ISRAEL UPDATEMay 4, 2003 - I believe it is entirely possible, even probable that the Bush administration will use its success in this most recent war to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the name of peace.
While the President has displayed a reluctance to do so in the past, pressure from the oil-producing Arab nations and Islamic religious forces will no doubt cause it to be addressed in the very near future.
President Bush and U.S. policy makers will also face much pressure from the European Union, since that continent has seen a groundswell of Islamic influence and a large increase in the Arab population in many of their member countries.
This will also be compounded by the fact that this economic beast of industry has in the past sent huge contributions to Arafat and company, and called for boycotts of all Israeli products manufactured in the so called "occupied areas" of Israel.
Whether it is France and Germany - who opposed the current war effort, or Great Britain - whose civilian population is growing more and more anti-American, or the Vatican - who has been calling for an “international" Jerusalem under the control of Islam… Europe has the clout and they will use it without hesitation.
What is going to be so interesting is to watch the same nations that have propped up Saddam Hussein, tolerated Syria's occupation and rape of Lebanon, and supported Arafat the murderer… turn their sights on Israel demanding more concessions and peace from them. Europe is at best hostile toward Israel and this will not change in the future.
May 4, 2003 - There is an element of people in the world who are continually attempting to discredit Biblical authority, authorship, and relevance in general.
One of their main attacks is on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, pointing to what is supposedly inaccurate occurrences, contradictions, and so on. . .
Yet there are so many simple points that prove the exact opposite, such as the first three Gospels being more historical in nature and the Gospel of John being more theological.
But one aspect that should be addressed is what I call the "parade review" principle.
Consider placing four people - each on a different corner of an intersection – having them watch the parade in its entirety.
Then ask the four viewers, north, south, east, and west, to report their observations. You could expect that each one would have a different statement.
Each saw the parade, but from a different angle and point of view. Each one of these viewers would be focusing on in the aspects and events that had more visibility to them than the others.
This to me does not negate the reliability of the scriptures, their inspiration, nor those who wrote it under inspiration - focusing on specific groups or individuals - i.e., Jesus, the Greeks, fisherman, tax collectors, doctors, and historians, etc.
The best evaluation of the gospels is this – “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:24
To be continued…