A salute to Ms. Margot Wellstrom, Foreign Minister of Sweden.

By Sodium

The writer of this blog wishes to publicly salute Margot Wallstrom, the current Foreign Minister of Sweden, for what she has stated lately about the roots of the problems in the Middle East. She has hit the real score when she has said recently that the real cause of the violence and bloodshed in the Middle East has been the failure of finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I certainly could not agree with her more on what she has advocated. Reasons:

(1) Since the arrival of the destructive and fascist ideology of Zionism to the shores of Palestine from Eastern Europe and Russia initially, in late 19th century and early 20th century, the Middle East has been geared into the current violence and wars, ever since. Using the the seven words, " destructive and fascist ideology of Zionism " has not come from void, but from a life time knowledge of what has been taken place in Palestine. A bunch of hard core adherents to Zionism arrived to the shores of Palestine with determination to force the vast majority of Palestinians to leave their homes, lands and businesses into permanent exiles in the neighboring countries and across the globe. The writings of some Zionist founders and knowledgeable historians of Israel attest to this undeniable facts

(2) Balfour Declaration has committed Great Britain, whose military power of its navy in 1916 ruled the world then, to the establishment of what the world knows now as Israel. For deeper knowledge about what actually had taken place to extract this declaration from Great Britain in 1916, please review an essay that was titled ," Thoughts On Edward Said and T. E. Lawrence, " published on March 19, 2010, on this website.

(3) Sykes--Picot Accord has been the fundamental factor in keeping the Arab World and its people divided and weak and unable to find a solution for their manufactured disunity.For more depth on this accord, which was established secretly between Great Britain and France, in 1916--1917, could be found in an essay entitled, " Balfour Declaration And Sykes--Picot Accord are Roots Of Violence / Wars In Middle East, " published on July 13, 2014, on this website.

There are other reasons, which have to do with Arab political leaders who have failed to overcome their differences and, which, in turn, have made their Arab League ineffective and almost useless organization. But the main reasons remain those that have been cited above.

At any rate, Ms. Margot Wellstrom and the Swedish government, which she represents as its Foreign Minister, do deserve the admiration of every self--respecting human being, who strives for justice for the Palestinians. Wellstrom and her Swedish government have a profound understanding of the root causes that hocked the Middle East to such endless violence and endless wars. The Palestinians leaders and the leaders of the Arab world must reciprocate in kind. One way to do so is to provide Sweden preferences in trade, like importing Swedish products for their needs. For example, Swedish manufactured cars, such as Saab Models are reliable and of high quality and performance. So are the Volvo Models and Scania Models.I am not trying to advertise for these models of Swedish cars, but felt that the least I could do was to suggest something constructive to express my profound appreciation for the Swedish diplomatic honesty, courage and straightforwardness. And I am not a Palestinian.

Final Words:
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As the United States of America has emerged as the super power which has replaced Britain and France were in the 20th century, Zionism has moved its main public relations and political activities from Britain to the U.S.A. and gradually has succeeded in controlling what policy and eventually what legislation the American Congress should adopt towards the Middle East. With very few honest and independent congress persons, the vast majority of members of U.S.Congress has become subservient to what the Israel's Lobby, ( meaning Israel's political pressure groups ), dictates, to the self--serving congress men and women, what actions they must do when any issue concerning the Middle East comes up, for discussion, in the halls of congress.

When one witnesses how the members of Congress gave more standing ovations to the speeches addressed to them by the Prime Ministers of Israel than the numbers of standing ovations they had given to speeches,addressed to them by their own Presidents, one may not avoid not getting sad. In fact very sad, indeed. The difference between the honesty of the Swedish political leaders and their self-serving American counter-parts is like the difference between enlightenment and darkness, honesty and crookedness, courage and cowardice.

Humanity needs more Swedish honesty, Swedish courage and Swedish straightforwardness of the Wellstomish type in order to put an end to all violence and wars, not only in the Middle East, but across the globe.

END.

Quotations From The Answer To Question (21) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " By Stephen M. Miller.

By Sodium

Re-citing Question (21):
====================================
" How on earth could the Red Sea have parted so Moses and the Jews could escape from the Egyptian Army ? "

Quotation One:
====================================
According to Stephen Miller: " The Dead Sea has not parted lately--or ever, as far as anyone reading a history book can tell.
Stories like the one in the Bible haven't shown up in the Egyptian history. If the Read Sea ever parted for them, you'd think they'd have written about it.
But the Red Sea might not have been the body of water that parted for Moses and the Jewish refugees when they fled Egypt during the Exodus.
Many versions of the Bible identify the body of water as the Dead Sea --but with as asterisk: " God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea " ( Exodus 1:18 NIV ). The asterisk often reads something like this: " Or the Sea of Reed.. " "

Quotation Two:
==================================
" In two separate studies, scientists specializing in meteology and oceanography concluded that a strong, sustained wind could push back the beachfront water of the Red Sea's narrow Gulf of Suez--mimicking a low tide that extends the beach by about a mile ( 1,6 km ). Then when the wind stopped, the water would rush back within half an hour, and up to ten feet ( three meters ) deep.
    That sounds a lot like what the Bible described " All that night the Lord pushed back the sea with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dryground " ( Exodus 14:21 ). "

Quotation Three:
=================================
" It would also help explain why Na poleon nearly drowned while riding his horse on the Red Sea's beach.

Quotation Four:
=================================
" Many Christians read the story literally and say whatever body of water the Jews crossed, God blew a path through the water for them--just as the Bible says. "

Quotation Five:
================================
" Another option might feature a combo ( meaning combination ) of science, history and exaggeration. Perhaps, some would say, the scientific theories explain what happened. And a touch of exaggeration might explain the "walls of water. " "

Quotation Six:
================================
" However, many Christians, if not all, would take unkindly to someone arguing that the Bible writer exaggerated such a key event in Jewish history. "

Final Words::
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In the 1970's and 1980's of the last century ( the Twentieth Century ), I had made countless business trips to major Egyptian cities, including, of course Cairo, Egypt's capital city. On some trips I had ended up staying for a week or so at the Nile Hilton Hotel, which was located in the middle of Cairo, and not too far from the Egyptian Museum That had made it so convenient to me to make visits to the nearby Museum, after finishing my business obligations and waiting for my flight reservation to fly back to my point of business operations, for the Middle East and part of Africa.

During so many visits to the Museum, not once did I ever encounter a story or a historical evidence that confirmed, in the slightest manner, the story in the Bible with regards to the parting of the Dead Sea.

Furthermore, the Suez Canal was built mainly at the narrow strip of land that connected the Sinai desert land with northeastern Egypt--exactly at the location as the one described in the Bible.

All of the above combined has compelled me to finally raise the following question:

Why during building the Suez Canal, and to my knowledge, no evidences were found of the drowned Egyptian army's soldiers, their horses, or their chariots ?  Just a simple question which needs to be answered honestly and rationally.

I am not trying, here, to take the side of Stephen Miller. Not at all. I am trying, here, to be close to the truth as much as possible. I am not even certain whether or not I have succeeded in coming close to the truth. But, it does not hurt to try, if one can do so.
END.  

" What Cancer Cannot Do "

By Sodium

The following inspirational statements about the human deadly disease called " Cancer " have been found by Sodium; and he, in turn, wishes to share them with the dedicated readers of this website.

        " What Cancer Cannot Do "
    ========================

" Cancer is so limited ":

" It ( Cancer ) cannot cripple love "

"It cannot shatter hope "

" It cannot corrode faith "

" It cannaot destroy peace "

" It cannot kill friendship "

" It cannot supress memories "

" It cannot invade the soul "

" It cannot steal the eternal life "

" It cannot conquer the spirit "
                        Author: Anonymous

Final Words:
=================
I do hope that every reader who has read all of the above inspirational statement,s authored by unknown author or writer,  or by just a simple human being, has enjoyed reading them just as I have.

END

Important Quotations From The Answer To Question (20) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " By Stephen M. Miller.

By Sodium

Re-citing Question (20):
=====================================
" Wouldn't it seem more reasonabe to believe that Jesus disciples stole his body instead of believing he rose from the deadand walked away ? "


Quotation One
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" As the Bible tells it, Jewish leaders bribed the soldiers guarding the tomb: " They gave the soldiers a large amount of money and told them to say that Jesus' disciples had come at night and had stolen his body while they (the soldiers) were sleeping " " ( Matthew 28:12-1 ). "
" Some wonder what the soldiers' comeback would have been if their commander had asked, " How could you know that if you were asleep  "

Quotation Two::
===================================
" Here one important fact: " no resurrection, no Christian religion. "
" That's how vital the resurrection of Jesus is. "

Quotation Three:
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" Finding the corpse of Jesus would gut the Christian religion."
" The apostle Paul put it this way: " If Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith " " ( Corinthians 15:14 CEV ). "

Miller has made the point that when Jesus was in the process to crucifixion, all his disciples were in hiding. And while in hiding something dramatic had happened that changed the disciples from a bunch of cowards to martyrs in their loyalty to him. What has changed the disciples from cowards to martyrs is found in the following quotation from the New Testament of the Bible:

Quotation Four:
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" The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders,and on the eve of that same Sundaythey locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. He greeted them and showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they became very happy."
                             
                                                                                                      " John 20:19-20 CEV "

Quotation Five:
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" As the New Testament ( of the Bible ) writers and early church leaders tell it, the disciples were never the same after that. They believed in life after death so much that they practiced what they preached. Most died as martyrs."

Quotation Six:
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" It's not that Roman history ( books ) reports the resurrection as a fact. But it does report the disciples' belief in it as a fact.

Quotation Seven:
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" There was a wise man who was called Jesus, and his conduct was good.... Pilate condemned to be crucified .... His disciples didn't abaudon their loyalty to him. They reported that he appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive."
           
          " Josephus ( about AD 7--101, Jewish historian and Roman citizen, Antiquities of the Jews "

Final Words:
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NO COMMENTS.

END. 

Quotations From The Answer To question (19) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bibble " By Stephen M. Miller.

By Sodium

Re-citing Question (19):
===================================
" Why do many Christians say the wine and bread of communion actually turn into Jesus' blood and body ? ".

Quotation One:
==================================
" Of all the rituals Christians perform, including marriage ceremonies and baptism, there's one ritual that stand out as the most secred at all-at least in the mind many Christians.It's the ritual of eating a piece of bread and drinking a sip of grape juice or wine. This ritual goes by many names
 
   * Communion
   * The Lord Supper
   * Eucharist
   * Mass

It's so cherished because it's not a ritual that the disciples or other church leaders decided to create. It's the one ritual that Jesus himself established. He set up during his last meal with the disciples, the night of his arrest. Apparently anticipating his crucifixion the next morning. "

Quotation Two:
=================================
Stephen Miller provides the following reference from the Bible to confirm that Jesus himself established such a revered ritual, indeed:

" Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broe the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, " This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me! "  After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands.  (he said, " This is my blood. It is poured out for you. "  Luke 22:19-20 CEV "

Quotation Three::
================================
" Today, most Protestants would say that the bread and grape juice or wine that their ministers serve during the sacrament of Communion is just that: bread and juice. It simply represents the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. It's a metaphor. "

Quotation Four:
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" Catholics and Orthodox Christians insist that Jesus said " This is my body and blood, " not " This is a Metaphor."

Quotation Five:
==============================
Stephen Miller says that " Some twenty years after Jesus, Paul said this when he described the ritual to Christians in Corinth (Turkey): "

" What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and action the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. "  1 Corinthians 11:26 THE MESSAGE

He called the elements " bread " and " drink, " not the body and blood of Jesus. "

Quotation Six:
=============================
Finally, Stephen Miller provide the following historical information:

" The first church handbook skipped it "  and he wrote:

" The church's first known manual--Didache ( DID ah KAY; Greek: " teaching " )--does not say a word about the bread and winemorphing into flesh and blood. "

Final Words:
============================
NO COMMENTS.

END.
    

Selected Quotations From The Answer To Question (18) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " By Stephen Miller.

By Sodium

Re-citing Question (18)
==================================
" Given that snake do not say much these dayswhy do many Christians insist that a snake talked Eve into eating the forbidden from the forbidden fruit ? "

The following quotations have been selected  from Miller's answer to the above question:

Quotation One:
=================================
" The snake was more clever than all the wild animals he Lord God had made. He asked the woman, " " Did God really say, " You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden " ? " "(Genesis 3:1 ). "

Quotation Two:
================================
" Even the last book in the Bible calls the snake Satan: " That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world " "( Revelation 12: 9 ). "

Quotation Three:
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" " Many Bible experts, however, say they aren't so sure that the writer of the first book, Genesis, thought of the snake as anything other than a creepy, crawly critter. "

Quotation Four:
==============================
" Whatever the critter was, it could outtalk a parrot. "

Quotation Five:
==============================
" Some guessed it walked, too. that's just a presumptionbased on the punishment God gave it: You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live " " (Genesis 3:14). "

Quotation Six:
============================
" The snake in Genesis did pretty much the same as the snake in an ancient story frm Babylon, in which is now Iraq. In the epic of Gilamesh, the hero was about to get a plant that would protect him from death. A snake beat him to it--and ate it. The Bible story twists that plot."

Quotation Seven:
===========================
" Others say they see a mingling of history and symbolism, all mended to explain humanity's broken relationship with God. "

Quotation Eight:
==========================
" Still others insist that the writer ( of the Old Testament of the Bible ) was accurately reporting history, as inspired by God's spirit--and that a talking snake is a talking snake, and we can debate it until our tails rattle, but it's still a talking snake. "

Final Words:
==========================
It seems to me that Quotation Six is most telling, about where the real roots of, at least, part of the Biblical stories came from. This trend seems to hold closer to the truth, as one takes into considerations the historical fact that about 28,000 of the ancient Hebrews, such as the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, had lived in captivity in Assyria (in what is known now as Iraq), after the Assyrian ruler by the name of Sennacherib conquered northern Israel, about six centuries ago ( 600 hundred years ago ) before the birth of Jesus Christ, and consequently approximately 600 years before the birth of Christianity.

Some of those captives had managed returning to Jerusalem, but most of them remained in Assyria.

Now, one may be able to make the obvious connections between the telling of quotation six, quoted above, and the story of the snake and Eve, as spelled out in the Old Testament of the Bible--meaning the possible roots of the story was Assyrian cultural beliefs. Of course, the hard core Christians and Jews will reject such possible connections and that is their prerogative to adhere to their beliefs--just as I have rights to adhere to the proposed connections between the Assyrian culture, on one hand, and the snake and Eve story in the old Testament of the Bible, on the other hand.

I have taken my time to write all the foregoing under the subtitle, " Final Words " because I simply could not believe that snakes could talk. No way. You can call me " Zindeeq " if you wish, but I will stick firmly to my human rationality and sensibility. .

END    :






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Note To The Readers Of This Website.

Dear Readers,

Due to health issues, I have realized that it will take me much more than two years to summarize each answer, given by Stephen Miller, to every question he raised in his book entitled " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " . That's just too long of a time to spend in struggling in writing a summary or outline to each answer of the 100 truly tough questions. In order to provide you with a reasonable comprehension of the content of the answers given by Miller, I shall attempt to provide you with selected quotations which may appear to me important for understanding the core essence of what Miller provides in his answers

Hence, from now on, please expect to read mostly quotations selected from each answer. I intend to make my commentary participation as brief as possible.

Sincerely,
Sodium