What will you choose: God, or Allah?

Two articles today, one from Selwyn Duke at the American Thinker entitled Was Muhammad a True Muslim and the other from Herschel Smith over at the Captain's Journal entitled Islamic Jihad Targets the Weak and Defenseless, So Prepare to Defend Yourself, Your Family, and Your Tribe, illustrate the true nature of Islam and to a lesser extent Christianity. Both articles are long, so take your time, but read both. I'll wait. Have you read both? Excellent. Selwyn Duke writes that:

The distribution of violent injunctions in these books helps explain something else. A German study involving 45,000 teens found that while increasing religiosity made Christian youth less violent, increasing religiosity made Muslim youth more violent.

Well, that's interesting. Why do you think that is? Could it be that the Bible teaches consistently a message of peace toward all mankind? Could it be that Jesus teaching, that the central point of the law is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself is actually true? Could it be that people who tell you that jihad is really an internal struggle are practicing Taqiyya, the Muslim practice of lying for the faith? Because if they told you the truth you might raise a defense?

Many people today reject the God of the Bible because they think Him cruel, and tyrannical. His church, they feel, wants to control them. But when God gives a command to do something, or to avoid doing something else, it is not as a tyrant, seeking your unthinking compliance. Instead it is a warning given by a loving parent. God is saying that He designed the universe a certain way. That if you disobey his commands there will be consequences, not by him, but by the nature of what you have done. For example, God designed the universe with a property called gravity. Gravity is neither good nor bad, but if the wrong actions are taken, the consequences will be disastrous. So, if you were to go to a high cliff, spread your arms out and jump off, expecting to fly, you would instead fall to your death.

People who have never even cracked the spine of a Bible will often site the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of God smiting people for their sins. Now, the Bible is somewhat reticent about exactly what sins the people of these two towns committed, but we can be sure that they were not asking God to come into their lives and guide them. Now, these people had free will, as we all do, and since they rejected God, he did not interfere to warn them of the coming destruction. He did warn Lot and his family though, because Abraham, Lot's brother, loved God. Notice that the since people of Sodom and Gomorrah left God alone, he did not intrude upon their lives   Notice that while you can read the Bible with the purpose of finding cruelty and hate, you can also read it with the purpose of finding God's love for his creatures.  As always, it is your choice.

The Bible teaches love for all creation because God first loved us.  Islam is a different animal, and the god of Islam, Allah, is not the same "person" as our God.  Our God is consistent in his message from beginning to end.  He can not lie, and since the Truth is unchanging, our God is too.  But for Islam, as Smith writes:

One of the facets of sharia (Islamic Law) that turns the light bulb on in people’s minds more than anything else seems to be the moment they grasp the Koranic concept of abrogation and progressive revelation.

Islam teaches that Allah (the god of Islam) revealed Islam to mankind throughout history progressively. Allah revealed the Law to Moses which predicted the coming of Mohammad. Those who did not accept the Law of Moses were lost. When Allah revealed the Evangel to Jesus, which also foretold of the coming of Mohammad, it abrogated the Law of Moses, and those who did not accept it were lost (hellbound). When the final seal of the prophets – Mohammad – came and revealed the Koran to all of mankind, it abrogated all that came before it, and those who did not accept it were lost.

Or, as Smith writes:

Muslims’ role model, their “Perfect Man,” is very different from Jesus in type of influence but not in degree of influence. As Warner points out, “The Koran says 91 different times that Mohammed's is the perfect pattern of life. It is much more important to know Mohammed than the Koran.” Thus is “Mohammed” (and its spelling variants) the world’s most common male name, belonging to approximately 150 million men and boys. And there’s a reason why pious Muslims write “PBUH” (“Peace be unto him”) after his name and why they’ll riot if he’s portrayed in a cartoon. He is, in a sense, the human face of Allah.

Islaamnet.com makes this clear, writing that “when Allaah says: ‘Whosoever obeys the Messenger [Mohammed], has indeed obeyed Allaah’ (Surah An-Nisa 4:80), it should be clear that one has obeyed Allaah by obeying the Messenger.”

Islaamnet also informs that Allah commanded, “‘It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decreed by Allah and His Messenger to have any choice in the matter. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger he is clearly astray’ (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:36).”

This Messenger is, again, that warlord, bandit, mass murderer, employer of torture, polygamist and slaver trader and master. Worse still, it’s not that Muslims always rationalize away or attempt to whitewash this history. The truly devout ones may consider these actions — when directed toward non-Muslims — to be “good” because the actions have been sanctioned by their perceived author of right and wrong, Allah, and his messenger.

Do you not yet see the difference? One loves, one hates.  I will pray that you do.

There is however, something else that needs to be done. While Christianity tolerates others beliefs, in the hope that they will eventually come to believe and be saved, Islam can not tolerate any other belief. What this means for you, brothers and sisters in Christ, is that you will eventually have to make a choice, Allah, or God.  They are not the same, that is more taqiyya.  Allah, or God.  You will need to be prepared to defend your self, your family, and your neighbors.  As Smith writes:

While it may interesting to study and practice maneuver warfare and small unit combat tactics, techniques and procedures, MOUT and CQB techniques, the most likely first employment of a weapon you will ever face will be with your handgun and/or tactical knife. Remember Herschel’s Dictum. Always carry, always be prepared, keep your head on a swivel, and know with certainty that this is headed our way.

We’ve all had adequate warning.

Ten Transgender Truths

Today, Selwyn Duke has a blog post on Ten Transgender Truths for Legislators and Concerned Citizens. We haven't heard much from Mr. Duke in a while, so this blog post is welcome. Duke points to the main truth when he writes:

There is no sound science behind the transgender agenda. No “expert” can point to any physiological markers, in any given case, proving that at issue is a biological phenomenon and not a purely psychological one.

That, of course, should be the end of the story. But of course it is not, and so the rest of the Ten Truths must be added. Go read the whole article, and arm yourself with the facts. It is not about making confused people feel better, but rather about, yet again, social engineering. These people just can;t leave anyone alone.

Self Driving Cars? Meh

In my retirement years, I have a part time job driving cars for a well known rental car company.  The company buys cars in bulk, and at close to the manufacturers cost to build them, then the rent them for several months to a year, and sell them to dealers, auto auctions, and even retail.  I drive cars to their final destination before the name on the title changes hands.

One of the things we have talked about among ourselves is the prospect of self driving cars.  Some people feel these will be the greatest devices since the invention of the automobile.  Others look at the many ways that cars have accidents, and wonder if a computer can actually handle each of those things efficiently. Today at the American Thinker, Stephen Bryen has an aritcle entitled Problems and Pitfalls of Self Driving Cars. One of the most telling statistics is this:

One argument for them is that a self-driving car means less wear and tear on drivers, especially emotional wear and tear. Will there be less road rage, anxiety attacks and exhaustion in a car that drives itself? The answer (to a degree) is a qualified "yes" if you, the driver, trust Emil, the self-driving software that is running your car trip. Is Emil up to snuff? Does Emil understand the threats popping up "out there" in the real world? Is Emil reliable? (I decided to call my future self-driving software Emil. You can substitute your favorite name for Emil.) Anyway, opinion polls show that people are afraid of self-driving cars.

The question being asked, of course is, "Why do we need self driving cars?" The answer appears to be that some people want them, but in order to have them, we have to ALL have them. If only some have them, the supposed advantages disappear. In my job, I meet a lot of people who are "car guys." People for whom a car is not just a vehicle to get you from point A to point B, but rather something almost magical. Many of these guys will pay extra for standard transmission. I realize these guys represent a minority, but does being in the minority mean you just have to shut up and take it? In any case, go read the article, and make up your mind for yourself.

Dennis Prager Responds

Today, Dennis Prager, conservative writer, talk show host, and religious Jew, published an interesting piece at Townhall.com entitled A Response to my Conservative Critics About Trump. I will get into it in a minute, but first if you missed it, you will need to read what the hubbub is all about. What it is about is this piece, published last week at National Review: Why Conservatives Still Attack Trump. Prager gives a variety of reasons, among which is that Trump is not a movement conservative, which is true, Trump's character is not that of a moral man, and that these people do not really believe we are in a war with the Left in this country.  Prager answers his critics in his follow on column.

Now, I can say personally that all of the criticisms of Trump have echoed my own misgivings about the man.  He is not a movement conservative, as is Ted Cruz, and he does not articulate conservative principles in a voice I recognize.  He is a flawed individual, as are we all.  But, and Prager makes the same point, God often chooses flawed individuals to do His Work.  Indeed, God often chooses men because of their flaws to show what mighty things He can accomplish.  Now, I do not know if Trump is God's will or not, but it would not surprise me learn that indeed he is.  On the last point though, I have always been clear that we are in a life and death struggle with the left.  It is a cold war, to be sure, but a cold war the left is winning.

Thus, while I may  personally have misgivings about Trump, and indeed I watch him like a hawk, I so far find few things to criticize.  Neil Gorsuch was a brilliant pick for the Supreme Court.  We will see if Trump has chosen the best strategy to achieve his travel ban, but he so far is acting as a President, and not a dictator or king.  And pulling out of the Paris "Accord" was a good move as well.  It was in the best interests of the United States.  Congress, on the other hand, has been acting like fools.  Here is their chance to undo a lot of the Democrats proposals, and they are fighting on the margins.  It makes me sick

Dennis Prager offers a well thought out response to his critics in this piece, and particularly takes apart Jonah Goldberg in this matter.  Goldberg is one of my favorite authors and commentators.  Prager is  right to praise his book, Liberal Fascism, and it should be in every conservative's library. But Goldberg is wrong here, if he thinks we are only in a cultural war. Prager:

Nevertheless, what most disturbs me is his second argument -- articulated in various ways by most of those who disagreed with me -- that there is simply no civil war. And many repeated the universal belief among Never-Trumpers that a Hillary Clinton victory would not have been a catastrophe.

My response is that "culture war" is much too tepid a term for what is going on now. Maybe anti-Trump conservatives are fighting a "culture war," but the left is not. The left is working to undo the American Revolution. It's very close to doing so.

Of all people, one would think Jonah Goldberg would understand this. He is the author of what I consider to be a modern classic, "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Change.

Despite what Goldberg seems to think, we are not in a debating society. While civil relations remain to us, the truth is that few on the left are our "friends." The days of going out and having a beer with members of he left and hailing our excellent opponents is over. They have been showing their true faces, and those faces look tyrannical to me. We are in a cold war, a struggle to the death. As Prager says:

So, shouldn't the primary role of a conservative be to vanquish leftism? To me, that means strongly supporting the Republican president of the United States, who has staffed his Cabinet with conservatives and already won substantial conservative victories. As I suggested in my previous column, conservatives would have been thrilled if any Republican president had achieved what Trump has at this point in his administration.

Yes, it should. and as David Codrea says, "any chair in a bar fight." Trump may be flawed, but his instincts seem right.

Kathy Griffin Proposes to Behead Trump

Fay Voshell has the goods on the political left, as illustrated by the insanity of Kathy Griffin publicly showing a simulation of  a severed head that resembled President Trump.  Ms. Voshell points out that this sort of provocation has been going on on the left since the French Revolution.  Whether or not Louis the XVI deserved to be beheaded is debatable.  But Trump is the duly elected President of the United States.  The election was not stolen.  The Russians had nothing to do with it.  Indeed, the actions of the left has become not just resistance to Trump, but border on treason.

Voshell entitles her article Beheading King Trump XVI and starts out with:

He was unlike our current president in many respects: He was extraordinarily indecisive, timid and distracted. He seemed not to know his own country at all, isolated as he was from the public. But his position was very like that of President Trump in that he had a mob calling for his beheading.

That the mob succeeded in their efforts changed European history, effectively bleeding the continent’s aristocracy to death until royalty was dealt the final coup de grace during WWI and its aftermath.

Quite frankly, I don't hold with a hereditary aristocracy, nor with the notion of royalty. Typically, within a generation of two of the strong men who established the dynasty, no matter how well intentioned. the progeny are weaker and less deserving of being in that position. I also do not believe in anyone having that much power. The Constitution's breaking up of that power into 3 competing power centers each having distinct roles and limitations is a good system. But the Constitutional system can only work with people who follow the Constitution in good faith. But the left doesn't do anything in good faith:

Even so, though the Left has been nearly decapitated, it still natters on as if it has life; as if it has something significant to say. It still does its zombie imitation, hoping to instill dread and fear into the opposition by impersonating real life and vitality.

Ms. Griffin’s excess is an indicator not only of the deathly fatuity and grossness leftist radicals have been resorted to, but she is also representative of the high tide of an essentially nihilist deluge that has threatened America for decades.

...snip...

For those who believe the wrong person is in office and that a great pretender is living in the White House, it is high time to remember we do not live under an aristocracy but under the rule of the Constitution of the United States. We do not believe in aristocratic succession to the presidency.

It is high time everyone who desires the exit of any president remembers the great remedy our constitutional republic has firmly in place; a remedy that has been effectively utilized for hundreds of years: Voting to elect the person the American public wishes to be in high office.

32And…stop suggesting the guillotining of Donald Trump, the president of the United States of America.

Another Adventure in Amateur Radio

Over at the Captain's Journal, Herschel Smith is discussing the current state of the debate on suppressors, otherwise popularly known as "silencers" for guns.  Smith:

“The [sound suppressors] were a victim of the success of his marketing,” said Knox Williams, president of the American Suppressor Association, which is working with the NRA on this issue. Williams referenced Hiram Percy Maxim, who first used the term in the early 1900s when he invented what he referred to as the Maxim Silencer. The term later caught on with legislators and regulators.

“He labeled it as a silent firearm, and people took it for gospel,” Williams said of Maxim.

Now, I have to admit that the suppressor debate is none to interesting to me. I will not use one, perhaps because I have grown used to putting on ear protection. But I am generally in favor of any loosening of restrictions and this seems like a no brainer to me.

What startled me however was the mention of a name that I am very familiar with: Hiram Percy Maxim, aka "The Old Man" of the American Radio Relay League. The American Radio Relay League, or ARRL, is the premier representative of the Amateur Radio community in the United States, and represents our interests before the FCC and the International Radio Union. One of T.O.M rants can be found here. The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems.

I did not know that Maxim invented the silencer.  You learn something new every day!

Verbruggen: Conservatives Should Be Timid

Mr. Robert Verbruggen writes a screed at the National Review on Concealed Carry 'Reciprocity' vs Federalism. Mr. Verbruggen doesn't like the idea of just anyone carrying who isn't as well trained and responsible as he is. Just ask him:

I took a number of steps before I started carrying a gun. I got training, I read books and articles by self-defense experts, I learned the laws of my state, I started going to the range regularly, and I did “dry fire” exercises at home to keep my shooting skills up.

I also got a concealed-carry permit, which in Virginia required almost none of the above preparation. All I had to do was get a form notarized and send it in — along with $50 and a copy of the hunter’s-safety card I earned in Wisconsin when I was 13 years old, which allegedly proved my “competency with a handgun.” Nothing would have stopped me from getting a permit and carrying a gun legally if I hadn’t touched a firearm since 1997 and had received no training at all that pertained specifically to concealed carry or self-defense, as opposed to shooting deer in the freezing cold.

I have attended concealed carry training in Virginia as well, and had a carry permit there for a number of years. Personally, I thought Virginia's approach to concealed carry training struck the right balance between training on the law and recognizing that those seeking a permit are adults who can decide for themselves if, and what kind of training they may need. It is clear then, that Mr. Verbruggen's unwritten attitude is that only those who have gone to the training classes he has, and have the proper accreditation should be allowed to carry a handgun. All others are just too immature, too uneducated, too...unwashed. At the same time, he seems to recognize that even states with more lax requirements such as Constitutional Carry do not have blood running in the streets as predicted.

It’s perfectly fine, of course, for the state of Virginia to have lax permitting standards and trust that its residents will get the training they need of their own volition and good sense. In fact, a growing number of states don’t require a permit to carry at all — some call it “constitutional carry” — and their streets are not running red with blood.

So, Mr. Verbruggen's sense is, like a lot of anti-gunners, a simple distrust of his fellow men and women, but at least he sees the truth, unlike the hoplophobes who just don't get it. Verbruggen then goes on to claim that the Constitutional claims for interstate reciprocity do not rest on the Second Amendment (but they do partially) or the Commerce Clause (they don't). But then he finds the Full Faith and Credit clause. And he is correct here that the Full Faith and Credit clause does indeed compel states to recognize each other's gun permits just as each state must recognize each other's marriages and each other's drivers licenses. The existence of more stringent requirements in one state does not therefore make the drivers licenses of another state with more lax requirements somehow not recognized. The same reasoning applies. After all, an automobile is capable of delivering even greater loss of life than a handgun.

There is, however, a constitutional defense of concealed-carry reciprocity that works, one recently advanced by a trio of highly respected constitutional scholars. It’s rooted in the much-neglected and much-misunderstood Full Faith and Credit Clause:

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

...snip...

So, it’s constitutional for Congress to prescribe the effects that one state’s concealed-carry policies and permits will have in another. But not everything that’s constitutional is wise, and conservatives in particular should be wary of forcing their legislative preferences on unwilling states via federal decree.

So Mr. Verbruggen is squeamish about actually forcing states to do their duty under the Constitution for fear of making them mad. But the Left is already mad, and getting madder. And I don't mean this in the sense colloquial sense, but in its original meaning of being crazy loons. They already accuse us of trying to legislate morality. So let's get on with actually doing some of it. They will, of course, immediately appeal and the Supreme Court will have to get involved. And that will tell us something as well. so yes, let's have a reciprocity bill, and then we'll see where everybody stands.

Conservatives have been too timid for too long.  The Left has no such qualms, Just as I believe the Church should again adopt the idea of the Church Militant in support of Christianity, so should conservatives adopt the idea of Conservatism Militant in support of conservative principles.  One important principle is that of self defense.

While you are at National Review you might as well read David French's article entitled Sad Supreme Court Case Highlights the Need for Smarter Second Amendment Jurisprudence.