Condoleezza Rice is currently on her way to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to discuss US and Russia relations with focus on Putin's criticisms on the US' missile tests and plans. She insists that the relationship between the two countries has not gone back to that between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War. Instead, she states that their relationship is currently improving.

okay now you tell yourself that, Condie. really now. all Putin and Condie have been doing while apart is criticizing each other about their nations' foreign policies. we'll see how this works out. i'm sure they'll be civilized while they're in the same room in front of the cameras. but once apart, Putin will go back to calling Bush a Hitler, and Condie will go on to defend Bush. talk about passive aggressive...look at the sexual tension in the picture!

Animals Bringing People Together

Although it has been seen as an issue on the agenda of the liberal population, animal rights has now become an issue that members of various and very different religious sects agree on. The LA Times recently reported that 20 clergy leaders, all from different leaders are going to have a ceremony and sign a statement in Washington D.C. concerning the rights of animals and animal welfare.

It is amazing how something that seems so trivial in many people's eyes could create such a strong bond with so many different people. I just find so much hope in this story because it shows that we have so many options in finding tolerance, peace and unity.

YAYUH! way to go Bush - tightening sanctions against Sudan

Yesterday, President Bush announced that he is to tighten economic sanctions against the nation of Sudan due to its humanitarian violations because of the genocide occurring in Darfur. this is a step. a big one. but really, there could be so much more going on to stop the genocide. but at least we are really making a stand against what is going on there. hopefully we'll soon be making a bigger one. more aid needs to be sent, military support from countries like the United States is absolutely necessary. i really want this not to be another Rwanda. but i know that in a few years, we'll look back and regret not going in when we should have.

US gives millions to Palestine...you mean Israel right?! no really. Palestine!

well not to Palestine directly. The State Department has just announced that the United States is cleared to transfer almost $60 million to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority President. The funds are to be used for equipment and training for Abbas' security forces. They have done so making sure to keep funding away from Hamas, which they have done in accordance with the European Union because of their refusal to recognize Israel and terrorist attacks related to the group.

wow. when i first read this i almost went into shock. but- then i read that they are doing so without connection to Hamas. let's see how this goes, maybe it will lead to better relations with Palestine. but i'm not sure if this will be fine with or just anger Hamas.

US tries to free Jersey man...supposedly.

In December, Ethiopian officials detained Amir Mohammed Meshal, a man from New Jersey who traveled to Ethiopia to help with the Islamist movement. His was arrested for suspicions of terrorism. Human rights groups are now using his case as an example of a supposed secret detention program created by the US and Ethiopian governments. In response, the American officials insist that they are doing everything possible to ensure Meshal's freedom, and that there is no such thing as a secret detention program under their power.

well i've never heard of the conspiracy about a secret detention program under the collaboration of Ethiopia and the US. i doubt that it's true...but this is the last thing that the US needs, especially with the controversy surrounding the inhumane treatment of the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. i pray that the US is not lying about their attempt to free Meshal. it could show that our government has a fair policy in terms of cruel and unusual punishment.

STOP THE GENOCIDE!

Today, President Bush called for the government of Sudan , particularly Sudan President Bashir to stop the violence occurring in Darfur. He has also made threats stating that if no action to stop the situation, U.S. sanctions against the country may be enstated. This comes after pressure from humanitarian agencies calling on Bush to draw more attention toward the situation in Darfur. The Bush Adminstration has refered to the killings in Darfur as "genocide", but no significant action has been made by the U.S. government.


Hmm..well this is a step. as a college student, i feel lucky enough to know that we might have the power to draw more and more attention toward this problem, which is genocide. but i still feel that more attention by the United States government is absolutely necessary. i am happy that President Bush has decided to take this step, but i just hope that he will be able to follow through.

Save the Children

Today, humanitarian organization Save the Children announced that the child death rates for those under the age of five in the poorest of nations have drastically decreased. The exceptions include the war ridden Iraq and certain areas in Sub-Saharan Africa that have been greatly afflicted by HIV/AIDS. The organization states that this improvement has been due to the work done by nations to improve health care, family planning, and hygenic values.


i really love this article because it shows that there is hope for nations that have allowed their policies to change because of the drastic poverty that has afflicted them. it also draws focus on the great problems that War and HIV/AIDS have caused in bettering the living situations for developing countries. this only means that we need a cure, and we need to find more peaceful ways to gain means. i still think that people in the US do not know enough about the poverty that goes on outside of out country. hopefully people could wake up see what needs to be done. we need to find cheaper treatments, have more focus on finding a cure for HIV/AIDS, and find a way to peacefully approach the problems in war ridden nations.

Wow. Abortion in Mexico Legalized?

Recently, a great development was made in Mexico: Mexico City has legalized abortion in certain clinics. To me, this is a big step for Mexico because it is a majority of Roman Catholics. Most of Latin America actually has not accepted or legalized abortion, so Mexico has taken a brave step. But this is amazing for those who live in Mexico, especially because since it once was extremely difficult to find a safe facility to have an abortion, so much so that many women felt forced to partake in illegal and unsanitary abortions. We'll see how long this lasts though- Roman Catholics are already furious this is occurring in just a small region.

Catholic Schools Fighting to Stay Alive

The Los Angeles Times focused on the struggle that Catholic Schools in Southern California have been experiencing due to a need to hike up tuition prices creating a drop in enrollment over the past few years. Another reason for low enrollment rates has also been the surrounding populations that cannot afford expensive tuition of the Catholic Schools, especially in urban areas.

I attended a Catholic school for eight years, and still being a part of the parish that my school is part of, I see how this statistic is true. Unfortunately, I think that a main reason is because the quality of public schools have increased greatly throughout the past decade. I also think that the quality of teachers in the schools have gone down because of low wages. But I only hope that Catholic Schools stay alive, it is such an amazing experience for a young student to go threw.

Remembering Columbine

Today, 8 and a half years after the tragic shootings at Columbine, a new memorial stands on a hill near the school to honor the victims that were killed that day. I know that this isn't specifically related to religion and politics, but it has so much to do with the America and our youth. We have so much to focus on in terms on intolerance and ignorance, and a general lack of a sense of caring. I only hope that one day something like this would not happen ever again.

Beatification in Spain

Spain and the Roman Catholic Church AGAIN! Today, the largest mass in terms of beatification occurred in Spain honoring 498 slain Catholic men and women. Therefore, the 498 are on their way to sainthood and eternal honor in the eyes of the Catholic community. Interesting move done by the Catholic Church- there is then controversy in the fact that it has been seen by a move in order to gain more supporters after the leftist government of Spain have gained power in the region. Unfortunately, a time of memoriam has been shadowed by politics in religion- again.

Spain vs. the Roman Catholic Church

Spain has introduced a new curriculum in its classrooms regarding constitutional rights which has been seen as the latest attacks against the Roman Catholic Church by the leftist Spanish government. Supporters of the Catholic Church have argued against the enforcement of these mandatory courses stating that it encourages ideas against church teachings.


In my opinion, the Roman Catholic Church does have something to worry about in terms of supporters in the future. If Pope Benedict doesn't embrace the progression that the world is making in terms of conservatism, then it will be impossible to keep the support the the Roman Catholic Church has had or has today.

General Criticizes Iraqi Ministry for Hiring Practices

In the LA Times today, an article describes how a major general who was serving in Northern Iraq criticizes the ministry that manages Iraqi police forces stating that it hasn't been pulling its weight, especially in hiring officers. There have also been much controversy concerning the ministry that is Shiite-led in terms of it harboring enemies and torturing inmates.

This is interesting because the statement comes right after the statement from Shiite leader Anmar Hakim stated that there should be a state division in Iraq in terms of sect. This proves that he is completely correct because if we cannot even control one area because of bias due to sect.

friggin Ann Coulter!

Alright I hadn't heard about this crazy lady until Professor Lobdell had shown us that ridiculous video of her in class. But now I'm just sick of her. This week she gave a speech at USC. "The fact of Islamo-Fascism is indisputable," she said. "I find it tedious to detail the savagery of the enemy. ... I want to kill them. Why don't Democrats?" She is so ridiculous. While she was giving her presentation, protesters were outside the auditorium, while those inside were cheering for Coulter vigorously. One of the protesters carried a sign stating, "Thank you Ann, for uniting Jews, Christians, and Muslims."

I agree. It's amazing how the media world works, and now she is more popular than ever.

Crazy Fires.

To take a break from religion and the media, I wanna take time to focus on the wildfires going on in the area. I hope that those effected find faith and use it to help them through this difficult time.

Pray for those who need it in So Cal.

Violence in the Priesthood? Things have gotten even scarier.

The face of a murderer. Could you imagine? Father Christian Federico von Wernich of Argentina was convicted of crimes against humanity today for his hand in seven murders, 42 kidnappings and 31 cases of torture. He is not to spend the rest of his life in prison. I still can't believe it. Because the Catholic Church doesn't see a lot negative energy already. First sexual abuse, now murder and crimes against humanity? No wonder Professor Lobdell has lost so much faith.

Iran Stricter than Ever.

The Iran Law Enforcement Agency has stated today that it plans to crack down on those who are adhering to what they call "Western ways" that create gangs and cliques focused on criminal activity. They have also stated that they hope to enforce the Islamic Moral Code in a stricter manner in order for there to be less criminal activity.

Okay everyday, Iran appears more and more like a dictatorship. But it's interesting to think about the tactics used. By using a religious moral code, the Iranian Law Enforcement Agency has reported that criminal activity, especially homicides have decreased dramatically since last year.

The Pope Selects Some Newbies.

Pope Benedict XVI selected 23 new Cardinals for the Roman Catholic Church. This is essential because these Cardinals are basically those who will choose the next Pope, and leader for the Roman Catholic World. I only hope that these leaders aren't as conservative as Benedict is. He is the leader of my religious world, and the fact that he has taken some steps backward from the progression that John Paul had created worries me.

Meet the Anti-Bush

So today in the LA Times, Jonathan Chait wrote a commentary regarding what he calls the "New Al Gore" and the new stance he has taken in American politics. Obviously he has created a new movement regarding global warming not only in the political world, but also the world of American pop culture. Chait discusses how although he is not running for president, he has created a movement in which now, Gore has become the "Anti-Bush". Not only has he created more popularity for his own agendas, but less support for the Bush Administration.

I completely agree. I have to admit, at first, I was a Bush supporter, the Republican Conservative part of me took over. But now, I find that although I try, I simply cannot support Bush, and in way, I have started to support the agendas of Mr. Gore.

No Sex? Or Protected Sex?

Although the Democrats have taken over Congress, there is still a difficulty to shut down programs that advocated Abstinence, rather than safe sex. I guess that the conservative right has in a sense won a little. Their power and work during the 1990s to instill conservative values has endured even as the the Democrats have won over congress. And even so, concerning this issue, the Democrats are split. Interesting. The thing is though, the American youth is who this program targets...so we'll see if any programs work with they youth's actions anyways.

Dividing Iraq

A strong US ally, and Shiite leader, Anmar Hakim announced today that he hopes for a division of Iraq so that different sects would be able to function in their owns in semi-autonomous divisions of land. He did so at a celebration of the last holy day of Ramadan in front of a large amount of his supporters. Although he hopes for different sects, he also hopes that a sense of Iraqi unity would still be maintained.

I really agree with Hakim. The different sects would create a sense of peace that would otherwise be impossible to achieve without separation. I only hope that this could be initiated through a peaceful meeting of the leaders of the different sects.

Eid al-Fitr

A small break in the sweeps of violence in Iraq was created due to the holy day in Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr. Although there were two attacks, that amount is very small in comparison to the the amount of attacks that have occurred in the last couple weeks.

It's still pretty sad that there were still attacks on such an important day. But it is pretty hopeful that the amount of violence was considerably small in comparison to other days. It seems so hopeless though that peace will be found anytime soon in Iraq. The difficulties are that the parties are unwilling to even start making agreements with each other.

An Intersection between the Muslim and Christian World

The LA Times reports that over Muslim clerics, leaders, and scholars have asked leaders from the Christian world, specifically Pope Benedict XVI to recognize the similarities between Islam and Christianity. They hope that this is a way to foster more understanding in the followers of both religions. This was a done in a public letter, and has been so far received well by the Christian community.

How great is this!!!! This is the best news I've heard yet. Honestly, the difficulties between the two worlds stem from ignorance and misunderstanding. I just hope that this won't be ignored, and that both sides take this seriously. Because this is honestly such an amazing connection.

dun dun dun....the return of Imus is approaching

Alright so it is reported that the infamous Don Imus is going to make a return to the radio limelight this December. There are also rumors that his new show will involve a new African-American co-host. It is amazing how the media works. Although he was kicked off the air because of his outlandish remarks, there is now even more intrigue into his character, and now experts are expecting the return of not only his regular listeners and guests, but also new listeners and guests. We'll see how this works out. Cause I like to hope inside that eventually, he'll be hated by everyone. EVERYONE.

Indirectly Supporting Abuse?

The Los Angeles Times highlighted a parish in Oceanside today, in which its Bishop has been asking its archdiocese to help pay for the settlemetns that would be going to clergy abuse cases and victims. The article highlighted both supporters of the donation issue, and those who are against it, stating that the Roman Catholic Church should be paying for the mistakes that their clergy have made.

In my head, I don't understand exactly how a priest would have the nerve to ask his followers for money to support paying the penalties that their leaders should be paying. If this were my church, I would be heartbroken if my priest were asking me and other parishioners in something that I wish that the Catholic community didn't have to deal with in the first place. And as Professor Lobdell was saying, this isn't just one parish, there are several communities that have done this.

the simplest things...

A story in the LA Times today highlights the dilemma that Muslim workers at the Ghazala Gardens Hotel in Egypt face in just doing their jobs. Protests against the resort have occurred since before its opening because many believe that its exsistence is a violation against Islam and the people of Egypt. The resort has also been attacked by terrorist bombings in the past.

It seems so sad that one must go against his morals in order to make money. The story highlights the story of a worker who claims that he tries to block off the bare bodies of women that he sees working near the pool because it violates his religion. He also states that if it was his choice, he would work somewhere else, but he has no choice because jobs are limited in Egypt. This not only says so much about the power of religion in one's life, but the power of poverty in so many nations. I could not even imagine having to sacrifice my morals everyday just to make a minimum wage.

Video Games in Church! So what.

In the New York Times today, there was a story regarding the use of the game Halo 3 by religious leaders in order to lure younger populations to come to church. The article entitled "Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Game at Church" by Matt Richtel discusses that although the video game uses the idea of "Thou Shalt Kill", it has been used as a type of marketing took by pastors and ministers throughout the country in order to gain more attendance from young boys and men.

Wow, I never thought of it that way, really- that by using video games to attract youth, religious leaders are being hypocritical in their teachings. Really, this article shows how sometimes how much of a big deal the little things are made in regards to religion in the media. I think that religious leaders should be praised for taking steps to try to relate to their youth. But I guess maybe they should just use a different video game. Then it wouldn't be such a big friggin deal.

The Generation Gap in Churches

So I was looking for stories to discuss in my blog, and I came across this article in the LA Times- "Asian-American Pastors Cross Culture Gap" by K Connie Kang in the Domestic News section. Well first of all, it caught my eye because one, I'm a 2nd generation Asian-American, and two, because I am so intrigued by the intergenerational relationships among different generations of Americans, and how culture affects daily life and all that good stuff. But the article is really interesting because it involves interviews and comments from young Asian-American religious leaders and how there has been a kinda movement with the young Asian-American Christian population leading to a shift in beliefs and how they are spread. This is something that I have noticed through high school and college- that the largest thing that shapes a person's morals in everything is religion. This could be seen just at UCI with the number of fellowships, religious groups, and even religous classes that are on this campus. Just think about how this would shape the political minds of our future.

Giuliani Pleads with Conservatives

While in New Hampshire trying to gain votes for his presidential campaign, the number one question being asked to candidate Rudy Giuliani was regarding how he intends to gain support from religious conservatives after many conservative Christian leaders denounced him for his support for abortion rights. Giuliani stated that just as he respects the faith of those leaders, he hopes that they will respect his beliefs as well. The conservative leaders have bluntly stated that they refuse to support Giuliani, one specifically stating that he will back a 3rd party candidate if Giuliani wins as the Republican candidate.

So for myself, abortion has and always will be a touchy subject. Like Giuliani, I am a Roman Catholic, and have been for my entire life. However, so far, after my life experiences, I have chosen not to support abortion rights. Like many of those that are pro-life, the only case in which abortion would be morally right would be if the woman was raped and was consequently impregnated. But, I guess I am like one of those "social conservatives" that Giuliani talks about so much, because I understand and respect the arguments that the pro-choice side gives. In my mind, the Christian conservatives have just put themselves on this pedestal and just refuse to come down, making them as radical as ever. So lets see if Giuliani will get enough votes from those social conservatives...

The State of the Separation of Church and State...

The Turkish Constitution has been recently protested against by womens' rights groups that argue that its recent updates have caused a step back for gender equality. A clause that states that the Turkish government must ensure equality for all has been removed. Instead, a new clause has been added undermining the power of a woman, an also stating that that women are in need of protection.

Well although this is not directly related to American politics, this story certainly made me think about it. We pride ourselves on our separation of church and state, and we criticize nation states that have formed their governmental policies using many cultural and religious values. But when you really think about it, the separation of church and state is just impossible. Sure, religious values are not specifically reflected in our constitution. But we still choose governmental leaders that use religion as a basis for policy making. So whats the difference really?

Christian Nation eh?

In a recent interview with Beliefnet, Presidential candidate John McCain stated this, "I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith." He also stated that he agrees with 55 percent of the American population that say that the US Constitution was written on Christian beliefs.

Okay, as if the Republicans couldn't get more right wing. It is true that a majority of the American population has shown that it is of great importance that the leaders of the government show allegiance to God, and that a majority of the American people have a Christian belief system. And although I am a Catholic, and have been all my life, I have always believed that the values that the US government have been built on stand for equality and acceptance of all beliefs- regardless if they are Christian beliefs are not. Times are changing man. Get it together. Diversity is necessary for success.