Israel's low ranking in the global popularity

This is indeed a wake call for the people of Israel and the Jewry around the world. The people of Israel need to recognize that the real enemies of Israel are men like Netanyahu and his cronies who have frightened the day lights out of the Jews to buy their their reluctant support, just in case the fears are real.

A poll released Tuesday by the BBC confirms Israel remains one of the world’s least popular countries, with more than half of those surveyed identifying its influence as “mainly negative.” Only North Korea, Pakistan and Iran fared worse. Fifty-two percent of respondents view Israel in a negative light; 21% rated it in positive terms, placing it far behind China’s 42% and Russia’s 30%.

I am a supporter of Israel's right to exist and have written nearly 50 articles to that effect, talked about it and speak endlessly. The Jewish people have suffered the most in the community of nations, and I was hoping the creation of Israel would have taken them out of the 3000 year old insecurity, apprehensions and discomfort and bring them genuine liberation, where they can drop all their guards and enjoy the sense of freedom and security.


Guess who is holding them hostage, it is the right wing politics of Israel and the right wing Christians and Jews of  America, and they simply cannot see people living in peace and cook up enemies and keep the Israelis under control.  The moderate majority of Israelis and Jews in America are accustomed to the bullying from the few, they need to have the guts to speak up and take back their nations and drive it into security.


The American right wingers are the 2nd most enemies of Israel, their mouths tell one thing, and their actions do the opposite. These men want Israel to remain in eternal wars so they can make their good. You can see how Israeli government has been a bad boy in the community of nations, and it appears that US is the only ally of Israel when you look up the UN votes on issues. Except the ones we throw money at like UK, Spain, Italy and a few others beggars, most of the free world is not with us, we are wrong in not getting Israel and Palestine to the table and God only can help our arrogance which refuses to see our ills.


The actions of Israeli government, just about every action is isolating Israel, the people are sick of Israel getting away with murders. And as long as Israel is seen as the bully who does not care about the world opinion, it accelerates Antisemitism.  Israeli public needs to wake up and remove the military dependency on the United States and be a proud free people who can chart their own destiny. The right wingers in the US will not let Israel have peace and security.


As a Moderate Muslim I understand the plight of moderate Jews - we are the majorities, and we are used to taking abuse from the "few" bullies, they frighten the crap out of us. The least we can do is to speak up and see things will change for the good of all people. I like to see security for Israelis and Justice for the Palestinians, neither will get what they want, if they don't respect the other's needs and take over the power from the right wing extremists of Israel and America, who don't give a flip about Israel. 


Its time for Israelis to wake up, it’s time for the right wing Jews to wake upsincerely seek peace, through peace and not the military might, it is strong and no one can touch it. Peace is always made by the powerful and by the majority, the burden for peace falls squarely on Israel. 

url - http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2013/05/israel-low-in-global-popularity-ranking.html


Author's note: Who am I to worry about Israelis and Palestinians? What inspires me to be involved in the Israel Palestine conflict? The following is the story of my struggle to see a cohesive world, the story will take you through different emotions but at the end, I hope you feel a sense of completeness of the story. Due to its length, it is in three parts - its in the ABOUT us at My blogwww.IsraelPalestineDialogue.com

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam,Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building aCohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day atwww.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes his work through many links.

Pope Francis is right, Atheists Who Do Good will be Redeemed, Not Just Catholics

Pope Francis is right, religion is indeed common sense!

This is the truth I have found in all religions, even though, some of its followers have ignored, forgotten or denied it. The Pope is right and I have written a few articles about him since he was Poped in and I need to learn more about him. Pope Francis speaks common sense. He is a true man of that one single piece of undivided God, that we call with different names. 

Who wants a God that is sneaky and deals differently with different people behind our backs? Indeed, God has not signed a deal with Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Baptists or anyone behind other’s  backs - God is just and fair to all. Everyone who is good to God's creation in keeping its harmony will earn the grace of God. Yes, including those who do not profess a faith in the dished out versions of God, or do not believe in a thing called God at all.


What does God want after all? He, she or it wants all of its creation to live in harmony that she has created; everything in balance.


This is precisely what Qur'an says, even though some of its followers have ignored, forgotten or denied it.  You can find this inclusiveness in all religions, indeed if religion is exclusive it cannot claim to be religion of God!

[2:62] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

[2:148] Each of you chooses the direction to follow; you shall race towards righteousness. Wherever you may be, GOD will summon you all. GOD is Omnipotent.

[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

[10:99] Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you want to force the people to become believers?

Mike Ghouse
www.PluralismCenter.com
www.MikeGhouse.net

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Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/pope-francis-good-atheists_n_3320757.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter" to support peace.

Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how upset Jesus' disciples were that someone outside their group was doing good, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

“They complain,” the Pope said in his homily, because they say, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good.” And Jesus corrects them: “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good.” The disciples, Pope Francis explains, “were a little intolerant,” closed off by the idea of possessing the truth, convinced that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” “This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon.” Pope Francis said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation”

Pope Francis went further in his sermon to say:

"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Responding to the leader of the Roman Catholic church's homily, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote in an email to The Huffington Post:

"Pope Francis is saying, more clearly than ever before, that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for everyone. That's always been a Christian belief. You can find St. Paul saying in the First Letter to Timothy that Jesus gave himself as a "ransom for all." But rarely do you hear it said by Catholics so forcefully, and with such evident joy. And in this era of religious controversies, it's a timely reminder that God cannot be confined to our narrow categories."

Of course, not all Christians believe that those who don't believe will be redeemed, and the Pope's words may spark memories of the deep divisions from the Protestant reformation over the belief in redemption through grace versus redemption through works.

The pope's comment has also struck a chord on Reddit, where it is the second most-shared piece.

More from Reuters:

Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good, Pope Francis said on Wednesday in his latest urging that people of all religions - or no religion - work together.

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics made his comments in the homily of his morning Mass in his residence, a daily event where he speaks without prepared comments.

He told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus.

"Even them, everyone," the pope answered, according to Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good," he said.

"Just do good and we'll find a meeting point," the pope said in a hypothetical conversation in which someone told a priest: "But I don't believe. I'm an atheist."

Francis's reaching out to atheists and people who belong to no religion is a marked contrast to the attitude of former Pope Benedict, who sometimes left non-Catholics feeling that he saw them as second-class believers.

Shouting Match on Hannity Show about flawed Pew Survey. Its between Sean Hannity, Bill Cunningham and Mike Ghouse.

 SHOUTING MATCH ON FOX NEWS LAST NIGHT

Here are my talking points about Sharia Law and the flawed Pew survey after losing a shouting match on Hannity show with Bill Cunningham and Hannity.  The video is embedded in the article at Huffington post link below. 
 

1.  Radical Muslims are the mirror image of Radical Republicans who...
2. The survey has failed to recognize lack of alternative laws in Muslim majority nations; this makes the survey questionable in its authenticity.....
3. Sharia laws need serious updating, the laws on divorce, rape, apostasy, blasphemy, inheritance and adultery are not only outdated, but  some do not reflect the values of Quran ..
4. But Pakistanis and Bangladeshis have spoken strongly against it with 97% and 96% of them supporting freedom to practice religion
5. This may be bad news for the likes of Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Bridgette Gabriel, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, John Hagee
6. American Muslims closely resemble other Americans than they do Muslims around the world..
7. American Public is cheated out of knowledge on Hannity Show on May 1, 2013 with Mike Ghouse, Bill Cunningham and Mike Ghouse
8. I am committed to building a cohesive America, where no American has to be apprehensive or fearful of the fellow American. 

If you do like the article, please click "LIKE" at Hufington post, and if it makes sense, please tweet and share on Facebook, please write your comments as well.  This is how we build momentum to do good things.

Huffington post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/a-few-talking-points-about-sharia-after-losing-a-sean-hannity-shouting-match_b_3200730.html

Full Survey is at: http://www.worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-worlds-muslims-beliefs-about-sharia.html 

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel,India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive Americaand offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.