Live Theatre

A quick thought: Live theatre is pretty much awesome. I watched Torrey Alumni Theatre's production of Oscar Wilde's "A Ideal Husband" at Biola University. It was so good I went back the next weekend.

Long live amatuer art.

Is Bin Laden dead? Who cares?

My initial reaction to the latest rumors of Osama's demise was disappointment that he would never stand trial in the United States. I had often thought that the best thing for America would be for Osama bin Laden to be found guilty in court and hung until dead in a public ceremony in Times Square. However, recent conversations lead me to instead have new feelings.

I don't care.

Seriously. I couldn't care less whether Osama is dead or not. His death at the hands of the United States would do little good at home and would paint him as a martyr abroad.

Instead, our "fierce," "dangerous” adversary is painted as a weakling, hiding for dear life in a cave making poor quality videos and withering away in relative poverty.

We have witnessed the ultimate humbling of the enemy. The only thing left is for him to die of slow, natural causes, prompting little response from the Arab world, while oil prices gradually decrease and the airline industry raises it rates in time for the holidays.

So long, great foe; great killer of the Infidel.
By the way, how's that there "Jihad" comin'?

Papa

I am not Roman Catholic.
I do not go to a Roman Catholic Church.
I do not believe that the Roman Catholic Church is supreme and authoritative over my church.

But boy-howdy, Benedict XVI is an amazing leader and if their were an election for "Cultural Leader of Western Civilization," then he would get my vote.

The battle to win hearts and minds for Christendom in the cultural war with Islam will require us to bring to light this fact: Christianity is reasonable and Islam is not. In fact, Islam is not even interested in being questioned and tested in order to ascertain whether or not it is reasonable. In a rather Screwtape-like way, all Christianity needs to do is ask the world to logically substantiate the claims of the Quran, and the intellectual battle is over. Radical Islam, by which I merely mean 'Islam which corresponds accurately to a straightforward reading of the Quran,' cannot engage in academic discourse about theology in any meaningful way.

His Holiness has invited Muslim leaders to a summit, of sorts, to clear up any misunderstandings about his remarks regarding the practice of spreading Islam "by the sword." Let us be clear. The Pope verbally attacked Islam based on his interpretation of the Quran. It is time for an intelligent Muslim cleric to rise up and academically exegete the Quran in a rebuttal to the Pope. Instead, the leaders of Islam have childishly demanded that Benedict "take back" his remarks.

It's time for serious discussion, it's time for Islam to take a seat at the university, and it's high time Mecca stopped demanding and started arguing.

In closing, I love the Holy Father and I am proud to see a leader who will invite all comers to the table, and attempt to teach the world "that religion and violence do not go together but religion and reason do."

Hugo Chavez: Friend and Brother?

Imagine this situation:
     In a crowded Tehran Mosque, the visiting President of Venezuela addresses the congregation, calling Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a "drunk" and "Satan." Now imagine a well known Iranian actor applauding at the speech and calling Chavez a close "friend and brother."
     Ladies and gentleman, allow me to make a prediction in this imagined world. I predict that the actor would never be seen or heard from again.
     I certainly hope that Danny Glover's support of Hugo Chavez draws harsh criticism within the United States; but to be honest, I think that the legal leeway and physical safety that he will enjoy is a testament to the freedoms that he enjoys, whether he wants to or not.
     Maybe Glover is just lucky that Chavez's gloves didn't come off on radical Islam on behalf of Venezuelan Roman Catholics or his local church might be looking down the barrel of a barrage of Molotov Cocktails.