Bad Backs, Bad Poetry and Weed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Well I tweaked my back once again. It’s nothing major just an annoying stiffness and minor pain. I can get around fine as long as I alternate between standing, sitting and lying down. <br /><br />While I was lying on my bed this afternoon I suddenly realized something. I don’t have any access to drugs. Like some Vicodin or OxyContin or Percocet or any of that good stuff. How the hell did this happen to me? How did I end up in situation where I have NO friends or acquaintances that could just hand me a little baggie and say “Here dude. This will help.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8gaoUGydsecKOKXe44Ls7ltjyORbIxINlDaevxmtS01XksHQc5odBgHqmiGGhrgRky3BXL5u_kvFSMOmcpvho6-p4bUH-zfZ0PywPXF5Tu6FL34xA6hUXlDXX8r-CTjhhwzlTIb0yEz7/s1600/High+Times+Cheech+and+Chong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8gaoUGydsecKOKXe44Ls7ltjyORbIxINlDaevxmtS01XksHQc5odBgHqmiGGhrgRky3BXL5u_kvFSMOmcpvho6-p4bUH-zfZ0PywPXF5Tu6FL34xA6hUXlDXX8r-CTjhhwzlTIb0yEz7/s320/High+Times+Cheech+and+Chong.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />When I first injured my back quite badly a few years ago, I had several coworkers who offered to “help me out” with some meds. They would just have their cousins bring some of the “good stuff” up from Mexico when they came to visit for the weekend. I said “no thanks” because I was getting a good supply of Vicodin and muscle relaxants from the <strike>quacks</strike> doctors at the downtown San Antonio clinic that my insurance thought I should share with all the pregnant teenagers, homeless people and hookers. <br /><br />A few people were pretty sure that all I needed to do was to begin smoking weed. The third shift supervisor was the first person to tell me all about how he hurt his back years earlier and the only thing that made it all better was the hippie lettuce. <br /><br />I wasn’t all that surprised by the dude, he had a wallet with a marijuana leaf on it. But, the sweet little Vietnamese lady did surprise me when she offered to share some of her stash with me. She was pretty much the last person in the whole building that I would have suspected to be a pot head. And here I thought she was just naturally funny.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjHKRkOjcofNu91-KwTwDDg318wtdpHwtvgYG6bMG-SGbHLyG4El99Tbx2IdtEvSAM6tD7GyfE08jSYIr085tUGYQJi9XG-d77qHZmgNAXc8Ep5oEQoKS1iMYWE7RPf7gTuV33C09tFdd/s1600/Rihanna-Smoking-Weed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjHKRkOjcofNu91-KwTwDDg318wtdpHwtvgYG6bMG-SGbHLyG4El99Tbx2IdtEvSAM6tD7GyfE08jSYIr085tUGYQJi9XG-d77qHZmgNAXc8Ep5oEQoKS1iMYWE7RPf7gTuV33C09tFdd/s400/Rihanna-Smoking-Weed.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br />And there were SEVERAL people who told me that all I needed to do was to get some Holy Water and rub that on my back and it would be cured. I wasn’t sure how to acquire this magical clear, watery substance. I figured getting a hold of this stuff wasn’t as risky as trying to buy some OxyContin or something. Turns out I was wrong. You actually have to go to a Catholic Church to get it. I guess they sell it in the gift shop?<br /><br />So I checked online and found that I can buy three bottles of Jordan River Holy Water for only $32.97.<br /><br />Holy shit! That stuff is expensive. I think pot is cheaper than that.<br /><br />After a little more searching I found that I could get it a little cheaper at <a href="http://www.discountcatholicproducts.com/catholic-store/Holy-Water/Holy-Water-Holy%20Water-Oil-Soil-Incense.aspx">Discount Catholic Products</a>. I don’t know why I find that funny, but I do. If someone shows up at mass with a discount crucifix that they bought online and not in the church gift shop, will he or she be looked down upon? Is discount Holy Water kind of like buy “Always Save” canned veggies? Does God care if you paid full price or not? Probably not, but I do wonder if he has any rules against Methodists using holy water? He’s been known to be kind of picky.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/jayman68">My Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws">@Jayman_IWS</a> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">In case you missed it Sunday’s Bad Poetry Show on IWS Radio was EPIC! Lots of awesomely bad poetry from correspondents and others PLUS calls from Brown Beasely, Nurse Sherri and our favorite Canadian Jamie!! Aaaaaaaaand the newest American Luis the Ice Man and Mrs. Luis came on the show too! You gotta check this one out … <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="http://player.cinchcast.com/?show_id=5282605&platformId=1&assetType=single" width="400"></iframe><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/comedy">More Comedy Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">IWS Radio</a> on BlogTalkRadio</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div></div>

Bad Backs, Bad Poetry and Weed

Well I tweaked my back once again. It’s nothing major just an annoying stiffness and minor pain. I can get around fine as long as I alternate between standing, sitting and lying down. While I was lying on my bed this afternoon I suddenly realized som…

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Schapiro exposes negative campaigning ... Bolling again calls for positive messaging

In his column in Sunday's <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/jeff-schapiro/schapiro-enthusiasm-gap-scrambles-va-campaign/article_54cb9772-dc81-5e95-a661-9188ac298b5c.html"><i>Richmond Times-Dispatch</i></a>, political reporter Jeff Schapiro wrote:<br /><blockquote>What Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli say, to whom and how they say it, speaks to the direction of the gubernatorial campaign. Some of it is noise. A lot is dog-whistle politics: shrill, high-frequency babble tailored to the ears of targeted voters.</blockquote>All the negativity hasn't been lost on Virginia's Lieutenant Governor <a href="http://www.billbolling.com/">Bill Bolling</a> who wrote on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bollingva">Facebook</a>:<br /><blockquote>Jeff Schapiro does a pretty good job capturing the essence of this year's gubernatorial campaign, which is characterized by way too much negativity and way too little substance. I still believe the candidate who can project a positive message in the final weeks of the campaign is the candidate who will win.</blockquote>A positive message from our 2013 candidates? What a novel idea.

Bill Bolling Jeff Schapiro Ken Cuccinelli Terry McAuliffe Virginia gubernatorial race Schapiro exposes negative campaigning ... Bolling again calls for positive messaging

In his column in Sunday's Richmond Times-Dispatch, political reporter Jeff Schapiro wrote:What Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli say, to whom and how they say it, speaks to the direction of the gubernatorial campaign. Some of it is noise. A lot is…

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Bai 5 Drinks Review!

<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibppZiDtfaI/UhFra81Q8yI/AAAAAAAAJNg/nCf6_VHORVY/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibppZiDtfaI/UhFra81Q8yI/AAAAAAAAJNg/nCf6_VHORVY/s320/13+-+1" width="320" /></span></i></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm sure all of you coffee drinkers like myself know that coffee comes from a bean, but did you know that the outside of the bean is called a super fruit?</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Never knew that until now with these fruity coffee fruit infused juices from <a href="http://www.drinkbai.com/">Bai 5 drinks</a>. </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Infuse the antioxidant power of  the super fruit with juice and your probably thinking coffee and juice ew gross, it doesn't taste like coffee at all they are fruity and oh so delicious!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ive seen their juices in stores before but have never tried them and was a bit curious,  was sent their juices for review and couldn't wait to give them a try!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Flavors:</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Molokai coconut: </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Exotic sweet coconut flavor and just the right amount of sweetness</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Limu lemon:</u></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Costa Rica clementine:</u></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Brasilia blueberry:</u></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Luscious blueberry flavor, reminded me of Grape Jelly actually! So good and full of flavor packed with antioxidants!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Congo pear:</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Malawi mango:</u></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">delicious sweet mango flavor</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Sumatra dragon fruit: </u></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I absolutely loved this flavor it was so delicious and tasted just like a vitamin water I've had before!</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Panama peach- juicy peach flavor and so refreshing </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Website:</u></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drinkbai.com/"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.drinkbai.com/</span></i></a><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Facebook :</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrinkBai">https://www.facebook.com/DrinkBai</a></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Twitter:</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/drinkbai">https://twitter.com/drinkbai</a></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Google+:</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/app/basic/101697881109902070907"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">https://plus.google.com/u/0/app/basic/101697881109902070907</span></i></a></div>

Bai 5 Drinks Review!

I'm sure all of you coffee drinkers like myself know that coffee comes from a bean, but did you know that the outside of the bean is called a super fruit?Never knew that until now with these fruity coffee fruit infused juices from Bai 5 drinks. Infus…

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Rockingham County on a rainy afternoon

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOx9qb00FmQiuFJYMZkd-w0AyXx0_vR7nCD2GyBYBzjoBIA1KPbg-JZSkWp8kKVDLmASgrLMaCeqLIdvHdH2N9VZr0bG7q5p7GQjPfbwabPY00rij5H9248USi_BHAHQwXM-jk_GV6jhb/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOx9qb00FmQiuFJYMZkd-w0AyXx0_vR7nCD2GyBYBzjoBIA1KPbg-JZSkWp8kKVDLmASgrLMaCeqLIdvHdH2N9VZr0bG7q5p7GQjPfbwabPY00rij5H9248USi_BHAHQwXM-jk_GV6jhb/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ_8MCHHRhFRO6TfRnx6OUIt0TreLjiASUu3BoYFjRvvmgL62EAshfb1jldwBGosr4FSM8xzbHytaM7pREDKHI9QHPCtACcv22YJGhY7v0cOnLlBQI-pEukH5IwnYkGsLUBIPoeXgiVaE/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ_8MCHHRhFRO6TfRnx6OUIt0TreLjiASUu3BoYFjRvvmgL62EAshfb1jldwBGosr4FSM8xzbHytaM7pREDKHI9QHPCtACcv22YJGhY7v0cOnLlBQI-pEukH5IwnYkGsLUBIPoeXgiVaE/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />August 18, 2013

Rockingham County rural America Shenandoah Valley Virginia Virginia Is For Lovers Rockingham County on a rainy afternoon

 Photos by Lynn R. MitchellAugust 18, 2013…

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Goodlatte townhall meeting Monday

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-6th District) will hold a <a href="http://www.goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/443">townhall meeting</a> on Monday, August 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona. Sounds like a crowd will be there.

Goodlatte townhall meeting Monday

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-6th District) will hold a townhall meeting on Monday, August 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona. Sounds like a crowd will be there.…

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Historic Downtown Staunton, Virginia

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPcmNbIFZUM62v-3c-iiiwotZe37ii4_WfXTXLs34ApF8vkaCt1k-XM4m7pmfbqz33ZWAiO2YeW7gfoD_PaYbYSzhidHrdD0fV9L0PQfTq-DtYs6SylR72P0m2k2LJIeMvkZUKi9lODV7/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPcmNbIFZUM62v-3c-iiiwotZe37ii4_WfXTXLs34ApF8vkaCt1k-XM4m7pmfbqz33ZWAiO2YeW7gfoD_PaYbYSzhidHrdD0fV9L0PQfTq-DtYs6SylR72P0m2k2LJIeMvkZUKi9lODV7/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Staunton, Virginia <br />In the heart of the Shenandoah Valley as seen from Sears Hill Observation Deck.</div><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />August 17, 2013<br /><br />Cross-posted at <a href="http://www.vapolitics.us/">Virginia Politics On Demand</a>

Sears Hill Shenandoah Valley Staunton Virginia Historic Downtown Staunton, Virginia

Staunton, Virginia In the heart of the Shenandoah Valley as seen from Sears Hill Observation Deck.Photo by Lynn R. MitchellAugust 17, 2013Cross-posted at Virginia Politics On Demand…

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RX FOR YOUR TOTAL HEALTH: MUTI-VITAMIN, STATIN DRUG, CO-Q10, CARDIO, SUNSCREEN, A CRUSHING GRIEF & A CRIPPLING ILLNESS. YOU'LL BE FINE.

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UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Calibri;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">An excerpt from Chapter 4 of God Of Our Silent Tears, now available from Cathedral Bookstore on line.<i> </i></span>http://www.godofoursilenttears.com/#et_page_802</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Any attempt to look upon suffering as caused directly or indirectly by God<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            stands in danger of regarding him as sadistic.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[i]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                                                        </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Dorothee Soelle, <i>Suffering</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            <i>Every human creature born<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Is born into the bright delusion<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Beauty and loving-kindness care for him.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Suffering teaches! Suffering is </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">good<i> for us!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Imagine men and women dying<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Still believing that the cuddling arms<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Enclosed them! . . .<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            We learn to wish we’d never lived.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[ii]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Archibald MacLeish, <i>J. B.</i> [Nickles speaking]<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            “Affliction as punishment” does not carry much weight among today’s theologians. Saddling contemporary Christianity with that notion is truly not fair. But some of our best minds are inclined to interpret hardship as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Suffering can be understood as a test or an exercise. This approach is better because it attributes tough love, instead of vengeance, to God. But it is still problematic.             <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Let’s begin with the “test of faith” view before dealing with the closely related “spiritual exercise” theory. “Test of faith” regards affliction as a kind of trial or temptation to measure the degree of faith the sufferer has developed. The story of Job can be read this way, and I Peter 1:6–9 supports that view.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn3" name="_ednref3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>The problem with “test of faith” is that it posits a seriously flawed view of God. Just ask: How do we feel about the cosmic proctor administering a moral midterm? Louise Glück protests against that kind of God in her poem “Matins (3)”:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    What is my heart to you<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    that you must break it over and over <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    like a plantsman testing <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    his new species? </span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn4" name="_ednref4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                          <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is hard to worship and adore someone who would give us cancer to see how we handle it. Besides, this theory just doesn’t fit with the rest of what we believe about God. Does God test our characters with broken relationships, diseases, and social injustice? The notion is patently absurd. Scripture is quite clear that God knows us quite well already:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        Lord you have searched me out and known me;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    you know my sitting down and my rising up;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    you discern my thoughts from afar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        You trace my journeys and my resting places<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    and are acquainted with all my ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        Indeed there is not a word on my lips<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    but you O Lord know it altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                                                        – Psalm 139:1–4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One of the Church’s prayers begins, “Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, from whom no secrets are hid.” God doesn’t need to administer tests. The tragedies that we are calling “tests” are the sorts of tests that might be dreamed up by Joseph Mengele. The God of Christianity does not afflict us out of curiosity to see how we’ll respond. Louise Glück protested against the God of the inhuman experiment, the God who “tests our faith.” Then she quickly saw that the God against whom she rebelled was a straw man, not the true God. In “Matins (4),” she writes:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    I am ashamed<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        at what I thought you were,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    distant from us, regarding us<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    as an experiment: it is<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    a bitter thing to be <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    the disposable animal, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    a bitter thing. Dear friend,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    dear trembling partner, what<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    surprises you most in what you feel,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                                    earth’s radiance or your own delight?<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn5" name="_ednref5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            The only way to read the “test of faith” idea as saying something worthy of consideration is to interpret the “test” not as an examination, but as an exercise in faith. That idea has been embraced by notable theologians such as Simone Weil, Diogenes Allen, D. Z. Phillips, and John Hick. They have offered truly compelling arguments that God has designed the world as a spiritual boot camp to whip us into shape. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">         The Christian tradition is not alone in its claim that suffering can humanize us and make us wise.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Aeschylus and Sophocles rarely wrote a play that did not include the line “I have suffered into truth.” </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Undoubtedly, the idea of suffering as a way to grow spiritually has deep roots in the Christian tradition, </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">too. St. Paul said, “I want to share in the sufferings of Christ . . . if I may somehow attain the </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">resurrection from the dead.” St. Ireneaus, in the third century, taught that evil was in the world in order </span><br /><br />to help us to grow toward holiness.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn6" name="_ednref6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[vi]</span></span></span></a>Hebrews opines that “God disciplines those he loves” and that<br /><br />“all discipline is painful” (but not that all pain is discipline). In the fourteenth century, Lady Julian of<br /><br />Norwich prayed for the wounds of true contrition, true longing for God, and a serious illness to purify<br /><br />her soul. In her classic <i>Shewings,</i> she said the wounds of life lead to greater honor and joy than we<br /><br />could experience without them.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn7" name="_ednref7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[vii]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We must acknowledge that suffering and spiritual growth are sometimes, at least potentially, connected. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In the Christian tradition, there are two versions of the idea that suffering is good for us. A view that D. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Z. Phillips calls the “Outward Bound” school of theology holds that our own suffering poses challenges </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">that enable us to develop heroic virtues, and the suffering of others gives us opportunities to practice </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">mercy.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn8" name="_ednref8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[viii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">         I call the other theory the <i>Casablanca</i> school of theology (“the problems of three little people </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">don’t  </span>amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world”).<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn9" name="_ednref9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[ix]</span></span></span></a> The Casablanca school does not see God as<br /><br />sending specific sufferings, but as leaving the universe to function unrestrained and therefore with<br /><br />amoral  indifference to our well being. From the resulting hardships, we should learn that we are<br /><br />insignificant.  This insight liberates us from our egos.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Both views have some merit, but I cannot unqualifiedly accept either of them. As with the “divine retribution theory,” this “spiritual growth” theodicy is undercut by the facts we experience. So much suffering is grinding, dehumanizing, and embittering. Suffering is as likely to disintegrate us as it is to ennoble us. In <i>Imagining Redemption, </i>theologian David Kelsey shares such a case study. Sam was a little boy who contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome. It left him disabled and behaviorally unmanageable. The strain drove his mother to suicide. His father was then worn down by trying to care for Sam alone, leaving Kelsey to ask the hard question, “What earthly good does Jesus do in this situation?”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn10" name="_ednref10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[x]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            Does this theology offer a God we can worship and adore? No. It reduces God to a cosmic drill sergeant. That God-image may be more benign than the cosmic executioner, who punishes us for our moral lapses, but it is still a small-hearted God, using carrots and sticks to enforce his will. It is hard, and perhaps not healthy, to love such a God. His character still smacks of sadism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            So how shall we sort out the truth from the falsehood in this approach to suffering? It is crucial here to distinguish a <i>cause</i> from a <i>purpose</i>, and a <i>purpose</i> from a <i>justification</i>.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn11" name="_ednref11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>Spiritual growth will not do as a cause of suffering. God doesn’t send affliction like a thunderbolt to humble us. But our choice to use our suffering as an occasion for growth is another matter. Purpose and meaning are not just lying there before the event in an objective way for us to discover. Purpose and meaning are fashioned by our own interpretation and actions. Suffering and grief are sometimes somewhat redeemed from utter meaninglessness by spiritual transformation. Suffering isn’t <i>caused</i>by our need to grow, but we can grow through suffering and so give it a <i>purpose</i> or meaning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">            The possibility of making productive spiritual use of our suffering still doesn’t <i>justify</i> what happened to us. That would be a false defense of evil and injustice. Simone Weil, of all people, a brave fighter against fascism, certainly never intended that. Rabbi Harold Kushner described what he had gained spiritually from the death of his son Aaron, but acknowledged the gains did not justify the loss:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        I am a more sensitive person, a more effective pastor, a more<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        sympathetic counselor because of Aaron’s life and death than I <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        would ever have been without it. And I would give up all those <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        gains in a second if I could have my son back. If I could choose,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        I would forego all the spiritual growth and depth . . . and become<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        what I was fifteen years ago, an indifferent counselor, . . . <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        and the father of a bright, happy boy. But I cannot choose.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Spiritual growth does not justify our suffering. But it can often paint the silver lining. If Kushner had shriveled into bitterness when his son died, he would have suffered just as much, perhaps more, but without finding any meaning or value in it. In fact, it would have made the meaning of his son’s death even worse. Kushner says:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        We, by our responses, give suffering either a positive or a negative<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        meaning. Illnesses, accidents, human tragedies kill people. But<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        they do not necessarily kill life or faith. If the death and suffering<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        of someone we love makes us bitter, jealous, against all religion,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        and incapable of happiness, we turn the person who died into<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        one of the “devil’s martyrs.” If suffering and death in someone<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        close to us bring us to explore the limits of our capacity for strength<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        and love and cheerfulness, if it leads us to discover sources of<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        consolation we never knew before, then we make the person<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">                        into a witness for the affirmation of life rather than its rejection.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_edn13" name="_ednref13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is not always possible to turn pain into wisdom and compassion, but when it is possible, it is a </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">profound way to live through affliction. Making meaning is a spiritual challenge life sets for us. We </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">grow stronger in the process of trying to meet it. The irony in Archibald MacLeish’s <i>J. B. </i>is this: The </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“God” character is an immoral tyrant who subjects J. B. to unendurable suffering just to win a bet. But </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">J. B. makes meaning of his suffering in the end, by resolving to love in spite of it all, knowing that love </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">entails suffering, but that same love makes life worthwhile anyway.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><!--[endif]--> <br /><div id="edn1"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Dorothee Soelle, <i>Suffering, </i>trans. Everett Kalin (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975), 25.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn2"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> MacLeish, <i>J.B.</i>, 49.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn3"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref3" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: #010000;">“In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen</span></span><a href="file:///javascript/void(0)%3B"></a><span style="color: #010000; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The treatment of suffering in I Peter is, however, much richer and more complex than this snippet would suggest. See Patricia M. McDonald, “The View of Suffering Held by the Author of I Peter,” in Tambasco, <i>The Bible on Suffering</i>, 165–87. I would call it the weak point of the epistle. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn4"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref4" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Louise Glück, “Matins (3),” in <i>The Wild Iris </i>(New York: Ecco Press, 1996), 12.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn5"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref5" name="_edn5" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Louise Glück, “Matins (4),” ibid., 13.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn6"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref6" name="_edn6" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Alistair McGrath, <i>Christian Theology </i>(Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2001), 292.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn7"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref7" name="_edn7" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[vii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> The idea that our suffering and struggle with evil is an essential part of our spiritual growth goes back to St. Ireneaus and persists today in the theology of John Hick (ibid., 292–93).<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn8"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref8" name="_edn8" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[viii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> D. Z. Phillips, <i>The Problem of Evil and the Problem of God</i>(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005), 166, 179–80. Ireneaus, Hick, and Swinburne are leading proponents of this approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn9"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref9" name="_edn9" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[ix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Simone Weil, Diogenes Allen, and D. Z. Phillips are proponents of this view. Allen insists that God’s reality makes everything meaningful, even catastrophes: “[We] can trust that what we are doing and what is happening to us from the operations of the natural world and the social order make a contribution, even when we are not able to see that they do. All moments of dismay and dryness, as well as times of elation, make a contribution to that life which is being formed but which is not visible to us, especially when we are in states of distress” (<i>Christian Belief in a Postmodern World</i>[Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989], 117). Later, in commenting on Adams’s <i>Horrendous Evils</i>, Allen implicitly acknowledges that horrendous evils may serve no good purpose, but can only be redeemed by some counter-good that only God can offer. Simone Weil is the greatest exponent of the view that affliction ennobles, but it should be noted that Weil’s life makes her subject to Soelle’s accusation of masochism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div><div id="edn10"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref10" name="_edn10" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[x]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Kelsey, <i>Imagining Redemption</i>, 51-54.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn11"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref11" name="_edn11" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas were careful to distinguish between what we would call “causes” from what we would call “purposes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn12"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref12" name="_edn12" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Harold S. Kushner, <i>When Bad Things Happen to Good People</i>(New York: Schockten Books, 1981), 133–34.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn13"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1941566034196038608#_ednref13" name="_edn13" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Ibid., 138.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div><!--EndFragment-->

RX FOR YOUR TOTAL HEALTH: MUTI-VITAMIN, STATIN DRUG, CO-Q10, CARDIO, SUNSCREEN, A CRUSHING GRIEF & A CRIPPLING ILLNESS. YOU'LL BE FINE.

0 0 1 1456 8301 Episcopal Diocese of Nevada 69 19 9738 14.0 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE …

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The art of Jonathan Barry

<span style="font-size: large;">Book illustrator Jonathan Barry was exhibiting in Powerscourt Shopping Centre today.</span><br /><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I attended an exhibition and talk given by him a few years ago in Blanchardstown Library.  I do admire his work and think it works very well as book covers.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7w0f_gJ2sTvva1uZohJgd9d-eR5p2tqZsFj0xWyqqyBR-4T4GQTG4MxnpsJHipcfrQlzEQbfBoIbt_FIWbz8Iu1qN4qP-knvu1FB9qVuWT6fR8NHRFG5gN4ORKdxTF20sCMEzA_p0-7-/s640/blogger-image--2028433458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7w0f_gJ2sTvva1uZohJgd9d-eR5p2tqZsFj0xWyqqyBR-4T4GQTG4MxnpsJHipcfrQlzEQbfBoIbt_FIWbz8Iu1qN4qP-knvu1FB9qVuWT6fR8NHRFG5gN4ORKdxTF20sCMEzA_p0-7-/s640/blogger-image--2028433458.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGLyofzmgzBBFO27YEyBr7_t7N6eq3qASWWQNx50Pru8JtDAl6xAhOnd69i4HChdAdW3I76L5EbpDQ3hn-0J2ft8dv9lJpTCvszt4WO4AIvTIDeBAYXizp4kqNMj6WXeUjfLmFBkkUcoU/s640/blogger-image-1534577444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGLyofzmgzBBFO27YEyBr7_t7N6eq3qASWWQNx50Pru8JtDAl6xAhOnd69i4HChdAdW3I76L5EbpDQ3hn-0J2ft8dv9lJpTCvszt4WO4AIvTIDeBAYXizp4kqNMj6WXeUjfLmFBkkUcoU/s640/blogger-image-1534577444.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAt2HmChrUHWMUNK-hP9EstqtpVj_RXg8x3sDVG1uGRbhK14s7G4bKlm6MJiVtywEXl-bUcYoqzkxKuWdAzUYIyQDGDSjBXcV92cTIrWtdJfQGVarO4hA_Uu_NOksogncl-SMbEYxLwBiQ/s640/blogger-image-1119603554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAt2HmChrUHWMUNK-hP9EstqtpVj_RXg8x3sDVG1uGRbhK14s7G4bKlm6MJiVtywEXl-bUcYoqzkxKuWdAzUYIyQDGDSjBXcV92cTIrWtdJfQGVarO4hA_Uu_NOksogncl-SMbEYxLwBiQ/s640/blogger-image-1119603554.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t17yA0It4WpS2P0JB86YkqTWhO91dChQo8LwVNcU8be7BXbfrCQ89f8R_mcZ8I8NLQyhJMxWboinAoUKa5gWzCVNgKfxG8MVGAkAnU6UpgfynKGNh4soa5PtXA1m90jxyx_NmPthyPlS/s640/blogger-image-1029806681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2t17yA0It4WpS2P0JB86YkqTWhO91dChQo8LwVNcU8be7BXbfrCQ89f8R_mcZ8I8NLQyhJMxWboinAoUKa5gWzCVNgKfxG8MVGAkAnU6UpgfynKGNh4soa5PtXA1m90jxyx_NmPthyPlS/s640/blogger-image-1029806681.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqgfZOGuFuocAnSSQ6n4Vlz8r6Y7pSFLyoTVmnEpC5mksicetzbKSwOPFXjriZxxvWnMrLhnYRyPBeEAtQ0SWfr-9obBojm5mPWmSbeQySN1XviVEiZ2GA1UGWTgqW9NA-MPVaIkkfXbR/s640/blogger-image--1807870807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqgfZOGuFuocAnSSQ6n4Vlz8r6Y7pSFLyoTVmnEpC5mksicetzbKSwOPFXjriZxxvWnMrLhnYRyPBeEAtQ0SWfr-9obBojm5mPWmSbeQySN1XviVEiZ2GA1UGWTgqW9NA-MPVaIkkfXbR/s640/blogger-image--1807870807.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>

The art of Jonathan Barry

Book illustrator Jonathan Barry was exhibiting in Powerscourt Shopping Centre today.I attended an exhibition and talk given by him a few years ago in Blanchardstown Library.  I do admire his work and think it works very well as book covers.…

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UNITED STATES–RUSSIAN FRICTION:

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFovRLUe1KN0dRTSMoSVYqsnDjr94fpbx4FydcpOPPSMwFwxfFP9_WItGmxu7li1PYU4R4Ufk6F_fR6JwQSGAwe6r1BBgKKBm1rFaG0xFsJKCr05Y-wXzGD0bXhrAMyalReD5VmmC1nhy5/s1600/flag-russia-usa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFovRLUe1KN0dRTSMoSVYqsnDjr94fpbx4FydcpOPPSMwFwxfFP9_WItGmxu7li1PYU4R4Ufk6F_fR6JwQSGAwe6r1BBgKKBm1rFaG0xFsJKCr05Y-wXzGD0bXhrAMyalReD5VmmC1nhy5/s320/flag-russia-usa2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from INSS Insight</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tension between RUSSIA and the UNITED STATES has risen recently, following the cancellation of President Obama’s scheduled meeting with President Putin at the G20 summit in RUSSIA in early September 2013. The immediate background to the tension is the Snowden affair: RUSSIA, provoking the UNITED STATES, decided to grant political asylum to Edward Snowden, who leaked information on the US National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. In fact, however, the two countries are challenging one another in a host of crisis situations on the bilateral, global, and regional levels. Overall relations between the two superpowers have grown colder, and if this tension is not resolved, it can be expected to have negative consequences for the international system as a whole, including the MIDDLE EAST.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUSSIA PERCEIVES NEW AMERICAN DEPLOYMENT IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN (THE “PIVOT TO ASIA”) A PROVOCATION AGAINST RUSSIA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0ZheBUP3IZ66Ya8BlwWJg5BjVbItNdTCuughxBtAYOXEpudMNRhLMhu3XTMtlt9rJ1V1-9MVul92O39dQvkNowYlo8QDpQ0-QeOoYAaGPlTnvtaA1_oHPVRrAWeDbJuTSx4u4xKRLzdz/s1600/Russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0ZheBUP3IZ66Ya8BlwWJg5BjVbItNdTCuughxBtAYOXEpudMNRhLMhu3XTMtlt9rJ1V1-9MVul92O39dQvkNowYlo8QDpQ0-QeOoYAaGPlTnvtaA1_oHPVRrAWeDbJuTSx4u4xKRLzdz/s400/Russia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the global level, which plays a major role on the superpowers' agenda, efforts for positive dialogue continued until recently, though hindered by an accumulation of crises. RUSSIA has long felt pressure from NATO along its borders and in its areas of interest in the former SOVIET UNION, including NATO eastward expansion, which from RUSSIA’S point of view amounts to existential harm. The dispute on future strategic arms control agreements remains unresolved, along with the AMERICAN trend toward deployment of a ballistic missile defense system (BMD) despite vigorous objections from RUSSIA, which sees this as a security threat. In addition, RUSSIA perceives the new AMERICAN deployment in ASIA and the Pacific Ocean (the “pivot to ASIA”) as directed against RUSSIA – a large scale military exercise conducted recently in eastern RUSSIA was intended to send the US a clear message in this regard. Furthermore, the RUSSIANS claim that the AMERICANS are engaging in subversive activity in countries of the former SOVIET UNION (the “color revolutions”), and in RUSSIA itself (encouragement of protests), and there are other items on the crisis list.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MIDDLE EAST HAS BECOME A MAJOR FOCUS OF FRICTION IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA IN WHICH THE SUPERPOWERS ARE WORKING TO UPGRADE THEIR UNSTABLE POSITION</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the MIDDLE EAST, the RUSSIAN-WESTERN competition underway over the past decade, an element in the global competition, has intensified. Since the outbreak of the ARAB Spring, the MIDDLE EAST has become a major focus of friction in the international arena in which the superpowers are working to upgrade their unstable position. Moreover, in the face of pressure from the West on other matters, RUSSIA has chosen to respond in the MIDDLE EAST. The parties are working on formulating solutions to regional crises, and thus are competing over the content of the understandings that will be reached and the related leadership opportunities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The main topic in dispute is SYRIA, where the superpowers are highly involved – RUSSIA with its thus far successful support of the Assad regime, and the UNITED STATES and its allies in the West and in the region in support of the rebels, who at this point are having difficulty achieving victory. Indeed, the most immediate MIDDLE EAST issue on the international agenda is the Geneva 2 summit on SYRIA, which was agreed on by RUSSIA and the US in May 2013 and subsequently approved at the G8 summit the following month. However, the conference has already been postponed several times in part by the superpower confrontation, as they attempt to promote their respective interests.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another subject on the superpowers’ regional agenda is IRAN, with President Rouhani’s accession to power perceived as an opportunity to spearhead the process toward dialogue with IRAN. IRAN is considered RUSSIA’S main ally in the MIDDLE EAST, despite considerable tensions between the two in recent years (following RUSSIA’S participation in sanctions against IRAN and its failure to supply the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles it had promised). Since the start of the uprising in SYRIA, cooperation between RUSSIA and IRAN has flourished, with the two countries conducting a joint campaign there. In practice, RUSSIA has found itself an active partner within the IRAN-SYRIA-Hizbollah Shiite camp.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUSSIA, AS WAS THE CASE WITH LIBYA, IS ONCE AGAIN LEFT OUT FROM RESUMPTION OF ISRAELI – PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The importance of IRAN for RUSSIAN interests has increased, in part because in RUSSIA’S view, the AMERICAN rush to jumpstart the resumption of the ISRAELI-Palestinian negotiations left RUSSIA out. Therefore, what remains for Moscow is to act quickly in the IRANIAN sector before that too is seized by the AMERICANS, especially considering that for their part, the IRANIANS have recently sent messages about their ostensible willingness to launch a new dialogue with the West. This has raised concerns in RUSSIA, which believes that the IRAN will be forced to agree to concessions because of the serious economic consequences of the sanctions. This perception has prompted them to take advantage of the new situation lest they miss the opportunity and the AMERICANS steal the show once again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">President Putin's planned visit to IRAN in the near future, albeit temporarily postponed, is considered of extraordinary importance because of the possible consequences for regional and global issues. It has been agreed that during the visit, two main subjects, the IRANIAN nuclear program and the SYRIAN crisis, will be clarified. As to the first issue, RUSSIA intends to promote the process of dialogue between the new IRANIAN leadership and the international community. The visit by Putin, then, could lead to a new round of talks with the IRANIANS, which would not necessarily produce the desired results. As for SYRIA, it is possible that a joint position will be formulated on the issue prior to the Geneva 2 summit, and it is not inconceivable that this would be part of a larger package deal. Furthermore, a limited number of bilateral issues have been agreed on, including the construction of a new nuclear reactor in IRAN and discussion of a solution to the S-300 missiles that were not supplied. As far as is known, the RUSSIANS are attempting to offer the IRANIANS an alternative in the form of Antey-2500 anti-aircraft missiles, a system that is more or less equivalent to the S-300.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DECEIVING TACTICS OR GENUINE MOVE? SUNNI SAUDI ARABIAN CAMP AT HELM TO PUSH RUSSIA OUT OF MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukKZ-05Gq0lbdlxvFwfTKL4AQwYX4wp-JczNxoVm8IJgVaUVC7e7JufxAv8YW0N8Ms2D74Akh-tdy-JmhsuWp0OmnJUFPntdLhyCi0JdM9uIvmUl0USZKR59ZyU-VKjHsQ6q0iVeKvYtA/s1600/13EBC605-E7AF-4D40-80E6-8A078948AF69_mw1024_n_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukKZ-05Gq0lbdlxvFwfTKL4AQwYX4wp-JczNxoVm8IJgVaUVC7e7JufxAv8YW0N8Ms2D74Akh-tdy-JmhsuWp0OmnJUFPntdLhyCi0JdM9uIvmUl0USZKR59ZyU-VKjHsQ6q0iVeKvYtA/s320/13EBC605-E7AF-4D40-80E6-8A078948AF69_mw1024_n_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Saudi intelligence chief prince Bandar bin Sultan and President Putin</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Additional issues – some contentious – are connected to SAUDI ARABIA, EGYPT, IRAQ, TURKEY, and others. On July 31, 2013, Saudi intelligence chief prince Bandar bin Sultan visited Moscow and discussed bilateral cooperation, (Read: <a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/08/russia-and-saudi-arabia.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/08/russia-and-saudi-arabia.html</a>) including large purchases of RUSSIAN weapons (a figure of $15 billion was mentioned). SAUDI ARABIA has been at the head of the Sunni camp working to push RUSSIA out of MIDDLE EAST affairs, particularly against the backdrop of RUSSIA’S conduct on SYRIA and IRAN, and this visit thus indicates a change in the SAUDI approach. There has also been talk of a possible upgrade of cooperation between RUSSIA and EGYPT. It is still too early to predict the direction in which this will develop, and there are those who see the SAUDI move as an attempt to push RUSSIA away from support of Assad. Nevertheless, there is a positive change in RUSSIA’S image in the eyes of the regional players in the MIDDLE EAST.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE AT A CROSSROAD, BOTH GLOBALLY AS WELL AS REGIONALLY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUSSIA recognizes that the UNITED STATES is losing the initiative and even its interest in the MIDDLE EAST. Certain actors are interpreting this as weakness by Obama and as a window of opportunity for RUSSIA to push the UNITED STATES aside to the benefit or RUSSIA’S objectives. The Snowden affair only intensifies this feeling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the wake of the current crisis between the superpowers, RUSSIA believes, and so, apparently does the UNITED STATES, that the two countries are at a crossroads globally and regionally. However, the crisis is likely temporary and relations can be expected to recover, because it is hard to believe that it is in the RUSSIAN or AMERICAN interest to stop playing by the rules at the current time. Rather, this is apparently an attempt by both parties to leverage opportunities in order to improve their bargaining positions on topics in dispute. Although the meeting between the presidents was canceled, high level contacts are continuing (e.g., the meeting of foreign and defense ministers in Washington on August 9, 2013). Indeed, it is not impossible that both presidents will nevertheless meet as planned if a suitable formula is found. In any case, even though it is not clear how the crisis will end, it appears that RUSSIA’S image is growing stronger, at least in the MIDDLE EAST, in these contexts. And clearly, all regional developments with RUSSIAN involvement can be expected to have consequences for ISRAEL’S strategic interests. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Background Information:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IRAN SOFTENS TUNE ON ISRAEL</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/iran-and-israel-improvement-in.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/iran-and-israel-improvement-in.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ISRAEL’S CHOICE BETWEEN TWO EVILS</span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/syria-assad-or-jihadists-to-be-or-not.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/syria-assad-or-jihadists-to-be-or-not.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ARE IRAN AND ISRAEL REALLY ARCHENEMIES, OR IS IT JUST A FACADE? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/iran-and-israel-real-archenemies.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/iran-and-israel-real-archenemies.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div></div>

UNITED STATES–RUSSIAN FRICTION:

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