logic

The Ninth Governor General of Australia Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs was Jewish and opposed Zionism because he disliked nationalism of all kinds. He saw Zionism as a form of Jewish national chauvinism, and because he saw the Zionist agitation in Palestine as disloyalty to the British Empire, to which he was devoted. When Zionist terrorists blew up the King David Hotel in 1946, he wrote that "the honour of Jews throughout the world demands the renunciation of political Zionism."

I guess this Jew knew better

Hezbolla could simply release the the two kidnapped soldiers (un-harmed) if they want the destruction to stop .

Of course I don't mean all religions are benighted - for example I don't think Buddhism is benighted. In fact there is much to respect in its quiet dignity, serenity and gentle moral code that is sadly lacking in some other religions that I can think of. I think there is much to learn from it. As I said however, I think the most important thing is that as progressives must zealously protect our system with its womens rights, gay rights, freedom of debate on religions and ideologies, economic freedoms and freedom to choose religion from forces of extreme religion who would destroy those freedoms. Holland is finding itself in the same situation right now. I believe that if our society and our values face a mortal threat, then we must eradicate our Enemy root and branch until it is utterly vanquished. If we don't then we will face the same extinction that the gentle Buddhist civilisations in today's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Xinjiang faced in the brutal Islamic invasions and slaughter around 1000 years ago.

Theories are inevitably skewed by the propaganda spouted by both sides, but this is surreal.

Take what you like from these:

Hizbollah spokesperson states that Israeli commandos are trapped in a hospital in Baalbek, and are surrounded by Hizbollah fighters, who are firing on them, while the IAF strafes the fighters, it also denies categorically that anyone was taken away:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DB65EDEA-76AC-4AC2-9ADC-8A0B14B9B587.htm

The next bulletin states that no fighters were injured, the people captured, despite two having the surname ‘Nasrallah’, were in no way connected to Hizbollah, and that the people injured and killed by the unprovoked invasion of a peaceful city by Israeli commandos, were all civilians:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7F33674C-7083-4F9D-8762-C32C26E12E59.htm

Does Hizb-Shatan have a little bit of a credibility problem or what?

Inshallah

2bob

fdixit

Let me guess, your not really a fan of Religion ? :)
Took me a while to work it out, but I finally got there.....

Your post is most instructive, and very similar to the attitude of one of those crucified with Jesus. He saw things rather colorfully also.

Jesus "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do"

Criminal 1

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" (Luke 23:39)

Criminal 2

"But the other criminal rebuked him...We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Fdixit, I guess you would have been the one 'hurling insults' and if you take that heart condition to your grave, does the thought not cross your mind that you might also be denied the outcome promised to the sorry criminal ? Who would be your judge ? me ? Jesus ? well.. He Himself said:

36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
(Mat 12)

47"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him.....that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

Am I trying to 'scare' you ? Lets just say 'inform'....

David the 'Murderer and Adulterer' said later after some reflection:

"My sin is ever before me"
and
"create in me a clean heart oh God" Pslm 51 (worth a read)

So, for you, the question is, will you be a 'hurler of insults' or a repentant sinner like David ?

You may wonder why I got off topic to respond to you.. well, perhaps I took your approach?

Kvasir: You raise an interesting point. For a while now, I've come to believe that within any belief system, the thing that gives it an imperative also contains the seed of its own destruction. I think this can be said equally for Christianity, Islam or secular humanism as it can for Buddhism, which is why no empire or belief system lasts forever.

Catholicism seemed to lead almost inevitably to Protestantism, and once on that track, it seemed almost inevitable that people would cut Bog out of the picture all together, hence the near extinction of Christianity in the modern west.

From that came secular humanism, but the end point of that seems to be twofold. One, that with no mandate to go forth and multiply, we're breeding (or not breeding, as the case is) ourselves out of existence. This is as true of the secularised east (Japan, Singapore) as it is of the west. Two, that our pluralistic approach leaves us unable to stifle virulent ideologies such as Islam without betraying our own values.

As for Islam, it's been on a slow decline ever since the rest of the world moved beyond the Dark Ages, and it's finally realising that essentially, you can't have the benefits of modernism and a theocracy. It's an either/or situation.