OBAMA and PUTIN

George Santayana said it well.....Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

History does repeat itself. If we do not understand what is happening has occurred before, it can destroy us. We must learn from our yesterdays.

The Putin and Ukraine of today are the Hitler, Austria and Czechoslovakia of yesterday. Obama must take a stand. A firm one. Otherwise, history will remember him as another Neville Chamberlain.

Obama drew the line in Syria. Then backed away. It has been drawn in Ukraine several times since the Crimean problem arose. Other than some minor ineffectual sanctions and boisterous rhetoric, nothing has happened.

Putin is a bully. Perhaps as bad as Stalin. Obama must stand up to Putin. Failure to do so could change the map of Europe and rewrite Obama history. He will not be viewed favorably. In spite of his Obamacare and Osama bin Laden successes. Unanticipated circumstance has made Ukraine the biggie in world events and the record on which Obama will be evaluated.

Additionally, and more importantly for the immediate future, the democracies of the world will no longer view the United States as the shining light on the horizon. Their protector. The one country they can depend on in time of crisis.

Talk is cheap. Obama, Biden and Kerry have been doing a lot. Primarily in the media for world consumption. It is similar to Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

There comes a time, so to speak, when you have to put your money where your mouth is. This is that time. Otherwise Ukraine can be the precursor of war. A far worse one than World War II. The war that no one wants.

Putin is a smart man. Intellectually and street wise. Probably a hell of a poker player. He is on a roll. He has consistently come out on top of late. For Russia. And sometimes even for himself personally.

An example involves the $2.2 billion Ukraine owes for gas purchased from Gazprom. One of Russia's major gas suppliers. Ukraine is broke. It cannot pay the debt. Yet Ukrainians need the gas.

When this Ukraine mess began, Putin said no more gas to Ukraine unless the Gazprom bill is paid. What was to be done? Simple. The United States provided a $1 billion guarantee to Ukraine. Putin looked upon the guarantee as sufficient good faith and said the gas would keep flowing.

The brilliance (or perhaps luck) of Putin now comes into play. Putin personally owns 4.5 per cent of Gazprom  It is estimated that the United States' $1 billion guarantee benefited Putin to the tune of $45 million.

The Economic Policy Journal in an article on April 14, 2014, wrote ".....in a way, with the guarantee, the United States just put $45 million into Putin's personal pocket."

It is Obama v. Putin or Putin v. Obama. Which ever way you want to look at it. Five rounds of a 15 round championship boxing match have been completed. Putin has won the first five rounds. It is Obama's time to come out fighting and turn things around.

Go get 'em, Mr. President! 

CATHOLIC CHURCH: YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Catholic Church issues involving priests generally, celibacy, marriage, women being ordained priests, abortion, and homosexuality had their place in another time, also.

The Catholic Church of today is not the Catholic Church of yesterday in many regards. A few of the differences will be demonstrated. Many the result of man's interpretation of the Bible rather than God's word.

There were no priests till the end of the first century. The apostles were holy men. Men of God. They bore no specific title.

By the end of the first century, Christ's followers had multiplied. The holy men were of the opinion they themselves should be referred to with a special designation. Something to demonstrate they were above the masses. 

The title Priest came into being. With it, ordinations.

The issue of celibacy arose. Not a problem in God's time. It took a thousand years to rear its head. Certain apostles were married. Peter, the first Pope, was. Subsequent holy men were. They enjoyed sex and fathered children.

No where in the Bible does it say God insisted on celibacy for priests. There were no priests for almost 100 years after Christ's death. For almost a 1,000 years thereafter, priests had been enjoying marital bliss. Some even outside their marriage bonds.

In 1074 AD, Pope Gregory VII declared candidates for ordination could not marry. Few, if any, listened to him. Priests continued to marry in large numbers for another hundred years. Celibacy was mandated and made part of Canon Law in 1139 AD at the Second Lateran Council. 

Between 1074 AD and 1139 AD, Pope Urban II became a zealous advocate of celibacy. So much so that he had priests' wives sold into slavery and their children abandoned.

Priests continued marrying and/or having sex for several hundred more years. In decreasing numbers. By 1200 AD, fifty percent of priests were married and fifty per cent not. So much for the Second Lateran Council.

History suggests Popes were married  through 1585 AD. Some fathered children. Six Popes subsequent to 1139 AD  produced illegitimate children. One Pope four, another three, and several two. 

It is well established that four Popes had male lovers. Open and notorious. One slept in the same bed with his partner in the Vatican of that time.

The most interesting thing learned is that celibacy is not a vow. Rather it is a promise. A promise a new priest makes to a Bishop.

Abortions have their place in Church history. Not as represented today. Rather as what existed in reality at a certain time.

It was 836 AD. Priests had been  having sex with nuns and other women for a number of years.. Some of the ladies became pregnant. The monasteries and nunneries became abortion mills. Infanticide was an agenda item. Very young babies were killed. Sort of makes one think.....Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

In any event, the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle decreed in 836 AD that there were to be no more abortions and child killings in monasteries and nunneries.

There were women priests. Would you believe! From the time of Christ to some time into the fourteenth century. And further in time. There was another Council in the fourteenth century that declared women could no longer be ordained priests. Yes, they had actually been ordained just as men up to that time.

Few payed attention to no more female priests. A hundred years later, women were still being ordained, hearing confessions, etc.

By the fourteenth century, male presence and power was increasing within the Church. The hierarchy began to look down upon women as priests.The female gender was considered less than the male one. Women were no longer worthy of being priests.

The hierarchy relied on the Bible for its new found position regarding female priests. Man's interpretation as opposed to God's. Where was that interpretation for fourteen hundred years?

A modern day inconsistency also exists.

In 1972, Czech women were imprisoned in large numbers by the Communists. Ludmilla Jarorova and several other Czech women were ordained as priests to serve the needs of those women.

For centuries, Popes themselves married and procreated.

The purpose of this article is to make  people aware there is a difference between God's Laws and what man later determines to be God's Law. Some believe the inconsistencies, the law changes, are the result of those who considered themselves special. The men in the Church. There have been such men in every century. Once in power, they abrogate power and authority to themselves. The result is the screwed up Catholic Church of today.

MUSLIMS TAKING OVER SWEDEN

Sweden is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe. Its capital and largest city is Stockholm. Until recent years, Sweden was considered one of the best run governments in the world. Not any longer. Muslim immigration in recent years has dramatically altered the Sweden of yesterday.

Sweden has always opened its doors to everyone. Especially the oppressed. It is the nature of the Swedish people.

An example is how Sweden handled a Jewish problem during World War II. Sweden remained neutral during the war. Befriended both sides, however. The Allies got air bases on Sweden soil. The Germans were able to use Swedish railroad lines.

Sweden's neighbor Denmark was occupied by the Germans. Eight thousand Jews were rounded up to be sent to concentration camps. Sweden worked things out so the 8,000 were permitted to enter Sweden and the safety it provided. So too with Norwegian Jews.

In addition to rescuing the Jews, Sweden has had a long history of tolerance and respect for the rights of others. Its borders have always been open. Everyone welcome. Sweden considered itself a utopia of multi-culturalism. Immigrants knew they were welcome.

Immigration began getting out of hand in 2004, however. And has continued to this day. Muslims in droves immigrated to Sweden from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. Well in excess of a half million. There were and are not enough jobs for the Muslim immigrants. 

The Muslims believe there are a sufficient number of them to demand social changes. They want what they want. Changes that fit into their life style. Streets riots have become common place. Motivated by what the Muslims view as a growing inequality.

People who immigrate to a new country normally take up the life style and ways of that country. Not the Muslims. Not in Sweden or any where else. They protest and fight for the ways of the old country they left. 

Muslims for example want to be governed by their own law. Sharia law. Criminally and civilly. The kind that stones a person to death or cuts off a person's head, condones the rape of women. This is a problem in other countries as well that are experiencing an influx of Muslims. Today's democracies are their own worst enemies. They try to accommodate themselves to everyone. An impossible task.

Under the guise of religious freedom, the Muslim population received permission to erect their first mosque. Today there is a mosque called Fittja in Stockholm. Every Friday for 3-5 minutes, the bells ring calling the faithful to prayer.

Swedish Jews are under attack by the new Muslim population. The Quaran, imams, and mosques all preach the Jew is evil and against Allah. The Muslims are upset that the Swedish government is not addressing what they perceive a problem.

Again, there is no assimilation. The Muslims do not desire it. They do want to increase their numbers, however. They recruit from jails and street gangs.

Food is involved. Muslims want halah food. Food cleansed by Islamic standards. They are getting it in Sweden. The path to the food desired was a simple one.

First, Muslims secure jobs where foodstuffs are prepared. When their working numbers become a force to be reckoned with, they pressure supermarkets to feature halah on their shelves. The pressure comes by way of threats, protests and the like.

Any non Islamic action offends Islam. Leading to threats and protests.

The United States is not he only nation whose flag is burned in Middle East. Swedish flags are also.

The Muslims insist that Sweden provide them with government enforcement of Muslim blasphemy laws. The want any criticism or insult to Islam to be punished under Sharia law.

Rape is big on the agenda. There is no respect for women. Stockholm is now regarded as the rape capital of the world. Quite a distinction. Sweden has the second highest number of rapes occurring world wide. It is projected that 1 out of 4 Swedish women will be raped. Seventy seven percent of the rape cases have Muslim immigrant  involvement. The major increase in rapes parallels the major increase in Muslim immigration.

Sweden is not an American style melting pot. The Muslim immigrants practice their own medieval values.

Some believe Sweden is on its way to becoming a third world country. I do not believe so. The thought is too far out. Much afield. However, things are bad in Sweden. Recently bad which makes the situation all the more scary.

What is happening in Sweden is occurring in most other European nations. The Islamic goal is to control the world. All nations need to have a greater awareness when it comes to immigration. Yes, immigration is a problem. It takes different forms and peoples. Think how it impacts our national and state governments.

Immigration becomes a balancing act. We want our doors open to everyone. The give me your oppressed thing. On the other hand, we do not want our basic American values trodden upon. Vigilance is the key.