On violence in the Bible
I recently tried to politely converse with a right-wing Christian relative who kept shouting (why do Christians and especially their leaders always have to turn up the volume as if we’re morally deaf?): “Those Godforsaken Muslims want to kill everyone who does not follow the Koran!”
So I checked it out. Thoroughly. Turns out the Koran (bigger than the Bible) has exactly one dozen brief verses dealing with fighting “infidels.” The Christian Bible is many, many times worse. Whole books of the Bible celebrate God-inspired genocide. Whereas the Koran shows mercy to captured enemies, the Bible scorns mercy.
One example, Psalms 137, glorifies those who smash the heads of captured Babylonian infants on the rocks as “blessed.” Holy war, genocide and ruthless ethnic cleansing are promoted throughout the Bible. Firstborns in Egypt are ordered by God to be killed along with “total annihilation of the Canaanites.” In Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua and the New Testament Book of Revelations, God demands all unbelievers (women, children, the elderly and all livestock) to be wiped off the face of the earth. Moses ordered the “complete destruction” of all “Promised Land” cities and the slaughter of all inhabitants slaughtered in a bloodbath: “You shall not leave alive anything that breathes.” The same with Joshua: “You shall utterly destroy them all.”
And yet, most Christians are blind to the horrors of their own “holy” historical book. Mostly because pastors and Christian scholars always offer up a revised “context” of their own biblical history (“That was then, now is now”). So why can’t the same logic apply to the Koran? That’s because “revised history” is a hallmark of right-wing, fantasy-inflamed Trumpaholic “believers.”
— William Hui, Clearlake
Gas tax too high, too fast
I realize that California’s roads are in terrible shape and need work, however my objection to the new gas tax is the amounts (12 cents for gas and 20 cents plus a 4 percent sales tax increase for diesel). Don’t the law makers in Sacramento realize that our products are transported by diesel trucks, especially food? Duh. Also, California has a critical low cost housing shortage. Housing materials are transported by diesel trucks which eventually would effect building costs. Duh. Construction equipment also uses diesel fuel. The gas tax should be a lot less and gradually increased in the next 10 years rather than what is currently in effect.
— Thomas Nickel
Party polarization
The Soviet Union, along with the Democratic Party, have said “If you don’t agree with our way of thinking, you are mentally disturbed.” Oh yeah, 50 percent or more of the US population is mentally disturbed?
So lets see, the Dem. platform is to call us crazy, deplorable, stinky, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, misogynists, etc. All they can talk about is impeachment, Trump collusion, Russia, Stormy, and Adam Shift (I got the proof every time he gets in front of a TV camera). Like a Bantam Rooster strutting his stuff, all fluff and no stuff. And nothing came of any of this. Then they top it off with shooting a Congressman, disturbing officials at dinner, (*note below), sullying the US and two people over ideology and power grab (Kavanaugh and Ford). Calls for kicking us while we are down, Antifa (Dems) in Portland, Or., telling a 911 widow “good he’s dead, I hope he rots in his grave.” Liberal College teachings or Middle Eastern Madrassa’s?. Take your pick, it’s all just leftist hate speech all because they lost an ELECTION!
(*Let alone have the restaurant be complicit. I wouldn’t go back if someone ruined my night out regardless of politics. Wonder how many of those restaurants will be in business after the staged protests? Bet not many!)
The left hates America, wants socialism, lives off of victimhood and Trump Derangement Syndrome! The top 10 worst crime ridden cities in the US have been run by Dems for 80 years and now San Francisco has the distinction of being the worst city in the US with the whole state to follow. Great job, Dems! Sixty-five hundred US citizens are killed on US highways every year by illegals and 100s more are killed by illegal criminals. Yale estimates 22 million illegal aliens in the US. I bet it’s twice that many and costs taxpayers $89.1 billion per year, then Social Security recipients only receive 1 percent or 2 percent cost of living raises.
Finally a sex crime prosecuting attorney for women said in 87 percent of her cases the women were proven liars, during her tenure. And Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test shows she has more in common with Chryslers’ Jeep Cherokee than the Cherokee Nation, which has disavowed her! Chrysler has yet to get back to us i.e.: stupid is as stupid does. And California’s Sanctuary Cities Law will be your downfall.
After the Kavanaugh hearings you Dems deserve to lose this election and I hope you do! You bought it, wear it! And after all of this, you on the left think John Q. American is going to put up with this? Nobody with an ounce of common sense would! We have gone from Hope and Change to Strange and Deranged!
— Mac McKay, Lakeport
