Life is a Journey, Why Not Share it?

• USS Anzio seized 4 tons of Narcotics from a skiff in the Gulf of Aden, the haul has an estimated street value of $28 million. #
• This is funny… http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/1363379397.html #
• Holy Shit! http://bit.ly/2DHInO (RT from @rabidbadger) #
• Best story ever… And Short! http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/56305427.html #
• I puked in your purse… http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lan/1273689551.html #
• Bees that drink human tears… http://bit.ly/3jstA2 #
• Best father's day rant ever… http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/wdc/1209237294.html #
• The first rule of shooting long distance is to calculate the ballistic path of the projectile using SWAG, Scientific Wild-Ass Guess. #
• “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” ~ Oscar Wilde #
• Fightin' Phils take game 1! My very lucky niece will be at game 2! Go Phillies! #
• President Obama is the first President to witness the return of fallen soldiers returning from war. It's about time! Well done Mr. President #
• Fuck the Patch Family! "Deb Patch" sued Louisville Slugger because her son got killed by a ball hit by one of their bats! RIDICULOUS! #
• Well, time to go do some instructing… #
• The Case for Afghanistan : http://bit.ly/case_for_afghanistan #
• I hate it when companies make it impossible to find how to buy their products online. #
• Important Electrical Safety Lesson… http://bit.ly/zap256 #
• RT @ProBlogger A Word About Selling Text Links http://b5m.cc/boE #
• SoldiersAngels.org is raising money to provide wounded warriors with voice-activated laptops. The goal is $140K http://bit.ly/navyangel #
• Project Valor – IT
  http://bit.ly/f67iS #

The good people at SoldiersAngels.org are sponsoring a fund drive called “Valor – IT”. They are trying to raise $140,000 dollars to purchase voice activated laptops for wounded warriors.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of October 2009, Valour-IT has distributed over 4100 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.

Valour-IT accepts donations in any amount to support our mission, but also offers a sponsorship option for laptops.  An individual or organization may sponsor a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide that soldier with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. This has proved to be an excellent project for churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations such Boy Scouts.

Originally Valour-IT provided the voice-controlled software that accompanies the laptops, but now works closely with the Department of Defense Computer/electronic Accommodations Program (CAP): CAP supplies the adaptive software and Valour-IT provides the laptop.  In addition, DoD caseworkers serve as Valour-IT’s “eyes and ears” at several medical centers, identifying patients in need of laptops and other technological support for their recovery.  Wounded military personnel can also directly request a laptop through the sign-up form or through the Valour-IT/Soldiers’ Angels representatives at the following medical centers, and other veterans health care facilities across the country:

* Balboa Naval Hospital

* Brooke Army Medical Center

* Madigan Regional Medical Center

* National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital)

* Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton

* Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital (29 Palms)

* Walter Reed Army Medical Center

A Christian friend of mine recent made the following post on FaceBook,

“The thing that gets me is that so many Muslims are willing to die for their faith, yet Christians are afraid to live just as radical. I’m not saying Christians should become suicide bombers, by no means. But Christians should be willing to die to their flesh”

This statement nicely sums up everything that absolutely terrifies me about faith, and the faithful. To me it is a horrifying notion that someone would espouse belief to the point of being willing to die for your faith as virtuous. It is not. This sort of zeal can only serve to divide people. It serves to draw lines and separate us into groups so that we might side us, versus them, and frankly, I think it is disturbing.

When we begin to have faith in our beliefs that are so strong, that we become absolutely convinced that we are right, then we also make concrete in our mind the notion that all others must therefore be wrong. This leads to hate, violence and civil unrest. America is a melting pot, we are a society made great by our diversity, by our differences, to discourage that weakens the very fabric of our society.

Why should someone be disappointed that more people of their faith are not willing to “die of the flesh”? (Side note: Is there any other way to die?) I would contend that it is a good thing that most Christians are neither willing to die nor kill for their beliefs. To claim that the willingness of radical Muslims to martyr themselves is a virtue, is to discredit the fact that Christianity is nearly 800 years more advance in it’s evolution than Islam. It is saying that the progress of the last 800 years should not have happened. It flies in the face of a peaceful and tolerant society. Let us not forget that 800 years ago Christians were burning “witches“, making use of slave labor, and beheading people for the “crime” of heresy.  Would anyone actually want to return to that? Certainly no sane person would.

Over the last 800 years, Christians have grown, matured and become more tolerant, which is a remarkably positive change that has been embraced by society with the exception of a few right wing radicals who have become more vocal (mostly thanks to the internet) supporters of fundamentalism. It is almost always these fundamentalists who are the loudest, and bring the most discredit and shame to their faith, these are the people who kill doctors and blow-up abortion clinics. Is that something people do in a civil society? Honestly, would the Christian deity Jesus Christ have condoned the killing of people? Since when is it the place of mortals to pass judgement upon people, isn’t that the purview of god himself?

Judaism is even older than Christianity, and generally even more tolerant. You don’t here much about too many radical Jewish organizations, and most radical Jews are political radicals more than religious radicals.  The evolution of the Abrahamic religions is clearly evident.

I think the primary thing that all people should understand is this… Your faith does not invalidate the beliefs of anyone else. Nor do their beliefs in any way invalidate or lessen your own beliefs. Tolerance, peace and goodwill are all virtues which lead to a strong, prosperous and civil society. Is it sad that more people of faith are not willing to “die of their flesh” for their beliefs? Absolutely not, it’s a good thing. It’s a sign of progress. Because people can be very strong in their personal beliefs without having to force them on others, and without living in a homogeneous culture.

Question faith, and question authority ALWAYS.  I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes…

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. ”  ~Buddha

As always, comments are welcome, please let me know what you think!