Time For One Last '06 War: Ethiopia vs. Somalia

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Kelly @ Dec 26 2006, 05:57 PM) [snapback]366850[/snapback]</div>

As does the African Union. And they kinda, maybe, know a bit about Africa. I think the 'war' may have had something to do with the Somali rebels were trying to overthrow a legitimately elected government.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Kelly @ Dec 26 2006, 05:57 PM) [snapback]366850[/snapback]</div>

Aren't the rebels fleeing en masse?

 

Not to mention that the folks imposing Sharia Law in Somalia are facing possible sanctions by the UN.

You know, sometimes there are good guys and bad guys, no matter how much some might not like it. I'm rooting for the good guys.

 

I can't figure this one out at all. I mean, here you have the two poorest countries in the world, and they waste what little money they have on THIS?

BOTH sides have people starving not because there's not enough food (there is!), but because the warlords are blocking access to the food. You know, sometimes there are no good guys, no matter how much some might not like it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 27 2006, 12:23 AM) [snapback]367047[/snapback]</div>

It's amazing; the power of religion. As we all know, logic need not apply.

 

So, er, what else is new coming out of 'dem there parts?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 26 2006, 09:23 PM) [snapback]367047[/snapback]</div>

Ethiopia has been moving toward greater democracy, and has actually seen improvement in AIDS infection rates, etc. They still have a long way to go, but they are headed in the right direction. The Somalian Islamic extremists want to impose Sharia law in Ethiopia ... and as I think PG indicated the power of religion to subjugate people is pretty strong.

So the Islamic extremists, trying to impose religious rule over the Ethiopians, should lose, and the Ethiopians should win.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Kelly @ Dec 26 2006, 06:57 PM) [snapback]366850[/snapback]</div>

What an ignorant statement. What faith, what doctrine, what EVER makes you think God starts wars or causes them. I'll grant he ALLOWS them, but then he allows free will.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Dec 28 2006, 02:12 AM) [snapback]367544[/snapback]</div>

*Gasp*- you are NOT saying one religion is "better" than anther, are you? Horrors.........(yes, this was sarcasm)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Dec 28 2006, 09:12 AM) [snapback]367679[/snapback]</div>

Gotta second that motion Schmika and add that even though these people are using religion to accomplish/justify their actions/greed does not mean God or religion has anything to do with it.

Wildkow

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Dec 28 2006, 12:12 PM) [snapback]367679[/snapback]</div>

I humbly agree; the beauty of free will is that we are fully capable of doing the worst things imaginable...and the converse is, when we do good, WE are the ones who can take (the majority of) the credit.

I believe that God doesn't start wars or bear responsibility for all of the other awful things on Earth...people do.

Which means, the good news is that we also fully equipped to affect change for the betterment of us all.
[smile]

 

OK, let me see if I have this straight. When something bad happens, we can't blame God because he gave us Free Will. But when something good happens, we should thank God for giving us the opportunity, etc.

Either He's responsible for ALL the bad and ALL the good, or NONE of the bad and NONE of the good. Not even God can have his divine cake and eat it, too. It seems like God wants us to cut Him some slack over his responsibility. What a dick.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 28 2006, 04:45 PM) [snapback]367806[/snapback]</div>

No, as I see it, when bad happens we're responsible, and when good happens, we're responsible, too.

I'm not Christian so I don't thank God for anything, but I am thankful, period, to have the opportunity on this Earth to at least take a shot at what I believe (quite likely naively) to at least leave the world no more messed up than when I first arrived.

I also give thanks for Free Will. Without it, we'd just be automatons preprogrammed to behave in a certain way...and that very programming would make anything we do worthless, since we wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

Does that make any sense at all?

I'm thankful to be conscious and sentient...and I'm thankful that being conscious and sentient allows me the opportunity to be part of our material world...and I'm thankful that being conscious and sentient and part of our material world allows me at least a chance at attempting to act with positivity.

And that's about it, really.

I'm also thankful that I'm not an automaton (but I do have these inexplicable urges to wave my arms and shout, "Danger, Will Robinson...Danger!!")

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 28 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]367806[/snapback]</div>

Wish I had a Rabbi handy ...

That's actually one thread in theology ... that God is responsible for all things, from the good we see to the "hardening of Pharoh's heart" to the afflictions that were visited upon Job. So yeah, you can blame God for everything because if He didn't poke his finger down and actually do it, He at least allowed it to happen.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Dec 28 2006, 09:29 PM) [snapback]367974[/snapback]</div>

PriusChat has a resident Rabbi, Rebbi.

 

Well, well, well ...

Looks like a good campaign to defeat the Islamic extremists who were trying to take over both Somalia and Eithopia (with great success in Somalia, but they evidently over-reached).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Jan 2 2007, 12:03 AM) [snapback]369515[/snapback]</div>

Bullies usually fold quite quickly after the first person stands up to them.

Wildkow

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Jan 3 2007, 03:20 AM) [snapback]369949[/snapback]</div>

We finally agree on something! This is true; look at the results of this past November's election!