modlitwa wojenna Marka Twain

IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 22.11.04, 17:25


The War Prayer
by Mark Twain
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms,
the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums
were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched
firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding
and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags
flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue
gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters
and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they
swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot
oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they
interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears
running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached
devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His
aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every
listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash
spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its
righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their
personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more
in that way.
Sunday morning came
    • Gość: a Re: modlitwa wojenna Marka Twain IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 22.11.04, 17:31
      Written by Mark Twain during the Philippine-American War in the first decade of
      the twentieth century, The War Prayer tells of a patriotic church service held
      to send the town's young men off to war. During the service, a stranger enters
      and addresses the gathering. He tells the patriotic crowd that their prayers
      for victory are double-edged-by praying for victory they are also praying for
      the destruction of the enemy... for the destruction of human life.

      Originally rejected for publication in 1905 as "not quite suited to a woman's
      magazine," this antiwar parable remained unpublished until 1923, when Twain's
      literary executor collected it in the volume Europe and Elsewhere. Handsomely
      illustrated by the artist and war correspondent Philip Groth, The War Prayer
      remains a relevant classic by an American icon.

    • Gość: a Re: chomsky webside IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 22.11.04, 18:45
      www.chomsky.info/talks.htm
    • Gość: mmm Re: Modlitwa Jurka i Ariela IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 23.11.04, 00:01
      moze ktoz napisze, czekamy
    • Gość: wiara Re: Boze blogolsaw Busha, wedlug Busha IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 23.11.04, 00:07
      George W. Bush on Faith
      An ongoing collection of quotes from Bush about faith, his relationship with
      God, religion & politics, gay marriage, and more.





      President Bush is a Methodist and has been very open about the role of faith
      in his life. Below are selections from recent speeches and interviews in which
      he mentions his faith or religious topics.

      On God, War, and Freedom
      "Freedom is on the march in this world. I believe everybody in the Middle East
      desires to live in freedom. I believe women in the Middle East want to live in
      a free society. I believe mothers and fathers want to raise their children in a
      free and peaceful world. I believe all these things, because freedom is not
      America's gift to the world, freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and
      woman in this world."
      --Speech in Pennsylvania, October 22, 2004

      "...The God I know is one that promotes peace and freedom. But I get great
      sustenance from my personal relationship. That doesn't make me think I'm a
      better person than you are, by the way. Because one of the great admonitions in
      the Good Book is, don't try to take a speck out of your eye if I've got a log
      in my own."
      --Interview by Radio and Television Ireland, June 24, 2004

      "I believe that God has planted in every human heart the desire to live in
      freedom. And even when that desire is crushed by tyranny for decades, it will
      rise again."
      --State of the Union Address, January 20, 2004

      "The cause we serve is right, because it is the cause of all mankind. The
      momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable--and it is not carried forward
      by our power alone. We can trust in that greater power who guides the unfolding
      of the years. And in all that is to come, we can know that His purposes are
      just and true."
      --State of the Union Address, January 20, 2004
      "Americans do not presume to equate God's purposes with any purpose of our
      own...."[Prayer] teaches us to trust, to accept that God's plan unfolds in his
      time, not our own."
      --Apology for Abu Ghraib prison scandal, as quoted in the Washington Post, May
      7, 2004

      On His Personal Faith
      "My faith plays a big part in my life. And when I was answering that question
      what I was really saying to the person was that I pray a lot. And I do. And my
      faith is a very, it's very personal. I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I
      pray for our troops in harm's way. I pray for my family. I pray for my little
      girls.

      "But I'm mindful in a free society that people can worship if they want to or
      not. You're equally an American if you choose to worship an Almighty and if you
      choose not to. If you're a Christian, Jew or Muslim you're equally an American.
      That's the great thing about America is the right to worship the way you see
      fit. Prayer and religion sustain me. I receive calmness in the storms of the
      presidency. I love the fact that people pray for me and my family all around
      the country. Somebody asked me one time, how do you know? I said I just feel it.

      "Religion is an important part. I never want to impose my religion on anybody
      else. But when I make decisions I stand on principle. And the principles are
      derived from who I am. I believe we ought to love our neighbor like we love
      ourself. That's manifested in public policy through the faith-based initiative
      where we've unleashed the armies of compassion to help heal people who hurt. I
      believe that God wants everybody to be free. That's what I believe. And that's
      one part of my foreign policy. In Afghanistan I believe that the freedom there
      is a gift from the Almighty. And I can't tell you how encouraged how I am to
      see freedom on the march. And so my principles that I make decisions on are a
      part of me. And religion is a part of me."
      --Third Presidential Debate, Tempe, AZ, October 13, 2004

      --Interview by Radio and Television Ireland, June 24, 2004

      "I am sustained by the prayers of the people in this country. I guess an
      appropriate way to say this, it's one of the beautiful things about America and
      Americans from all walks of life is that they're willing to pray for the
      President and his family. And that's powerful. It's hard for me to describe to
      you what that means. It's--let me just say this: It's a leap of faith to
      understand."
      --Excerpts from interview with Diane Sawyer, December 16, 2003

      On Religion's Role in Politics
      "I wouldn't pick a judge who said that the Pledge of Allegiance couldn't be
      said in a school because it had the words 'under God'' in it. I think that's an
      example of a judge allowing personal opinion to enter into the decision-making
      process, as opposed to strict interpretation of the Constitution."
      --Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, October 8, 2004

      "I fully understand it's important to maintain the separation of church and
      state. We don't want the state to become the church, nor do we want the church
      to become the state.

      "There's a way to accomplish the separation of church and state, and at the
      same time, accomplish the social objective of having America become a hopeful
      place, and a loving place."
      --Speech in Washington D.C., June 1, 2004

      "I believe that God wants me to be president."
      --According to Richard Land, as quoted in ""Understanding the President and his
      God"

      "We need common-sense judges who understand our rights were derived from God,"
      --As quoted in ""Understanding the President and his God"

      "We Americans have faith in ourselves, but not in ourselves alone. We do not
      know--we do not claim to know all the ways of Providence, yet we can trust in
      them, placing our confidence in the loving God behind all of life, and all of
      history.

      "May He guide us now. And may God continue to bless the United States of
      America.
      --State of the Union Address, January 28, 2003

      On Abortion
      "I think it's important to promote a culture of life. I think a hospitable
      society is a society where every being counts and every person matters. I
      believe the ideal world is one in which every child is protected in law and
      welcomed to life. I understand there's great differences on this issue of
      abortion. But I believe reasonable people can come together and put good law in
      place that will help reduce the number of abortions."
      --Third Presidential Debate, Tempe, AZ, October 13, 2004

      "We're not going to spend taxpayers' money on abortion. This is an issue that
      divides America. But certainly reasonable people can agree on how to reduce
      abortions in America.

      "I think it is a worthy goal in America to have every child protected by law
      and welcomed in life. I also think we ought to continue to have good adoption
      law as an alternative to abortion."
      --Second Presidential Debate, St. Louis, October 8, 2004


    • Gość: jezuitaJohnStanton Re: wojna Busha przeciw Chrystusowi IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 23.11.04, 00:10
      Operation American Pharisee
      Bush's War on Jesus Christ
      by JOHN STANTON

      "How terrible for you! You sail the seas and cross whole countries to win one
      convert and when you succeed, you make him twice as deserving of going to hell
      as you yourselves are."

      Jesus Christ, Son of Man, Son of God, Son of David

      George Bush II fed the American public the most atrocious of lies when, during
      a presidential debate with Al Gore back in 2000, he indicated that Jesus Christ
      was his favorite philosopher. Quite the contrary as the world now knows. Bush's
      vengeful persona and his penchant for the spectacle in public office have been
      in contradistinction to all the teachings and actions of the Son of Man. Were
      Christ to replay the last minutes of his life on the Cross in 2003 say, for
      example, on Capitol Hill, there's no doubt that George Bush II would be the
      first to take a lance and plunge it into Christ's body just as the Roman
      soldier did so long ago atop Golgotha. Viewed from the enlightened teachings of
      Christ and his many sacrifices, Bush II is a pitiful human being, a paper tiger
      leader, a sad figure, one that has sold his soul to devilish handlers for
      earthly gain.

      "Every plant which my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up,"
      according to Christ, via Saint Matthew, commenting on the Pharisees and their
      progeny, that being Bush and the NeoCons who lay claim to world leadership and
      the heavenly divine. "Do not worry about them!" said Jesus, "They are blind
      leaders, and when one blind man leads another one, they both fall into a
      ditch...It is much harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God than for a
      camel to go through the eye of a needle...The Kingdom of God will be taken away
      from you and be given to a people who will produce the proper fruits..." There
      is hope after all.

      False Profiteer

      The Gospel according to Saint Matthew is a beautiful piece of work documenting
      the fascinating observations and actions of Jesus Christ. In this short,
      inspiring work, the entire philosophy of the Son of David is set forth for all
      to read and act upon if they are up to the challenge. It is a philosophy of
      simplicity, honesty and forgiveness that requires those who follow it to
      sacrifice self and material desires for the sake of the universal common good.

      This is the path that George Bush II and his militant-Christian Republican
      disciples claim to be following by daily invoking Christ's name and actions.
      For example, in the name of Christ and all he represents, Bush invaded Iraq.
      Bush sought divine guidance from the Son of Man in that action--as he does in
      every other--and claimed to be enlightened by him in his decision to go forth
      and conquer. One would think that such a devotee of Christ's teachings would
      have placed the highest priority on protecting the Iraqi National Museum that
      contained information on Christ's lineage and the history of his times. As
      history has recorded, though, it was the Iraqi Oil Ministry that was heavily
      defended by Bush's legions, not the Iraqi National Museum that also housed a
      unique portion of the history of Muslim and Christian alike. That action speaks
      volumes about Bush's opportunistic dedication to Jesus Christ. Bush gladly
      sacrificed a warehouse full of insights into humanity and it's relationship
      with divinity to an unruly mob. Yet, a worthless building containing oil and
      gas extraction contracts between American firms and the government of Iraq was
      heavily defended by US troops.

      To a degree unfathomable in American history, Bush--whom the media continue to
      claim is a devout Christian--presides over record setting unemployment and has
      applied the wrecking ball to social programs across the board in the United
      States. We the People are suffering. According to the Catholic
      Campaign, "Nearly 33 million Americans have fallen into poverty--more people
      than a year ago, the highest number in years. What does it mean to the life of
      our nation to have so many people lost in a shadowy state of uncertainty and
      need?

      It means, as Marx once said, each according to his own needs. In the Christian
      society Bush envisions, you are on your own. Pray hard. Work hard. Trust in
      Wall Street and corporate volunteerism. Trust the Pentagon. Pray you don't get
      laid off or sick. And what are American's suppose to do about this state of
      affairs. Well, pray, of course.

      "On this National Day of Prayer, I encourage Americans to remember the words of
      St. Paul: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
      petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." The Congress, by
      Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on our citizens to reaffirm the role
      of prayer in our society...by recognizing annually a "National Day of Prayer.
      NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America,
      by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the
      United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2002, as a National Day of Prayer. I
      ask Americans to pray for God's protection, to express gratitude for our
      blessings, and to seek moral and spiritual renewal. I urge all our citizens to
      join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
      activities."

      Of course, Christ wasn't all that thrilled about those who have a religious
      chip on their shoulders or promoted such pompous affairs saying, "When you
      pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand up and pray in the
      synagogues and on the street corners so that everyone will see them...When you
      pray, go to the room and close the door...Don't use a lot of meaningless words."

      Eliminate a Federal Program for Christ

      Meanwhile, up to $1 trillion dollars will be spent by US taxpayers to rebuild
      Iraq and make it a Bush Garden of Eden in the turbulent Middle-East/Persian
      Gulf region. Christ might applaud that. But what would he think about Bush's
      USA. Here in the States, American's are getting the Pontius Pilate treatment
      from Bush. Congressman Rahm Emanuel recently introduced the American Parity
      Act. Emanuel pointed out that over the last two years, 2.5 millions more
      Americans lost jobs, 5 million have no health care, and 2 million moved from
      the middle class into poverty. Bush plans to provide 13 million people in Iraq
      with health care, build one hospital in every city and provide maternity care
      for 100 percent of the population. Back in the USA, 42 million uninsured
      working Americans get nothing. The Iraqi's will receive books and supplies for
      12,500 schools and will have 25,000 schools rebuilt or renovated. Back in the
      USA, 28,000 children will be eliminated from Head Start, no funds are allotted
      for school modernization, teacher quality programs are cut 10 percent, and 40
      educational initiatives will be eliminated. Children, whether Iraqi or
      American, don't seem to mean too much to Bush.

      "Remember, Jesus said, unless you change and become like children, you will
      never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the
      one who humbles himself and becomes like a child. If anyone should cause one of
      these little ones to turn away from his faith in me, it would be better for
      that man to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the
      deep sea."

      And it gets even better.

      The Center for Defense Information reports that close to $3 trillion will be
      spent on Empire building--in other words, defense spending--over the next six
      years. Discretionary spending for defense will be close to $400 billion in
      fiscal year 2004. Education, Health and Housing for Americans are a paltry $55,
      $49 and $34 billion respectively. Under Bush's watch, CEO's in the military
      industrial complex have compensation packages that far exceed their warfighting
      counterparts. The soldier on the battlefie
    • Gość: Daniel Bridges Re: modlitwa za Busha IP: *.nycmny83.covad.net 23.11.04, 00:12
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