Month: August 2011

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Fear of Islam

A friend of mine showed me an article where the author was writing of his concerns and fears of Islam taking over the world.  Fear in any form is an easy bandwagon to get on board.

For many people in the world, Islam is perceived as a religion of violence.  We currently see on TV, the violence done by those who profess to be Islamic.  Of course, on the same TV shows, we also see violence done by people who profess other religious beliefs and by people who never mention religion at all.

The Source of Violence

If violence came from any particular religion, every single member of that religion would have to take up arms.  In the news, and in this article, that is what the author says – beware of every member of that religion.  It’s easy to think violence comes from a particular religion.  But, of course, it doesn’t.

Violence among people existed long before religions existed.  And religions came along and got the blame.

It is so easy to blame something external for the feelings, thoughts and agenda that lies within the hearts of humans.  Certainly the external educations that we all receive do influence us and can support or prevent actions.  But, the responsibility for one’s own heart lies only with our self.

One’s Own Heart and Mind

For eternity-all past, all present, and all future- we and we alone are responsible for our own heart.  Because no one can take God’s gift of freewill away and God certainly won’t.  Even many of the German people during the 1930’s and 1940’s were at some point willing to follow Hitler.  In many of their hearts was “willingness” – willingness to hate.  That’s not the only example available through out history.

With a willingness to hate inside any of our hearts, aren’t we more inclined to be violent towards another.  It doesn’t take any religion or philosophical, political, or psychological belief system.  It doesn’t take anything except a willingness to hate, and then we look for a spark to ignite us to explode to vent that hatred.

The arguments in the article about Islam reminded me of the arguments from the 1950’s & 60’s about Communism taking over the world.

The Force of God’s Goodwill

As I told my friend, there are vastly greater forces than the forces of violence and hatred working to bring balance and light to the world.  The same fears have been around towards different groups at different times in humankind’s existence.

In this case, a different world than the one we live in would have to exist for this fear to manifest and rule – a world where very few were willing to bring forth God’s Spirit of brotherhood and goodwill – a world where people didn’t care – a world where no one put forth effort through prayers and meditations to help humankind through this growing process.  That world doesn’t exist for us – for us in the world we live in.  Of those that are praying, meditating and working in every way to bring peace, goodwill, kindness, understanding, brotherhood, cooperation and more – of these – try and stop the millions that are doing the work of trying to bring for the Spirit of Love – the Spirit of God.  No one can stop millions who work in their hearts to bring forth the Spirit of God – through bringing loving kindness, forgiveness, cooperation, patience, mercy, and healing into the world.

Still, while it won’t physically happen here, fear of it will happen and still does happen within the hearts of individuals, and many times fear is enough of a spark to ignite hatred within each individual – a hatred only existing because fear of someone exists.

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Another weather report

In response to another question about the Texas weather in Central and East Texas:

The temperatures in August in Central and East Texas will be like July, and continue into the 1st week of September.  But, slowly, the 2nd week of Sept., we’ll see temperatures start inching downward.  Around the 10th to the 15th of September, we’ll see real temperature change and from the 15th, we’ll have steady temperature drop with more clouds than we’ve seen this summer.  The temps will continue to become cooler as more clouds build up going through to the end of September into October.

We’ll have small amounts of sprinkling in September in some few spots in Texas, but going into October, we’ll have a gradual increase in raining.  October will actually have rain.  Those of you with rain collection systems, be ready starting in the 2nd half of September for a little, then for a lot from the October rains.

The rains will continue into November – around the 7th when I see what I think is a cold spell coming in around the 8th.  Nov. will be less rain than October with temperatures continuing to slowly creep southward on into December.  I see a milder cold December.  I think December’s rain will be spotty.

January and February will drop into the 20’s in Central Texas and into the upper teens in East Texas.  In East Texas, it can be considered a normal winter.  But, during this time, be ready for communication technology problems.  This goes for landlines and satelites both.  Consider having a backup where if one of your ways of staying connected is lost, another one can be relied on.  Satellites will have problems during this time period.