By Bernie Lopez eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com Permission is granted to re-publish with credits and notification. Disclaimer – the views in this article are those of the author’s alone.
ISIS is not just a powerful ragtag cross-border army in the Middle East. It has grown spiritually planet-wide to become a potential Islamic Treaty Organization (ITO), a Islamic version of NATO. Everywhere, it is gaining ground rapidly through Western media coverages. In the blink of an eye, there are silent ISIS loyalists (not necessarily fighters) in every nook of the Earth – Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Africa, and other developing nations. It has become ‘the enemy within” in the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and other developed nations.
It is the rallying point for Muslims, oppressed, disenchanted, or relatives of the massacred. ISIS lives in the hearts of millions of Muslims today. ISIS represents the total radicalization of Muslims on a global scale, who are departing from their non-violent, conservative, or sectarian form. It is a wildfire that promises to scorch the Earth. ISIS is the precursor of Armageddon, the Apocalyptic foreshadowing of the four horsemen. In the Old Testament, God has allowed the Israelites to be overwhelmed by its enemies, such as in the Babylonian exiles. He can easily do it again against Christians and Jews.
In the ISIS view, evident from beheadings of non-Muslims, and execution of those who refuse to convert to Islam, it is a religious war against Christians and Jews put together. This perspective is what makes it scary. It is the revival of the ancient war between Saracens and the Crusaders, only a hundred times bigger. For the Muslims, there are two kinds of realms, Dar Ul Haq (territories at war), which is widening rapidly, and Dar Ul Islam (territories in peace), which is receding rapidly.
ISIS does not necessarily represent all Islamic communities. ISIS is Sunni-based and is opposed by the weaker, less united, less coordinated Shiites. The Shiites are the majority, but the Sunnis are richer and more powerful. Iran is the game changer, the formidable Persian Shiites who are not scattered, who are well-armed, who have plenty of oil and gas that the West drools over. The US-UK-Israel triumvirate is using ISIS to defeat Shiite Iran via Turkey (Source – Inquirer Article). With China and Russia behind Iran, this almost impossible feat is perhaps possible only through a nuclear war. To the West, Iran has to be toppled down. To the East, Iran can never be surrendered to the West.
The birth of ISIS is an American doing. The mutilation of Iraq and Afghanistan have catalyzed ISIS. All the accumulated anger over massacres of both civilians and soldiers is now manifested in ISIS. And remember the Muslims know Iraq was a war over oil, not WMDs, and Afghanistan a retaliation against the mastermind of 9/11.
Many small Islamic nations are too sectarian to join an Islamic version of NATO. But we are getting there. If America finally invades and conquers Iran, not only will the terror incidents in the US, NSA or no NSA, increase ten-fold, but many Islamic nations may polarize towards ITO (Islam Treaty Organization). The enemy within will triple in size. Terror threats will destroy the very fabric of American society all the way to the grassroots, even if terror attempts fail. The very fear of terror will consume the American homeland. For every victory abroad, there will be a hundred tears in the homeland. eastwindreplyctry@gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The foreshadowing of the new age
From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council
let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice break forth, o mountains into singing, for the Lord will come abundant blessings of peace and justice in his days shall thrive and he will have compassion on his afflicted
We do not know the time when earth and humanity will reach their completion, nor do we know the way in which the universe will be transformed. The world as we see it, disfigured by sin, is passing away. But we are sure that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth. In this new earth righteousness is to make its home, and happiness will satisfy, and more than satisfy, all the yearnings for peace that arise in human hearts. On that day, when death is conquered, the sons of God will be raised up in Christ; what was sown as something weak and perishable will be clothed in incorruption. Love and the fruits of love will remain, and the whole of creation, made by God for man, will be set free from the frustration that enslaves it.
We are warned indeed that a man gains nothing if he wins the whole world at the cost of himself. Yet our hope in a new earth should not weaken, but rather stimulate our concern for developing this earth, for on it there is growing up the body of a new human family, a body even now able to provide some foreshadowing of the new age. Hence, though earthly progress is to be carefully distinguished from the growth of Christ’s kingdom, yet in so far as it can help toward the better ordering of human society it is of great importance to the kingdom of God.
The blessings of human dignity, brotherly communion and freedom – all the good fruits on earth of man’s co-operation with nature in the Spirit of the Lord and according to his command – will be found again in the world to come, but purified of all stain, resplendent and transfigured, when Christ hands over to the Father an eternal and everlasting kingdom: “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” On this earth the kingdom is already present in sign; when the Lord comes it will reach its completion.
amdg
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