People Are Like That

The saying: "There are all kinds of people" is proven by this believeable story. After listening to the tale I concluded that the person the man related to in his experience was gross - i.e. grossly unreasonable. Judge yourself: The man said that he was sitting on a plane waiting for short commuter flight, armed with a lot of work he needed to finish before landing. As the other passengers boarded the plane he prayed that the seat next to him would remain empty - or if he had a seatmate he or she would not be a talker. Normally he took every opportunity to talk to people - that was part of his job, but this one day he was pressed for time. If he could just have some quiet he could get his work done before reaching his destination. He began by burying his face in his reading material, hoping to ward off any comers. Soon a young woman took the seat next to him. He said a quick hello then returned to his reading. But, as (bad) luck would have it, that didn't stop her. She seemed not to take notice that he was busy as she talked and talked and talked. Not about the weather or current events, no. She talked about her personal life, eventually getting into details that were far more intimate than most people would share with a stranger, cataloging in colorful language the various relationships she'd had. This went on for the entire flight, and much of what she revealed was downright embarrassing to the man. As the plane began to descend, she took a breath and - for the first time since boarding - asked him a question about himself. "So what do you do for a living?" "I'm the pastor of a church," he answered. He says that he said only those six words, but that was enough. Her entire posture and demeanor changed. Immediately she became stiff and unfriendly, crossing her arms and half-turning away from him. "I just hate it when people cram religion down my throat" she snapped! Then the plane landed and she walked away, still in a huff. This female just spent the entire flight imposing herself on a stranger, showcasing her questionable lifestyle, never considering that she might say something offensive or embarrassing. But one short, six-word, non-confrontational sentence that included the words pastor and church, and she arrogantly concluded that he was "cramming religion" down her throat. People are like that. It happens now and then. My prayer is for hope that more people don't become as this female (I won't call her a lady) revealed herself to be: Inconsiderate and unreasonable, even disgusting. Thanks for visiting. - Bob Rom 13:12-14

History Lesson - Know Your Enemy

"Forget the past and it's bound to be repeated." I know, you haven't heard that for a very long time. It's time it was resurrected. Here's why: A man whose family was of the German aristocracy prior to WWII owned a number of large factories and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. "Very few people were true Nazis "he said," but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of our world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories." We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' Islam is the religion of peace, and the vast majority of Muslims just wan t to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam. The fact is the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who now wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or 'honor' kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous. Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority was irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The average Japanese individual prior to WWII was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across Southeast Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were "peace loving"? History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts, the fanatics who threaten our way of life. At the risk of offending: Anyone who doubts the issue is serious and fails to share this poignant summary of the history of fewer than 75 years, contributes to the passiveness that tolorates the present growing madness to expand. Thank you for visiting. - Bob God bless America