Shocked, angry, saddened..

[Graham]

Another attack on Australians, Balinese and democracy.
I refer to the latest bombings in Bali, two Aussies dead and more to come so far.

Lives destroyed, families fractured, all because of radical Moslems filled and blinded by hatred and overcome by pure evil, so much so that they don't even care about killing their own people.

I pray for the families who have been hurt and that the authorities will quickly find and punish those responsible.

[GMan]

Anytime humanity destroys humanity, it really hurts us all.

Peace to all.

[KiltedBishop]

It amazes me how anyone can possibly think God needs any help killing people. Every religious book I have read, aside from Buddhism has plenty of examples of God doing just fine without our help...it seems a little arrogant to me.

[KiltedBishop]

It amazes me how anyone can possibly think God needs any help killing people. Every religious book I have read, aside from Buddhism has plenty of examples of God doing just fine without our help...it seems a little arrogant to me. And this from people supposedly so devout. Funny how Muslim radicals always forget abour the part of the Koran that says Christians and Jews are children of the same book and should be treated as brothers.

[jjoseph]

Another attack on Australians, Balinese and democracy.
I refer to the latest bombings in Bali, two Aussies dead and more to come so far. Lives destroyed, families fractured, all because of radical Moslems filled and blinded by hatred and overcome by pure evil, so much so that they don't even care about killing their own people.

Graham, I am so sorry for the loss of your countrymen. What an age to live in... when ideas about who is right and who is wrong breed fear and hate, either of which renders folk ready to "kill the other guy before he kills me or mine".

I wish you had said "radicals" and left it there. Not because "radical Moslems" was untrue, certainly not because of any untoward opinion on your behalf, Graham, but because of how people are identified by conotation as "the enemy". I know pro-democracy, patriotic Americans who are Muslim. The enemy here is not Moslems, but radicals. It's hair-splitting, but the kind that makes a difference because of the power that words have as they move forward out into public opinion... like the difference between saying a Nazi or a German...

If we don't make room for good, peace-loving civic minded Islamic people in our words and in our world, we will end up losing their sons and daughters, even here in our own countries, to the radicalism we fear... and our own sons and daughters in the battle to contain it.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
~~John Donne

Peace to you, Graham. And to the families of all who are touched by this terrible violence.

[Sherry]

It is horrifying, Graham. It is always sad to see so many innocents suffering.


Sherry

[Alan H]

This happens too much. A whole, whole lot, too much.

I'm sorry, Graham

[Graham]

It amazes me how anyone can possibly think God needs any help killing people. Every religious book I have read, aside from Buddhism has plenty of examples of God doing just fine without our help...it seems a little arrogant to me.

My post was not designed to make or encourage disparaging remarks against God or any religion.
God is not to blame - people are, we have free will to do good or evil.

[Graham]

jjoseph, I do take your point. If they had been radical Christians I would have said that, but added that no one can call themselves a christian and kill people like that. I'm sure that most muslims would also say that muslims should not kill.

I've met a lot of muslim folk and true, they are almost always nice folk who want to live in peace and worship thier god, and I would defend their right to do so.

Maybe we could just call these men in Bali what they are: butchers!!

[jjoseph]

jjoseph I tend to disagree here. The problem IS exactly as has been stated: RADICAL Muslims. This world is big enough for any religion and any combination thereof. The problem is with anyone who thinks that their religion is better than anyone else's and in this case that by bombing and killing folks is the way to accomplish converting anyone to a particular belief. If everyone who is of a particular belief would just leave it at that then we would all be better off. (Gee, why can't we just all get along?)..... It just really hacks me off when people dont' seem to understand what is involved. A radical sect of ANY group that seems to think they can bend others to their will just makes me crazy and should be denounced by all; ESPECIALLY by other members of that sect. I don't care what group it is - Radical Meter Maids or Radical home owner's associations; this sort of thing should not be tolerated by ANYONE. I look upon it almost the same (ideologically) as the folks that want us all to wear pants and forget kilts. Ignorance.
Okay, I've probably gone over the top here; delete it if you need to. Geez, I do have to say I love this forum.

Well, you and I can certainly get along, Starbkjrus. No worries there. I hold to what I said though... the words were not untrue, but they create an identity in the public mind that I think is counter productive. We didn't refer to the David Koresh group as "radical Christians" and I lived in the area at the time. I hold to the opinion that a lasting peace cannot occur when our language is alienating to the very people with whom we need to build bridges, in this case the moderate Muslim community. Sometimes it's not the words, or even how we mean them. It's the perceptions they create as they move on without us.

Graham, my apologies to you. The center of this thread and conversation was and should remain our shared grief, shock and anger about this tragedy. For my part in the hijack, I'm sorry. I wish you, and all touched by this heartache, well. And while I'm wishing, I wish that some courageous soul might find a real, workable and just solution.