the day for Saddam's hanging. It was a slap in the face to Sunni Arabs. This weekend marks Eid al-Adha, the Holy Day of Sacrifice, on which Muslims commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for God. Shiites celebrate it Sunday. Sunnis celebrate it Saturday –- and Iraqi law forbids executing the condemned on a major holiday. Hanging Saddam on Saturday was perceived by Sunni Arabs as the act of a Shiite government that had accepted the Shiite ritual calendar.

The timing also allowed Saddam, in his farewell address to Iraq, to pose as a “sacrifice” for his nation, an explicit reference to Eid al-Adha. The tribunal had given the old secular nationalist the chance to use religious language to play on the sympathies of the whole Iraqi public.

The political ineptitude of the tribunal, from start to finish, was astonishing. The United States and its Iraqi allies basically gave Saddam a platform on which to make himself a martyr to Iraqi unity and independence -- even if by unity and independence Saddam was really appealing to Sunnis' nostalgia for their days of hegemony.

Religion and '06

Interesting article here about the role religion played in shaping 2006 and the effect 2006 had on religion. Let's hope religion has learned a little humility.

I'm the Person of the Year

So are you!

Left Behind Video Game

I am a little late in posting about this, as I have been busy with finals, but please sign this petition asking the makers of a Left Behind video game to remove this game from their product line. You can read the petition for more details of the game, but one of the things players of the game do is kill Christians and non-Christians who will not convert to their particular form of Christianity. If I need to say more to get you to sign the petition, you are an ignorant human being. The fact that any "Christians" would buy or sell this video game is simply appalling.

I would also ask you to join me in boycotting the entire Left Behind series.

Early Frontrunner...

A look at the past 30 years reveals that America tends to elect "good ol' boy" white men with a little Southern charm to lead the country (I'll throw Reagan in there because although he wasn't technically a Southerner, he lived on a ranch). I would say that the Democrats could do worse than pick this guy to run in 2008. They could, in fact, do much worse, and they did in '04, when a little charm could've done them some good (no offense, Mr. Kerry).

Beating Hillary and Obama in Iowa is one thing, though. How would he stack up against the Republican frontrunners?

Sad news from Honduras...

Although I had never heard of the man until today, I was saddened to hear of the death of Dionisio Diaz Garcia. He was a lawyer with the Association for a more Just Society, a Christian legal society that fights for social justice in Honduras (which I had heard of previously). He was "killed on his way to court to help 10 security guards whose labor rights were being violated by the private security companies Delta and SETECH. "

Diaz Garcia was also known as the "lawyer of the poor" for taking cases on behalf of those who often could not pay for his services. If anyone is interested in writing to Honduran officials regarding this event, you can do so here. (The e-mail that is in Spanish is basically asking the government to protect other members of AJS who may be in danger, bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice, and stop the human rights abuses of the above-mentioned companies).

This story is especially close to me becuase I spent 8 months in Honduras in 2000. Although the Honduran government is now democratically elected, there is still a good deal of corruption. Your e-mails could actually help in this situation, because the government doesn't always come to the protection of the less fortunate without extreme pressure to do so.

God bless the work of the AJS and comfort all those who are coping with the loss of a man who does what so many of us fail to do everyday - look out for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Why we still need Christmas...

Amidst all my complaining about Christmas, I stumbled on a Christmas song I've decided I love. We've all heard the first verse to "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," but most of us probably haven't heard these verses:

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song that they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

For lo, the days are hastening on,
By prophets bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Of course, these verses will never be played on the radio and even more unfortunately, probably won't be sung in most churches. In fact, I have been in church nearly Christmas Eve of my life and cannot remember ever hearing these verses. Ah, the church could offer something relevant to a world filled with war, but would rather ponder the deep philosphical issue of whether or not Mary knew Christ would one day die on a cross when she first held him in her arms (see "Mary, Did you know?"). I would guess she didn't, but who cares?

And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song that they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

I could handle more of that this Christmas.

proof that Christmas is getting out of hand...

note that one of the radio stations started playing Christmas music in OCTOBER!!!

not a Christmas fan...

I am posting this so that those who are diverted from bradandgeo will know why there is a dedication to me.

My wife called me "Scrooge" this morning. It's true. I accept it.

Thing is, I have nothing against the holiday itself. It's more that we have to live with the decorations/music for two months (see previous post). And the music just isn't that good. Plus, I hate shopping when the malls are empty. Imagine how I feel right now going near a mall.

I digress.