To Whom Do You Give Thanks? - Oct 9

Today in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving, a month earlier than our American cousins. This I believe is strictly a North American tradition firmly rooted in the Christian faith. The question is not, 'What am I thankful for?', rather, the question is: 'To whom do I give thanks to?'. It's a simple question that so few people really contemplate with any seriousness. It strikes me as strange to thank God without wanting to praise Him. I mean, who (or what) does an atheist or irreligious person give thanks to on Thanksgiving? Themselves? Nothing? Talk about ego-centrism or a cynical viewpoint! So if you haven't done so today, pray a little prayer like this:

Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for this day of fun, food and fellowship. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to pay for my sin debt. Thank you for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

There now, doesn't that feel better? Now let's get to the news happening around the world.

I was originally going to call this post 'Never Submit' because of all the news I'm receiving concerning Islam and our choice to either submit or to fight. By now I'm sure you know which camp I belong to but there still seems to be a lot of waffling out there. In Denmark, PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen was quick to fall in line in condemning the DPP activists who dared to lampoon the ol' Prophet Mo. The real kicker about this is that we are funding our own sworn enemies! How do we do this? By giving them undeserved foreign aid (aka the 'jizya' tax) and by buying their bloody oil! Don't tell me we have no choice because the technology exists that would ween us off ME oil (like the Alberta oil sands). In Israel, the perpetually outraged Israeli Arabs are furious about a Jewish MK visiting his own Temple Mount. Talk about cheek!

And where do you think all this jizya, oops foreign aid, is going to? Education of course. Not your basic reading, writing and arithmetic. Not something that would actually be useful in getting a job or anything like that. No, no, no, it is being used to teach students in Tehran the foibles of Zionism and to buy computers to teach newborns to hate! Why are we supplying the cash for all this? Where is the horse sense?

Well you know what? There are some out there who do have this (almost mythical) horse sense. Take Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commision who is calling into question the one-sided acts of tolerance towards muslims. PM Ehud Olmert showed some backbone too when he declared (as all Israeli PM's do) that Jerusalem is indivisible and forever Jewish. I hope Mr. Olmert truly believes that and isn't just mouthing the words to score cheap popularity points. After all, Israeli politics make Mr. Frattini's lot look tame by comparison. Natural allies such as American evangelicals, who represent a third of U.S. tourists to Israel, are still coming to the Holy Land to show their support. I have never been to Israel and it's a personal dream of mine to go there one day. If you've got $4,000 laying about, give it to me and I'll go as soon as I am able.

I've got three more links and a heart-warmer to finish off.

Did you know that Russia is the third most dangerous place for a journalist? Only Iraq and Algeria are worse. The fallout from the Politkovskaya slaying is coming in fast and furious. It would not surprise me one bit if Putin or one of his sycophants ordered the hit directly. Fellow Russian journalists are not hopeful of quick justice being done. What burns me is just the total arrogance of these industrialists, crime bosses and strongmen who feel that the courts cannot touch them. They believe they are a law unto themselves, accountable to no-one.

Back to Israel we go as the IDF is readying itself for a possible Syrian attack. That is unless you believe the Syrians who are saying to anyone who will listen that the Israelis will attack first. Should the unthinkable happen, let me tell you that Israel will throw everything including the kitchen sink at Syria should war erupt. Please continue to pray that Mr. Assad climbs down from his foolish rhetoric and not endanger Israeli and Syrian innocents.

The Somalis have declared jihad, meaning of course an inner spiritual struggle, against neighbouring Ethiopia. The Ethiopians have sent troops across the border into Somalia (denied by Ethiopian authorities naturally) because of the deteriorating situation there. What's left of the Somalian gov't is toast anyways, a fact not lost on foreign policy makers.

I think it's very easy to blame and bash America for all the world's troubles. It's easy but untrue. Read this account from Joseph Aaron, a man who loves America and the Jews that live there. See, all is not doom and gloom my friend! Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Johnny Cash