Who do we talk to?

The ongoing debate over whether or not the US should negotiate with Iran, Syria and Hamas is not really a debate about US security. It is rather a debate about who is right, those who feel that the US should ride shot gun through the Middle East for Israel, staring down and blowing up everyone that Israel doesn’t like, or feels threatened by, or who disagrees with AIPAC or the other Jewish American organizations that are dictating US foreign and also our domestic policies, or those who feel that Israel as an ally has no greater meaning than any other country as a US ally, and that US interests, and not Israeli interests should be our first and only policy priorities.

Considering that most of us realize, probably during adolescence, that we must talk to one another, even when we dislike one another, it seems strange that the leaders of one of the world’s most powerful, and technologically advanced countries would be arguing about whether or not we should use diplomacy or be limited only to war as a means to settle disputes. God spoke to Satan, even after Satan had sinned, and misled Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Jesus spoke to Satan even as his faith was being tested by God in the desert. Perhaps these metaphors symbolize the truth that words are a form of power when spoken as truth, which could be why God used words, such as revealed books, more often than lightening strikes, tornadoes and earthquakes to get his points across. For those who don’t believe in God, the metaphor might symbolize the idea that people, and not weapons are the true powers on earth, since God has subjected all things in the earth to His stewards, except other human beings. Human beings belong exclusively to God.

It’s too bad that we have not been allowed to understand what the human being really is, and our potential inherent power, which is the spirit of God manifest within each of us. If we did understand such things, there would be no arguments about talking to enemies rather than merely killing them. We would understand that the consequence of talking is far more powerful and empowering than the consequences of killing which is absolutely debilitating and destructive for all involved. Israel is learning this the hard way. No matter how many Palestinians they kill, they have not been able to successfully cleanse Palestine of Arabs and Muslims. What they have managed to become is one of the most hated and distrusted countries on earth, and even with the trillions of dollars and military weapons and aide they receive they have no equivalent achievements to boast of.

Of course it would be foolish to expect mere human beings to act like God. I only mention God and Jesus since they represent absolute Godly perfection, and the lesser human perfection. It seems strange that the neo-cons, who give the appearance that they are a God loving people, closely aligned with the religious right, who supposedly know, understand and live the Bible to a greater degree than any of us so-called infidels, goyim living in husks and sinners, have ignored these very basic but meaningful truths about God and Jesus, and their dialogues with their enemies Perhaps this is due the fact that there were no billions of dollars at stake for either Jesus or God, and no government appointments, political power, or an Israeli lobby to fear.



In my humble opinion, neither Barak Obama, nor Hillary Clinton have demonstrated that they understand the real meaning and power of diplomacy as a standard methodology, used those who desire righteousness in the ongoing battle of good versus evil. Neither will admit, even though US intelligence stated emphatically that Iran's nuclear program was destroyed, while Iran says that no program ever existed, that there is no Iranian nuclear weapons program. Neither have been able to say that Israel must abide by the laws, same as we expect of any country. neither can say that Israel must end its ethic cleansing and genocide in Palestine, and its illegal occupation. Why wont the presidential candidates or even our President and Secretray of State demand a mutual cease-fire between Israel and Palestine? Could it be because they believe that with time, Israel will simply kill off the Palestinians and no cease fire is needed?

Moses, who led the slaves to freedom from captivity in Egypt, spoke to Pharaoh and continued to call him to repentance, and God. He never spoke of killing Pharaoh, even though Pharaoh often spoke of killing of Moses. Knowledgeable and wise men and women understand that when we have reached a point where taking life is our only option that we have failed in some way and that we will be held accountable for the price of that spilled blood. We must remember that every human being belongs to God, and He is taking a toll, and also taking an account.

Hamas, Syria, Palestine, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Iran are all organizations and groups of people. They are not ideas. They have a different view of life than some other people, but they also have a view of life that is shared by billions of other people, people who have a right to exist and to hold a view different than the neo-con, and Israeli worldview. Ther lives, like all other life is sacred to God, and should also be sacred to us. Israeli and Jewish is not superior. The idea of superiority was introduced to the world by Satan, and it caused God not only to cast him out the Garden, but also to doom Satan to eternal damnation and destruction. Should we imitate him?

If change is to come, it will require more than mere political changes. We must open our hearts and ears to new and different ideas. Like God and Jesus, we must listen, and to ask questions, even when we feel we know the answer. Imagine the arrogance of one imperfect human, saying to another imperfect human that he or she cannot speak to them until they make certain adjustments in their thinking, or behavior. Let’s pray that on the Day of Judgment that God will not have adopted the neo-con non-engagement policy, because if He does, we will all be lost. In fact, we need not imagine that the day of Judgment fits John Hagge’s tormented description of Armageddon, where only he and Israeli Jews (only those who reject Judaism and accept Hagee’s Jesus) will be raptured. Every day is a Day of Judgment because the die is cast with each day’s passing, and God is judging us and punishing and rewarding us each day.

We cannot change the world without changing ourselves. Having humility and learning to hear and speak again to the rest of humanity might be a perfect place to start the process of chaging ourselves, since once we really hear what they have to say we might realize that when it comes to the bottom line, we are all saying the same thing, but perhaps in different ways.

The Reverend Jeremiah Wright got it Right!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I may keep thy righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; quicken me Oh Lord, according to thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offering of my mouth, Oh Lord, and teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my hand, yet do I not forget thy law. The wicked have laid snares for me, yet I erred not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end (Psalms of David 119:105-112).



Are the media and the political operatives of the McCain and Clinton campaigns really the moral authorities who define for us what the duty of a preacher is, and what is and is not appropriate for a preacher to say? Seems strange that these are the people seeking to determine, or rather to dictate to the rest of us, what can be said from behind the pulpit and what can’t be said, and also what we can listen to and what we shouldn’t listen to, and perhaps even which Churches we should, or should not attend. If it is true that the media and political consultants have it as their intent, to now define these things for us, the United States has a much worse problem than many of us imagine.

We all might feel that the Church has strayed from the path of God to a great extent, and that it is much too pre-occupied with wealth and power, when it should be more interested in souls and salvation. Yet, few of us would ever believe that the state has such an interest in the Church and vice versa, that the media and political consultants should feel that it is right or their duty to decide for us what the message of God to man is, who can deliver that message, and what we must do if we don’t like what a preacher says, or if we simply disagree with him. Who would have ever dreamed that in 2008 in the United States of America, we would be challenged by the media and political operatives, candidates and consultants to judge the preacher according to their criteria and to forget God’s? Was it Jeremiah Wright, or was it God who first said that life is sacred and should not be taken unjustly?

The Bible says that as a young man, Jesus entered the synagogue and turned over the tables of the merchants and whipped some of them because they had turned the house of God into a place of commerce. Sound familiar? How many of our Churches, Synagogues and even Mosques have become places of commerce, and have ceased to be places of refuge, and sanctuary for orphans, the poor, and the broken hearted, the drug addicted, the sick, the mentally ill, and the homeless?

It’s hard to imagine that there would have ever been an American Revolution, or the United States of America, had there not been some pretty courageous, and feisty Preachers who spent their Sundays condemning the British Crown and calling the colonists to arms to fight for freedom and rights. Had it not been for the orations of Preachers who condemned slavery, even though they were mocked and accused of treason, it may have taken years longer, and many more lives would have been lost before slavery ended. Jeremiah Wright seems to be the object of ridicule because he admonished the United States for mistakes we have made that are pretty obvious, in the same way of Preachers before him.

Wright didn’t tell any lies that took us to war in Vietnam, but he was a Marine. He didn’t cause 4000 of our children to be killed for no reason in Iraq. He didn’t vote to take us to war, and cause thousands of our children to be maimed and driven out of their minds for no reason. Did Jeremiah Wright set up Guantanamo prison? Was it Jeremiah Wright who said that it’s all right to torture people, and that our country should not honor its treaties and that we should ignore our Constitution? Did Jeremiah Wright carry out the wicked and foul acts at Abu Ghraib prison? Was it Jeremiah Wright who made mortgage loans to unqualified, and inexperienced borrowers creating a sub-prime mortgage crisis that has ruined people’s credit, and put families in the streets? Was it Jeremiah Wright who has been stealing people’s pensions while living like a King? Did he get a multi-million dollar retirement plan for doing nothing? Was it Jeremiah Wright who shipped arms to Israel and gave them billions of dollars in support of an illegal and brutal occupation, and genocide? Was it Jeremiah Wright who closed down our factories and left our country with nothing to produce, out sourced our jobs, refused to secure our borders, and tried to give amnesty to over 12 million illegal aliens? Was it Jeremiah Wright who made our dollar valueless, and gave us Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears as role models for our daughters? No. It was Jeremiah Wright who said that God would damn America if we continue to ignore the evil that is being carried out in our names as Americans, and if we, the people, continue to turn our heads, and refuse to do something about it.

Who will answer for the millions of innocent lives lost in Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, Darfur, and other places in the world where we have sent arms, money and given moral cover to crimes against humanity? Who will answer for the 650,000 children that we starved to death in Iraq for no reason? If Jeremiah Wright, and other preachers wont bring it to our attention that something is morally wrong with the United States of America, and call us to repentance, who will?

When Jesus preached, the Pharisees became angry because he told the truth. He called them vipers and liars, and cursed them for hiding the truth, and oppressing people economically, and spiritually. He cursed them, and just like with Jeremiah Wright, they sent out their henchmen and operatives to defame Jesus, and when they could not silence him with threats, they sought to have him crucified. Remember John the Baptist? The authorities of his time never appointed him to a government office, never gave him millions of dollars, or allowed him to dictate public policies. As I remember, they cut of his head. I didn’t see in the Bible where either Jesus, or his cousin John ever ended their admonition of the powerful elite and the societies that fed their greed and lusts, and who ignored their injustices and crimes, for fear of public ridicule or even death. Should the Reverend Wright have to fear such a fate? Every true believer should stand with him, and stand up for him.

Someone asked why Obama would be a member of such a Church. Another person asked what man of God says things like Jeremiah Wright said? People asked, why didn’t Obama leave that Church, and someone said that what Jeremiah Wright said was vile, and hurtful and unkind. Nobody asked if he had lied. Nobody asked if he had awakened the members of his congregation to the truth, and to their duty to pray for their country and to speak out, and work against injustice. Anyway, men of God don’t answer to the media, or to politicians, political operatives and consultants, they really do answer to a higher authority.

America needs more men like Jeremiah Wright, and we need people to listen to what the true men of God have to say. Their not crying and longing for Armageddon and the destruction of the earth and all of mankind, or killing innocent people, attempting to force Jesus to return to rapture them and send everyone else to hell. Such men as Wright are filled with hope, and the belief that a good word is like a good tree, and that a good tree bears a good fruit, that can change this world. A good number of people in this country, Black and White, young and old, rich and poor, seem to believe the same thing.

Rather than to ask why Obama didn’t leave Jeremiah Wright’s Church, we should ask what Jeremiah was saying on those days that Obama was there. What caused Obama to become the type of person who can look out at a hate filled world that is suffering from the ill effects of racism, elitism, lies, greed, immorality and injustices and say, “We can change it “ initiating a movement of believers who are answering back and saying:” Yes we can.”

“Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil falsely against you for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets before you “ (Jesus speaking to the multitudes as recorded in the Holy Bible, Matthew 5:12)