Abu Bakar Bashir has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Jakarta court.                 

He was found guilty of raising funds – about $60,000 — for a training school in Aceh, Sumatra, for the military training of terrorist recruits.

Bashir is angry about the sentence — saying it disregards Islamic Shariah and is the work of the friends of the devil.

His supporters, including about 500 who were at the court, are vowing revenge.

One message on the internet warns that there will be a series of bomb blasts across Indonesia.

* * *

Interesting how Bashir doesn’t think of himself as an extremist, “Islamist” etc.

He sees his actions as being those of a normal Muslim.

In this, he is following the Prophet – who used methods that would, today, be described as terrorism.

Nobody in the Prophet Mohammed’s day, least of all himself, ever seriously considered Islam to be a religion of peace — or threats and killing to be something foreign to the Islamic faith.

Anything but.

When Mr Obama and Australian political party leaders talk about how Islam is a warm/fuzzy ideology which can coexist indefinitely with other religions, active Muslims worldwide smile with pleasure and contempt.

* * *

Bashir claims to know the motive of the foreign countries (specifically Australia and the USA) which he says influenced the court . . . .

He says their aim is to “kill Islam”.

But that is not true.

While it might be a good thing if the world was freed from Islam, imprisoning persons like Bashir will not achieve it.

No matter how richly Bashir deserves to be locked up, the biggest task in undermining Islam is something else . . . .

The only way is to convert Muslims to Christianity.

That will not be easy.

Many who do so will be butchered for their trouble.

But that is what must be done.

The United States is calling on the government of Syria to end its violence against its opponents, whom they describe as “rights groups”.

The US hasn’t, so far, started killing Syrians, or encouraged its allies to – as in Libya.

Why not? Is the US running out of money for the necessary bombs etc?

Or is the strategic significance of Syria different from that of Libya in the worldview of US big business?

As for “rights” — what rights do the protesting Syrian rebel groups have in mind?

The “rights” to elections?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

If victorious, one right they will almost certainly give themselves will be the right to kill every Alawite and every Christian in the land.

* * *

Syria is populated by 75 percent Sunni Muslims.

The biggest minority group is the Alawites, who comprise about 12-15 percent.

The Alawites happen to include the Assad family and its connections who control the government and the army.

The Alawites consider themselves Muslims, but Sunnis consider them heretical non-Muslim betrayers — and resent their existence.

From a Christian point of view, the Alawite government of President Bashar al-Assad has been more satisfactory than most Muslim-dominated governments.

They have been tolerant of all religions — including having Christians in government, administration and in the army.

* * *

Some of the violence of the Syrian government has been disgustingly excessive . . . if we can believe the media.

But will the “rights” brigade be worse, once given the chance?

The USA has been good at turning a blind eye to brutal dictatorships around the world. (And are not most human governments brutal dictatorships?)

Perhaps the Syria affair is another good one to keep out of.

Better than to intervene and help the wrong side.

It is all very sad.

Pray hard. Pray, in particular, for world peace.

If we live lives strictly obedient to God, our prayers will be heard.

Last Sunday, President Obama spoke at a memorial service at Joplin, the town destroyed by the recent tornado.

The speech had a “religious” flavour.

It went over pretty well.                                                                                                                          

He received repeated standing ovations.

* * *

“These things (tornadoes) are beyond our power to control,” he said.

 “How we respond when the storm strikes is up to us . . . it’s in these moments, through our actions, that we often see the glimpse  of what makes life worth living in the first place.”

Loud clapping.               

But when you look hard at that sentence, isn’t there something fundamentally wrong with it?

Anyway, he then quoted examples of heroic actions done at the time of the tornado — two men saving the lives of others, risking their own safety – and, in fact, both dying.

Certainly the selflessness of these men was amazing.

Their bravery is an example to us all.

* * *

Then Mr O said, “In a world that can be cruel and selfish, it’s this knowledge — the knowledge that we are inclined to love one another, that we’re inclined to do good, to be good — that causes us to take heart.”

The crowd loved it.

Pride in being American led to lots of Kleenexes being required.

Yet it wasn’t quite right . . . .

* * *

More accurate, perhaps, to have said, “In a world where you do, on occasions, see examples of kindness and unselfishness – the knowledge that we are more often inclined to exploit and despise one another, that we’re inclined to do bad, to be bad – that causes us to lose heart.”

If only we were honest enough to say that . . . .

Honest enough to turn to God, acknowledging that he is the only source of good . . . .

Then we might commit our lives to obeying him, not just on odd occasions, but day in, day out.

Even showing mercy to those most vulnerable and helpless of all . . . .

A pro-abortion President comes over rather unconvincing when trumpeting about his nation’s compassion.

A 7-year old Japanese girl asked the Pope why the recent earthquake — and the  suffering that went with it — occurred.

The Pope’s answer included saying that “we do not have the answers”.

But he assured her that “behind it was a good plan, a plan of love. It is not chance”.

* * *

It is good for the Pope to have the opportunity to explain Catholic belief direct to the public.

Television is ideal for getting a big audience.

But television has its drawbacks.

Not easy to answer the world’s hardest question in the space of a few seconds . . . .

Everything on television tends to be so superficial – reaching people’s brains when in a state of altered consciousness engendered by the medium itself.

Is it true that the Church “does not have the answers” on the meaning of suffering?

Not easy, certainly, to find words to convey answers at one and the same time to 7-year old girls, skeptical journalists, bored youth and average yawning punters – including, perhaps, yawning Catholic punters . . . .

* * *

The Church does have answers regarding suffering . . . .

Answers accessible only through the Christian belief that God is both merciful and just . . . .

And that God gives us instinctive certainty that he exists . . . .

And that he is a rewarder of meritorious acts (and a punisher of disobedient acts) . . . .

The Saints have written extensively on matters of suffering (including Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross) . . . .

Worth reading, even though not understandings easily adapted to television-style presentation . . . .

* * *

Helpful Catholic thoughts about suffering can also sometimes be found in much simpler writings.

The book, “The REAL Mary MacKillop”, tries to deal with the subject in the context of the sufferings of Saint Mary of the Cross in her own life.

Find it in chapter 23 of the book.

A recent chat-site posting suggested:

“The ANZAC spirit is that sense of mateship Aussies and New Zealanders possess . . . never letting your mates down, no matter what . . . always being there for them . . . God bless Australia and New Zealand — glory under the Southern Cross.”

* * *

Don’t we often fall short of those ideals?                    

What about couples living together unmarried . . . often choosing in cold blood to live one micro-step away from walking out on their mate?

Inside their heads, never being there for them in the first place, only for what they can get out of them?

Or am I being too judgmental?

* * *

Certain additional verses to the Australian National Anthem, seldom sung, put ANZAC-type loyalty into focus.

Sing them to the tune of “Advance Australia Fair”. 

Repeat the last line of each verse.

My dog is old now (fifteen years), his eyes are nearly blind.

Yet though his hips and joints are stiff, he doesn’t seem to mind.

He’s not in pain, he eats his food, he persecutes the cat;

So we’re still pleased to have him round, except for one sad fact . . . .

He drops bowel actions randomly, he does them anywhere,

In carport, rumpus room or lounge, no longer does he care.

The moment that the urge comes on, he does one on the spot;

He cares not, be the time or place appropriate or not . . . .

In this respect he’s something like young people and their ways;

Their habits with regard to sex and how it’s done today.

Like Dog, they don’t repress themselves, they do it anytime:

In couples, groups, same-sex or straight, without reason or rhyme . . . .

They spread embarrassing disease, it’s not mysterious.

The body fluids they love to share contain a lot of pus.

The germs they catch on Friday night from Fanny or from Dick,

They give to someone else next day — soon all their friends are sick . . . .

All kinds of sins God will forgive, including unwed sex.

He wants us to enjoy his love in this world and the next.

But first we must be penitent, abandoning our faults:

This is for all, both young and old, the only hope we’ve got . . . .

Jesus my Saviour,

I have tried to use this pre-Easter season to meditate on who you are.

And on how you died.

Your crucifixion was unjust. You did not deserve it. It was a bad thing.

Yet your death is dear to me.

Meditating on your Cross reduces me to tears.

But when I remember how you accepted that death out of love for God . . . .

And for sinners like me . . . .

Suddenly it fills me with joy, and I cry a different kind of tears.

There is no sacrifice and no humiliation I would not accept for love of you.

Help me not just to say all this, but to believe it and to do it.