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Songs of Zion

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I was fortunate to grow up in a conservative Catholic household, one where weekly Mass attendance was mandatory and love of country was drilled into my and my sibling’s solid little heads from day one. This was occasionally supplemented via application of the board of education to the seat of knowledge, my brothers and sisters oft complaining that I never received the number of spankings they did. Not my fault I was the perfect child. But I digress.

Another principle taught by my father was that religious and/or racial bigotry was for fools and would not be tolerated under his roof. I have always been grateful for that. He also taught us that Martin Luther King’s dream of a day when all would be judged not on the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, was an ideal on which to build a life philosophy. For this I am also grateful, even though living this out can get you in a lot of hot water with people who believe some signifying factor — race, gender, economic status, political philosophy, what have you — excuses them from such judgment.

Back to the no bigotry philosophy. I never, and I mean never, could figure out why anyone hated Jews. I was taught early on that Jews are God’s chosen people. How could you hate God’s chosen people? I mean, really now. Later on I was swept up in teenage evangelistic fervor, believing Jews were simply people who hadn’t yet realized that Jesus was the promised Messiah. I’m sure the synagogue in my hometown appreciated all the Messianic Jewish literature I occasionally put in their mailbox.

I also learned early on a love of Israel.

Initially, as much as my childhood mind could understand such things I learned the history of how modern day Israel was formed in 1948 due in no small part to the world’s horror over what had happened in the Holocaust. I read all I could find about the country, and watched every movie such as Exodus about Israel’s formation. I saw how the surrounding countries were determined to annihilate Israel, routinely launching wars against it and even more routinely getting their collective asses handed to them. When I embraced Christ during the aforementioned teen evangelistic fervor days, I re-embraced Israel as not so much the fulfillment of prophesy but rather from the straightforward belief that these were God’s people once again living in and ruling the land they had been promised. In other words, I was a gentile Zionist.

I haven’t changed my mind on this and never will.

To me, supporting Israel is not solely based in belief that God has declared it to be His people’s home, although certainly this strongly influences my thinking. It also stems from how despite insane odds against it Israel has built a prosperous, inventive and stable democracy in a region where such is noted mostly for the total absence thereof. The spiritual bond with Israel is strong. But it is not the only bond.

Israel is a sacred land, the place where Jesus lived, died, was buried and rose from the dead. I do not believe it is infallible. However, I utterly reject the notion that Zionism is equivalent to bigotry and that the United States should let Israel go it alone. Even as it is a sacred land, so there is a sacred obligation for believers to honor God’s words about the land. I propose no litmus test stating that support of Israel is mandatory for Christians. However, I challenge believers to study Scripture and then offer a Biblically sourced reason why Israel should not be supported. Search God’s Word, and in its light search your heart.

Even as Sarah Palin kept a small Israeli flag in her office when she was Alaska’s governor, and has often worn either an Israeli flag pin by itself or a pin with the United States and Israeli flags, it is my belief Israel is to be kept in my heart. This belief I will never let go.

Never.

Let the songs of Zion, unlike the lament of Psalm 137, be songs of joy.

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In Defense of Defending Sarah Palin

Elizabeth Scalia, a/k/a the Anchoress, routinely gives cause for me to be thankful I often write about something she doesn’t, namely NASCAR. Why? It gives me at least one area in which she doesn’t blow me away. Be it politics or faith, she is a ridiculously skilled writer, fusing mind and spirit into an uplifting whole. She is good. Period. One might even say, and be entirely accurate in doing so, that she rocks although to date she has declined to be photographed wearing any kind of spandex and leather outfit.

She’s written a most interesting political column today about the dangers of creating a cult of personality around a politician, in the course of doing so singling out the obvious subjects, namely Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. It’s well worth a read.

That said, there is a bit of a stretch in one part:

Her supporters do not, thankfully, regard Palin as some sort of transcendent humanoid, but to her base, Palin and her family have become sacrosanct to a troubling extreme that echoes the Obama cult: Jokes made at Palin’s expense are not jokes but “hate.” Constructive criticism (even when rendered mildly, and with acknowledgments of both her strengths, and the savaging she endured throughout the ’08 campaign) is categorized as “hate.” One either loves Palin unconditionally, or one is a heretic; doubt, or even a reasonable reservation, is an occasion of sin.

I cannot speak for all Palin supporters, and yes, I am a Palin supporter through and through. Yes, I do adore her. Not worship. Adore. For this I make no apology.

That said, I strongly suspect there are many here among us who, like myself, do not subscribe to the notion of her being 100% above reproach and everything she says or does is Holy Writ times ten. It’s an easy assumption to make that lack of criticism equals fanboy worship. No, not really. It means someone hasn’t said or done something lately that warrants criticism. If Palin says or does something I don’t like, yes I will say so.

The above duly noted, it warrants mention that a lot of people I interact with on a daily basis, be it in person or online, say and do things I don’t like. I’ve learned to let it slide. Unless their words and/or actions are an egregious affront — and it takes a lot to pull that off in front of this old outlaw — or are a direct danger to themselves and others, why get cranky? Not my style. Not anymore, anyway. I used to view every disagreement as a battle that had to be one at all cost and by any means necessary. Now? Not so much as I’ve embraced my heritage. I’m a California man. Laid-back fun in the sand and sun. Catch a wave and feel the good vibrations. You do your thing, I do mine. I don’t apply litmus tests to people, the least little failing of any earning immediate banishment from the kingdom. Who cares about such things when the surf’s up, dude?

I know more than a few conservatives who can’t stand Palin. It’s not that big of a deal to me. However, should she run in 2012 and win the nomination, I do expect them to 1) shut up about it and 2) fully support her. Also, should she not run, or run yet someone else wins the nomination, I will 1) shut up about it and 2) fully support whoever is the nominee. ‘Nuff said.

There’s a bit of an overstatement further along in the post:

To Obama or Palin cultists, any critique must be invalidated because if you find a fault with them, you are de facto finding fault with the values and ideals of those who have invested so much of their identities into supporting and yes, “believing in” their heroes.

As opposed to the legendary for all the wrong reasons “fake but accurate” meme issued by the New York Times, this comment is accurate but not illustrating the whole picture. Yes, there are people — plenty of them — who immediately go into counterattack mode the moment someone, anyone, says anything negative about Palin. They’ve become conditioned to respond that way given how much of the negativity against Palin comes not from political or philosophical differences, but rather cheap, degrading personal shots. When this inevitably slops over — Palin is dumb, you support her, therefore you are dumb –  what on the surface can appear like fanboy blather is actually legitimate self-defense.

I’m inclined to give Palin supporters the benefit of the doubt in this matter. I believe they are more than intelligent enough to support her based on her track record and political views, not a cult of personality. And, in fact, this is what they do.

Yes, a healthier dose of “eh, whatever” would be welcome when people come down on the negative side of opinion about Palin. However, it’s well worth mentioning this fact: she doesn’t need your approval. Or mine, for that matter. She does what she believes to be best, and more power to her for doing so.

P.S. Speaking of cult of personality…

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Different day, same Allahpundit BS about Sarah Palin

Not going to link to the story; neither the author nor the site deserve it. If you want to see it, go there — you know where — and look for an entry made today about JournoList fallout.

Having said that, let us return to the patron saint of beta males and his latest jab at a woman who accomplishes more while brushing her teeth in the morning than AP will in the entirety of his life span on this planet.

Back-handed pseudo-compliments? Of course.

Poorly-hidden accusations of her playing the victimization game? Naturally.

Cheap-shot labeling (“retail politician”)? Certainly.

Whining in the comments about how any word to the contrary of his sniveling is nothing more than drivel from Palin worshipers? On cue.

Be proud, Michelle Malkin, for bringing this bozo back from the blogging graveyard after he pulled the plug on himself in a snit over his one-trick pony shtick failing to earn a living. Be proud, Salem Media, for keeping the class clown on staff.

Unless you’re Jesus Christ, Who deliberately associated with the downtrodden and dregs of society as they knew they needed Him, you are known by the company you keep. Consider this next time you see squealing fanboys and girls over Allahpundit’s latest ode to his own obtuseness. Consider this, and respond appropriately.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/7yt7