CONTINUING PERSECUTION FOR EGYPT'S COPTS

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

                       2nd Timothy, 3:12

Despite hopes that attacks on Egypt's Christian Copts would subside in 2014, there are no signs that those hopes will be fulfilled.  At the end of last month, yet another Coptic church was struck, this one being the Church of the Virgin Mary at Gizeh.

In the last half of 2013, fully 70 Coptic churches were attacked, burned or sacked, with corresponding loss of life in the Christian community.  Muslim extremists, taking out their fury over the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi, went to great lengths in singling out Christians for retribution.

Egyptian Copts account for about 11% of the Egyptian population,or close to 10 million individuals.  Tracing their origins to St. Mark the Evangelist, who was martyred at Alexandria in the 1st century A.D., the Copts have a Christian history of 2-thousand years. Present day Copts are the descendants of Christians who remained true to their faith in the face of the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century.

Long relegated to the status of dhimmitude, or 2nd class status in Egypt, modern day Copts still face discrimination and persecution on virtually all fronts of Egyptian society.  In many respects, it is virtually impossible for Egypt's Christians to advance into the top tiers of the professions, participate fully in community and political life, receive equal opportunities in employment and to openly profess their faith.

As a result of its perilous position, the Coptic population of Egypt is declining, as Copts choose to leave their homeland for more secure venues.  However, emigration from Egypt cannot be the solution for this religious minority, as it is unimaginable that 10 million people could simply pack up, leave and save their religion on foreign shores. Most Copts, too, are convinced that their claims to an Egyptian homeland supersede equivalent Muslim claims.

Regardless of politically correct propaganda prevailing in America, Christianity in many ways is now experiencing its death throes in the Middle East, as once thriving Christian communities from Lebanon to Syria and the West Bank dwindle to a few thousand.  However, the prevailing attitude among Egyptian Christians seems to be that it would be difficult to call oneself a Copt without living in Egypt.  In any case, the Copts face an uncertain future that would be compounded by the prospect of the Muslim Brotherhood and various Salafist groups assuming power once again.

In the meantime, the lack of knowledge of American Christians of the fate of their Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt must be diminished, and due pressure must be placed on American policy makers to address the oppression and persecution of this sizable religious minority.

Deo Vindice!

May God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

POLITICALLY CORRECT MAD HATTER DIPLOMACY AND POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTIAN "MARTYRS"

In a time of increasing violence throughout the world, our pathetic diplomats seem to spend their nonsensical time on such red herrings as championing the notorious Russian rock group "Pussy Riot," which is best known for its invasion of Moscow's Cathedral of the Holy Savior.  While U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power recently praised the group, America's standing in the world continued to plummet, and savagery against innocent parties throughout the world continued unabated.

When questioned by the Mad Hatter as to her view of his sanity and if he had become mad, Alice replied, "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you  a secret.  All the best people are."  Accordingly, one can't help but think that all the "best people" in the administration in power in Washington are somewhat bonkers. And the bonkering extends all the way from the top.  When the Mad Hatter expressed to the queen that she had an extraordinarily large head and that he might like to make an effort to hat it, it calls to mind the extraordinarily large head which now calls the politically correct shots that make our foreign policy the world's laughing stock.  How embarrassing it is that now this country's ambassadors are appointed to posts in countries in which they have never set foot, as revealed in recent congressional hearings on the appointment to Argentina, and have little to no background in the host country's language, culture or history.

While much consideration is given to the likes of Pussy Riot and immigration policies are twisted to allow individuals with "limited" terrorist ties to enter America, little to nothing is heard from those who represent us on the international front about the geometrical increase in the persecution and killing of Christians throughout the world.  Over the past year, the numbers of Christians who have been martyred for their faith has at least doubled, to 2,200, while some authorities would place the total much higher, at perhaps 8,000.  We will never hear anyone from the Department of State holding forth on this subject, but it must be remembered that Christians and martyrs are not high on the list of politically correct topics in 21st century America.

Most of the martyrdoms, of course, are the result of the unrestrained brutality of extreme Islam, and we should not be surprised by that.  Despite politically correct goobledygook to the effect that Islam is a religion of peace, the word has not gone out to the thugs doing the persecuting in places like Egypt, Pakistan and Syria.  Looked at historically, these extremists are simply carrying on in the 7th century tradition of spreading the faith by the sword.

At home, meanwhile, the administration continues its efforts to foist elements of its health care program not considered compatible with the faith of Catholics and fundamentalist Christians on believers.  Is there not some sort of dichotomy here?  Is it not surprising that many are beginning to feel as though the  politically correct mindset in Washington has gotten things out of whack?  Just as unrestrained Islamic extremism has caused the deaths of thousands of Christians abroad, so, too, would the perpetrators look forward to like slaughter in the U.S.  Is there not something pathetically wrong with an administration that will not even tell the truth about forces committed to our demise?

Deo Vindice!

May God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

IS THIS REALLY AMERICA?

THE ROMEIKE FAMILY

As more and more time passes, it becomes more and more difficult to relate to current developments  in American politics and government.  Supposedly flexibility is the key to understanding, but there are just certain things that tax one's flexibility.

I vividly recall my grandfather, who was a county Democratic office-holder, extolling the virtues of a Democratic Party, which had created a broad coalition across class, racial and income lines.  As a child, I accompanied my grandfather to party rallies and heard more of the same. To say that these experiences had an impact on my young mind would be an understatement.

If I were to return to my grandfather's home county today, I would find no Democrats in the county court house.  And, sadly, I must also say that if my grandfather were alive, he would likely be hard pressed to call himself a Democrat, for the Democratic Party, the longest continuously existing political party in world, is no longer the party my grandfather so loved and admired.

A staple of the political grounding in my family was strong emphasis on freedom of conscience and religion. In fact, my earliest ancestor to reach North America in the 17th century fled the Puritans to practice his Anglicanism in Virginia.  With this sort of background  in my lineage, I find it incredible that my country would turn away and expel evangelical Christians coming to America in order to follow the dictates of their faith.  But this is exactly what is happening with the Romeike family, which had previously been granted asylum in the U.S.

The Romeikes had sought to home school their children in Germany; however, in Germany, home schooling is against the law.  Incredibly, in Germany, parents insisting on home schooling may be deprived of their children by the state. Recently, the administration of our Democratic president has had the asylum status of the Romeikes revoked and has taken steps to deport them.  To call the administration action against the Romeikes astonishing would be to miss the point.  At a time when the asylum process seems intent on admitting assorted Islamists and individuals with terrorist links to the U.S., evangelical and fundamentalist Christians often find themselves demeaned and ridiculed in an increasingly pagan society clearly adrift from its traditional moorings.  So, while the administration turns a blind eye to illegal immigration and bends the asylum law in favor of elements unlikely to meld into American society, to bar the door to the Romeikes is nothing short of appalling.

However, it all begins to fit when one hears of the Democratic governor of New York railing against conservatives, pro-life advocates and defenders of the 2nd Amendment, saying that such individuals are lacking in proper New York values.  Yes, dear readers, it was not so long ago that we would not have imagined that such things would be said or imagined by responsible public servants.  As one who cut his teeth on the principle of academic freedom, I would have considered the prospect of having leaders such as those who now strut and preen on center stage of the Democratic Party laughable.  But history is such that the unimaginable more often than not takes one by surprise.  Nevertheless, one has faith that the abiding strength and goodness of America will weather the storm of the present Democratic Leninist doppelgangers, who give every indication that they wish to impose their own dogma of deceit, dismantling our country to such an extent that it is no longer recognizable.

Deo Vindice!

May God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

AIRLINE PRACTICES GROSS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TALL PEOPLE: DON'T FLY THE CRAMPED AND CROWDED SKIES OF UNITED!

At 6'4" and with a 36" inseam, airline travel has always been a challenge for me.  Nevertheless, 30 or 40 years ago, flying wasn't such an unbearable chore.  I well remember traveling on Delta when the steward or stewardess - the neutered term "flight attendant" was not in vogue at that time - would take one's suit coat on entering the plane and stow it in the closet, cheerily assuring the passenger that it would be brought to one upon landing.  Now, given the cattle-car nature of airline seating, one would have to be addled to even think of flying in a suit and tie.

There was a time, too, when flight crews went out of their way to enhance passenger comfort.  It happened frequently that I was asked if I would like to move to a more comfortable location.  Occasionally, a stewardess would take one look at my long legs and even ask if I would care to be upgraded - at no additional charge - to first class.

For several years I flew Continental's 50-passenger jets from Brownsville to Leon in Mexico.  The Mexican leg from Houston to Leon in Mexico was a decent flight, and it was possible for tall people to sit at the emergency exits without paying a surcharge. Continental made the flights somewhat enjoyable, with box lunches served to all passengers.  But no more!  Since United took over, the flights are cramped, crowded and often staffed by discourteous stewards and stewardesses who are anything but attentive to their passengers' comfort.  On a recent Brownsville to Houston flight I was treated with disdain by perhaps the most rude stewardess encountered over 50 years of flying.

The robber barons who now control United Airlines seek to turn profit at every corner.  If you are tall, suck it up and endure your knees practically sticking up to your ears;  or, you can lay out some extra dollars to gain a few extra inches at the emergency exits.  And don't even think about pretzels or peanuts any more. They departed soon after the box lunches.

United has already decreased leg-room from 33" to 31"  on their 50-passenger jets.  And they are considering means to further decrease the space, in order to squeeze in a few more seats for increased profits.  And so it goes:  airlines charge for whatever they can rationalize and do virtually whatever it takes for a few more bucks.  And passengers get squeezed in more ways than one.

As I write this post, I am lecturing in Mexico's beautiful Bajio region.  I am enjoying my stay; but, at the same time, am more than a little apprehensive over the prospect of my return flight to Texas.  After United had unloaded me at the Leon Airport last Monday it took me all of another day to get myself back on track.  With United Airlines, what once was almost an enjoyable experience with Continental now fills my mind with dread.  The skies of United are no longer so friendly, and their flights have become arduous events to avoid if at all possible.

Deo Vindice!

God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

LET US NOT FORGET ASIA BIBI AND THE HEINOUS PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BY ISLAM!

It will soon be going on five years that Asia Bibi has been incarcerated in the Muslim nation of Pakistan, awaiting her fate after having been convicted in a Pakstani court for the crime of "blasphemy."  If you feel that the word blasphemy has an antiquated ring to it, you may not be far off the mark.

It was during 1983, while walking down a street in downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that it dawned on me that I was living in a 15th century environment.  Indeed, to give the reader an idea as we start off the year 2014, the corresponding date by the Islamic calendar would be the year 1435.  If we compare the Christian world view of 2014 to the Muslim world of 1435, archaic is another word which would likely come to mind.

While doing farm work in 2009, Asia Bibi was set upon by fellow workers, who claimed that she insulted the Prophet Mohamed.  Asia was dragged through the streets of her village by fanatical Muslims and ultimately charged with blasphemy.

The governor of Punjab province in Pakistan took a calculated risk when he spoke out against religious intolerance and opined that Asia should be freed from prison and that the charges against her should be

ASIA'S FAMILY

discarded.  Symptomatic of the Islamic bigotry that prevails in Pakistan, the outspoken governor, Salman Taseer, was assassinated by his own security detail.

Even Pakistan's minority affairs minister, Shabaz Bhatti, was shot down and killed by Muslim thugs determined to silence anyone speaking out for toleration in Pakistan.

In the meantime, Asia Bibi languishes in a squalid prison cell, subject to the barbarities of her Muslim captors.  A mother of 5 under sentence of death, Asia has kept up a strong affirmation of her faith while proclaiming that in no way did she blaspheme Mohamed.  Her family, which had frequently visited her, has now reportedly gone into hiding.  In prison, Asia has been assaulted by the police and is very much aware that other Christians  imprisoned for their beliefs in Pakistan have mysteriously died.

Christians in Pakistan, as is true for Christians in other Muslim countries, are openly discriminated against, denied decent employment opportunities and risk death for merely worshiping together.  Muslim clerics in Pakistan frequently place bounties on the heads of Christians who, for one reason or another, are considered to have disrespected Islam.

During 2013, more than 2,200 Christians were martyred, most of them at the hands of Muslim persecutors.  The persecution continues throughout the world, and Christians continue to suffer on many fronts.  Despite that, our own government continues in actively supporting authoritarian Muslim regimes.  Pakistan, for example, received more than 1.6 billion in aid during 2013 from the U.S., most of it in the form of military aid.  U.S. Christians should be asking just how much of that sum is going to support the persecution of their coreligionists.

Asia Bibi is a symbol of Christian fortitude and devotion, and we must nor forget her.  The least we can do is continue to call her plight to the attention of our own government and to bring pressure on the renegade Muslim government of Pakistan.

The email address of the Pakistani embassy in Washington is:  info@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Let us pray for Asia!

Deo Vindice!

God bless Texas and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

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OF COURSE, IT MUST BE TRUE, JEWISH HISTORY AND THE NATION OF ISRAEL ONLY BEGAN IN THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY!

The widespread ignorance of history is appalling; but, even more deplorable, are efforts to rewrite history in pursuit of political goals, seeking to prey upon that ignorance

A prime example of such endeavors occurred last week, when the Arab League threw its considerable weight around to  suppress a UNESCO-sanctioned exhibit in Los Angeles.  The display, "People, Book, Land - The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People and the Land of Israel,"  was set to open tomorrow, January 20.  The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles partnered with UNESCO to make the event possible. Israel, Canada and Montenegro had signed on as co-sponsors.  However, at the last minute, the Arab League used its influence in the U.N. to nix the exhibit, loudly proclaiming that it was a travesty of history.

That the Jewish exodus from Egypt began in the 14th century B.C. is usually not contested by sane people. Running on through history, the long-running process of the diaspora is generally viewed as beginning with the Babylonian Captivity in the 6th century B.C. , with the Jewish people being dispersed throughout the Middle East, Judea and Babylon.  By 63 B.C., Israel had become a Roman protectorate.  The revolt against Rome in 66 A.D. resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem. which eventually led to the Emperor Hadrian declaring Israel to be part of "Syria-Palestine" in 135 A.D..

Despite the diaspora, there continued to be a Jewish presence from the time of the Crusader states, running through centuries of Turkish rule, which ended with the First World War, when the Jewish population amounted to approximately 100,000.  The Jewish population was augmented during the British mandate (1917 - 1947) and after World War II, when Jewish refugees arrived from Europe and other war-torn areas of the world.  By 1947, the United Nations had given its approval to the nation of Israel, which was recognized by the U.S. in 1948.  Thus, to deny a Jewish presence in the area which comprises the nation of Israel in 2014 for a space of 3,500 years is nothing short of unhistorical.

The revision of history for political purposes is nothing new.  Not only have crank historians sought to deny the Jewish Holocaust, similar efforts, with the sanction of law, have been undertaken to blot from memory the slaughter of Christian Armenians in Turkey.  In Turkey, journalists and historians who have sought to raise the national consciousness of the Armenian holocaust  have fallen upon Turkish law, which bans any public mention of officially carried out atrocities against Armenians as an "insult against Turkishness."

Efforts to falsify history were well known in the former Soviet Union; and, today, Muslim nations such as Pakistan go all out to "Islamify" history while reviling perceived enemies such as India.  And even in 21st century France, official history is not without an effort to put a positive spin on French colonialism.

It goes without saying that George Orwell had it right:  "The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history."  Given the authoritarian nature of the regimes making up the Arab League, I am not surprised that this group would seek to quash any attempt of expression contrary to their official line.  What is surprising, though, is that there has been nary a peep of official disgust from our own government in the U.S.  Servants of Clio must redouble their efforts in serving their mistress.

Deo Vindice!

May God less Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!