Unforgivable

From time to time, I am asked about the meaning of "the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit," because Jesus said it was an unpardonable sin. He said, "Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31).

When God is trying to bring a person to faith and he or she says no, that is resisting the Holy Spirit. This is a sin that only an unbeliever could commit. The work of the Spirit, as Jesus said, is to "convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). And when someone refuses to accept Christ, they are denying the very mission of the Holy Spirit when they say they don't need salvation, when they say, "Not only am I saying no to this, but I am saying that I don't care if Jesus died. And if He did die, then His death was a waste. I don't care if He shed His blood. It means nothing to me."

That insults the Holy Spirit, because the Bible says, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).

Therefore, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when unbelievers say no to the Spirit's work of showing them their need for Jesus and bringing them to faith. By resisting and turning their back on God's gracious offer of forgiveness, they can ultimately insult—and even blaspheme—the Holy Spirit and go beyond a point of no return. To resist the Holy Spirit's appeal is to insult God and to effectively cut off all hope of salvation.

 

BORROWED FROM GREG LAURIE'S DEVOTION FOR TODAY. MAY GOD BLESS EACH WHO READS THIS MESSAGE.

---

To My Old Friend Michael

ok, i never do this but i'm putting a comment here in the hope that my old chum will see this! :)

(too bad i lost my blogspot password and can't sign in like a normal human being. hmph.)

 

oh, yes, back to what i was saying...

 

<begin atypical blog posting>

 

miiiiike! great to hear from you, old friend! how's everything? not sure if you will ever see this but here's hoping you do! would love to hear your news, hit me on facebook or leave a private comment with your email address. will post this as a regular posting. take care, sally b :)

 

</end departure from anti-sociality>

---

Access 350+ FREE radio stations anytime from anywhere on the web. Get the Radio Toolbar!

Losing Weight...Just to Get Some? The Sad Story of Charlotte Royal

Check out the link below before checking out my comments. Briefly, a girl who hit 300 lbs lost weight...just to lose her virginity!

 

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/196277/Virgin-Charlotte-Royal-lost-13-stone-on-a-diet-in-a-bid-to-lose-her-virginity-after-a-blind-date-said-Fat-chance-love.html?postingId=213258

 

NOW that you've read the article that made Sally Sall return to writing, check out her sage and brilliant comments. Love to all,

sally b

 

+

What's sad about this article--and several comments thereabout--is that some feel that virginity is a curse.

 

That the measure of a woman's worth is how many men want to bed her.

 

That "inexperience" is a turn-off to someone who's "gotten some" before.

 

Virginity is a treasure. Once it is gone, it can never come back. This applies to both men and women, though men don't have an external indicator of it. Then again, women (as in Middle Eastern countries like Egypt) sometimes undergo "revirginisation surgery." This is done in order to convince/trick the new husband into thinking the woman is a virgin.

 

That it is even done is proof of the high importance placed on virginity in some places. (As opposed to Charlotte's take that virginity was something to be gotten rid of.)

 

I disagree that this surgery should even exist (because it is, at the end of the day, trickery) and that virginity should be the end-all in some cultures.

 

On the other hand, many Westerners have no respect for their purity; they see sex as an itch to be scratched (like when Charlotte preferred sex with a stranger so he wouldn't pick up on her inexperience), or a mark of another's affection (like her envy of the love and affection that her friends were apparently getting).

 

On the contrary, a person can be emotionally fulfilled to the extreme--without compromising his or her (and yes, I support extra-marital virginity for men, too) physical and emotional purity.

 

I also agree with the comments that the problem was with Charlotte's outlook on life as a large lass.

 

The root problem is really the fact that people don't respect themselves anymore. People go for the people who most rigidly conform with society's beauty ideal because it boosts their own self-esteem that they could get someone that was "that hot." And if nobody propositions them or touches them or even says the words that they want to hear, they feel unwanted, unloved, unworthy.

 

And it's not that "men are shallow," it's that humans are shallow. They seek physical pleasures--whether sex, good food, strong drink, drugs, even exercise, gambling, or big-ticket items--because they have an emotional void.

They long to feel loved. They long to have proof of this love. They think that physical sensations and affection will make them content.
What they don't realise is that the love they are seeking is their OWN love. They need to accept themselves, and strive to make themselves the best they can be, so as to preserve or achieve a positive mental and spiritual state.

 

Some people incorrectly feel that they do love themselves, their proof being that they often "treat themselves" to spa treatments or new jewellry or expensive cars; they think "I deserve it." They may even be called "materialistic" or "selfish" or a "compulsive shopper" by other people. And they disagree, thinking that "I'm taking care of myself, making myself as happy as I can be... coz if you don't love yourself, who loves you, baby?"

 

What they don't see is that their pursuit of these things is not "treating themselves" to happiness, but to thinking that these things will make them happy. And things can't MAKE you happy, you have to CHOOSE to be happy. Have you ever noticed that the thrill of a new car or a new love always fades? There's always something that takes you from "This is IT!" to "Hmmm... what now? What's next?"

 

And that means that you weren't happy to begin with, you were just pleased with your newest acquisition.

The true test of contentedness is this--if everyone you loved were to perish (God forbid) or if you were to irrevocably lose everything you ever worked for or got (including health) would you still be happy? Happiness is an outlook on life, not a state of mind.

You can be sad about something, even grief-stricken, but if you feel incomplete when you lose something, then maybe you weren't whole to begin with. If you seek out a replacement for that lost thing, then you *definitely* weren't whole to begin with.

(Actually, I happen to believe that without a relationship with our Creator, we ARE incomplete, but I shall save the sermon for another day.)

 

The POINT here is that we should love ourselves, CHOOSE to be happy, take care of ourselves, and realise that things around us will ALWAYS change! Looks fade. Half the time they aren't even real these days. People die, lose interest, betray us. We get older, saggier--but wiser, hopefully.

What stays with us on this earth is our mind-set, our attitude, and our respect for ourselves.

 

May everyone reading this know the fullness and supreme serenity of a self-accepting, God-fearing, Jesus-loving and *sublime* existence of perfect happiness, always.

+

---

 

---

A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

A professor stood before his  philosophy class and had
some items in front of him.

When the class  began, wordlessly, he picked up a
very large and empty mayonnaise jar and  proceeded
to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if  the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then  picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar.

He shook the  jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the
open areas between the golf  balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full..
They  agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and  poured
it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything  else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students  responded with an unanimous "yes.

The professor then produced two cups of  coffee from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar,  effectively filling the empty space between
the sand.

The students  laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want  you to recognize that this jar represents
your life.

The golf balls  are the important things - God,
family, children, health, friends, and  favorite
passions--things that if everything else was lost and
only they  remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things  that matter like
your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else  -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first,"  he
continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf  balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and  energy on the small stuff, you will never
have room for the things that are  important to you.

So... Pay attention to the things that are critical  to
your happiness. Play With your children.

Take time to get medical  checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

Play another  18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the  disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really  matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the  students raised her hand and inquired what
the coffee represented.

The  professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no  matter how full your
life may seem, there's always room for a couple  of
cups of coffee with a friend.

Please share this with someone you care about.


I JUST DID.

---

It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.

Does God Still "speak to people" ?

I (sally) firmly and without question believe that He never stopped, though people did, in many cases, stop listening! May we always keep our ears, minds, and hearts open to

"that still small Voice" that could help us spend a joyous eternity with our Creator--or a NOT COOL session of forever at a place that SO doesn't rock.

 

Blessings!

sally

****************************

 

 A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. 

The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'
 

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.
 

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'
 

 

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.
 

He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.
 

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.
 

'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
 

As he passed Seventh Stree t, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'
 

This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street . At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.
 

Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will'. He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.
 

Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.
 

'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.
 

Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
 

 

 

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.
 

 

 

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'
 

 

 

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.
 

The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.' 

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?' The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.
 

He knew that God still answers prayers.
 

 

THIS IS A SIMPLE TEST....? If you believe that God is alive and well, send this to at least ten people and the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!!
 

This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13
 

This is an easy test, you score 100 or zero. It's your choice.
 

If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'
 

 

 

Not ashamed Pass this on

---

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

Philosophy vs Truth?

 

 Toni and Johnny   

 

Science vs. God "Let me explain the problem science has with
Jesus Christ."  

 

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class
and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. 
  "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can
cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does
he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to
Jesus to heal him How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a
glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student : "From...God..."

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in
this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything,
then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle
that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Without allowing the student to answer, the professor continues: "Is there
sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they
exist in this world?"

The student: "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.
"Who created them? There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks
away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

"Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus
Christ, son?"

The student's voice is confident: "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him"

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever actually felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your
Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for
that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has
with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of his
own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room
suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.

"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited
heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything
called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat,
but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold;
otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every
body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and
heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero
(-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we
use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can
measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of
heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding
like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't
darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir.   Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing
light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In
reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a
good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you
explain how?" "You are working on the premise of duality," the student
explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God
and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite,
something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses
electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood
either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the
fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the
opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
monkey?" "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young
man, yes, of course I do" "Have you ever observed evolution with your own
eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where
the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot
even prove that this process is an on-going  endeavour, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has
subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me
give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has
ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the
professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain?   No one
appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of
empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no
brain, with all due respect, sir.   So if science says you have no brain,
how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face
unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll
have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,"
the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it
everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in
the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These
manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does
not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of
God.

God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does
not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when
there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down. Pass this on if you love Jesus.

---

Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.

Delete Sally from Wiki, Hmmm? (Wikipedia as anti-Arab? You Decide..)

ok, so i'm sure it has nothing to do with me, i'm just not 'notable enough.' actually i couldn't care less because i'm in my reclusive 'not doing nothing productive' phase now. BUT, someone sent this to me and it's an interesting read. Happy Easter to all!

love,

sally b

 

*****

Editor's Note:  

The Middle East conflict rages online as well as in the  
territories. Here is an expose on how pro-Israeli groups  
are re-writing history and waging a propaganda exercise  
using Wikipedia.  

-----------------------------------------------------------  
ATOMIC BOND PUTTY (3 Tubes in a package)  
Mixes Like Clay... Hardens Like Steel...  

Normal Price: $19.99  
DEAL PRICE: $9.99  
Get 2 Packages for $15.98  

No matter what the job, you can repair it fast, safe,  
easily and PERMANENT with this amazing Atomic Bond Putty.  

Bonds, seals leaks and repairs gouges in steel, aluminum,  
wood, fiberglass, concrete and ceramics in only 20-30  
minutes.  

It's EASY! Simply cut, knead to activate and apply.  

Mixes like clay, stays where you put it, then hardens like  
steel. Bonds, fills, anchors, caulks and waterproofs just  
about anything.  

Can even be molded into or around any shaped or material.  
Once dried, it can be sanded, dried and painted. This  
special, reader's only price, includes 3 tubes in a  
package for just $9.99... Get two packages, 6 tubes total,  
for $15.98.  
VISIT: http://pd.gophercentral.com/r/120/a/504/l/0x4u56  
  
ATOMIC BOND PUTTY (3 Tubes in a package)  
-----------------------------------------------------------  

                  Video Clip Of The Week  

    Bin Laden's Son Says Videos Are Fakes Of His Father  

On Belgian television, Omar Bin Laden claimed that there  
are fake video clones of his father. Of course this makes  
sense since his death was widely reported in the Middle  
East, including the respected Egyptian newspaper, Al Wafd  
in 2001.  

View:  
  
Bin Laden's Son Says Videos Are Fakes Of His Father  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Exposed - Pro-Israeli Group Manipulating Wikipedia  

A pro-Israel pressure group is orchestrating a secret,  
long-term campaign to infiltrate the popular online  
encyclopedia Wikipedia to rewrite Palestinian history,  
pass off crude propaganda as fact, and take over Wikipedia  
administrative structures to ensure these changes go either  
undetected or unchallenged.  

A series of emails by members and associates of the pro-  
Israel group CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East  
Reporting in America), provided to The Electronic Intifada  
(EI), indicate the group is engaged in what one activist  
termed a "war" on Wikipedia.  

A 13 March action alert signed by Gilead Ini, a "Senior  
Research Analyst" at CAMERA, calls for "volunteers who  
can work as 'editors' to ensure" that Israel-related  
articles on Wikipedia are "free of bias and error, and  
include necessary facts and context." However, subsequent  
communications indicate that the group not only wanted to  
keep the effort secret from the media, the public, and  
Wikipedia administrators, but that the material they  
intended to introduce included discredited claims that  
could smear Palestinians and Muslims and conceal Israel's  
true history.  

With over two million articles in English on every topic  
imaginable, Wikipedia has become a primary reference  
source for Internet users around the world and a model  
for collaboratively produced projects. Openness and good  
faith are among Wikipedia's core principles. Any person  
in the world can write or edit articles, but Wikipedia  
has strict guidelines and procedures for accountability  
intended to ensure quality control and prevent vandalism,  
plagiarism or distortion. It is because of these safeguards  
that articles on key elements of the Palestine-Israel  
conflict have generally remained well-referenced, useful  
and objective. The CAMERA plan detailed in the e-mails  
obtained by EI appears intended to circumvent these  
controls.  

In the past, CAMERA has gained notoriety for its tactic of  
accusing virtually anyone who does not toe a right-wing  
pro-Israel line of bias. The group has even accused editors  
and reporters of the Israeli daily Haaretz of being  
"extreme" and participating in "radical anti-Israel  
activity." Jeffrey Dvorkin, the former ombudsman of  
National Public Radio (NPR), frequently criticized by  
CAMERA for an alleged pro-Palestinian bias, wrote on  
the web publication Salon in February 2008 that "as a  
consequence of its campaign against NPR, CAMERA acted as  
the enabler for some seriously disturbed people," citing  
persistent telephone threats he received in the wake of  
CAMERA campaigns.  

Need for stealth and secrecy  

Throughout the documents EI obtained, CAMERA operatives  
stress the need for stealth and secrecy. In his initial  
action alert, Ini requests that recipients "not forward  
it to members of the news media." In a 17 March follow-up  
email sent to volunteers, Ini explains that he wants to  
make the orchestrated effort appear to be the work of  
unaffiliated individuals. Thus he advises that "There is  
no need to advertise the fact that we have these group  
discussions."  

Anticipating possible objections to CAMERA's scheme, Ini  
conjectures that "Anti-Israel editors will seize on any-  
thing to try to discredit people who attempt to challenge  
their problematic assertions, and will be all too happy  
to pretend, and announce, that a 'Zionist' cabal (the same  
one that controls the banks and Hollywood?) is trying to  
hijack Wikipedia."  

But stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys  
to success. Ini suggests that after volunteers sign up as  
editors for Wikipedia they should "avoid editing Israel-  
related articles for a short period of time." This strategy  
is intended to "avoid the appearance of being one-topic  
editors," thus attracting unwanted attention.  

Ini counsels that volunteers "might also want to avoid,  
for obvious reasons, picking a user name that marks you  
as pro-Israel, or that lets people know your real name."  
To further conceal the identity of CAMERA-organized  
editors, Ini warns, "don't forget to always log in before  
making [edits]. If you make changes while not logged in,  
Wikipedia will record your computer's IP address" -- a  
number that allows identification of the location of a  
computer connected to the Internet.  

A veteran Wikipedia editor, known as "Zeq," who according  
to the emails is colluding with CAMERA, also provided  
advice to CAMERA volunteers on how they could disguise  
their agenda. In a 20 March email often in misspelled  
English, Zeq writes, "You don't want to be precived [sic]  
as a 'CAMERA' defender' on wikipedia [sic] that is for  
sure." One strategy to avoid that is to "edit articles  
at random, make friends not enemies -- we will need them  
later on. This is a marathon not a sprint."  

Zeq also identifies, in a 25 March email, another Wikipedia  
editor, "Jayjg," whom he views as an effective and  
independent pro-Israel advocate. Zeq instructs CAMERA  
operatives to work with and learn from Jayjg, but not to  
reveal the existence of their group even to him fearing  
"it would place him in a bind" since "[h]e is very loyal  
to the wikipedia [sic] system" and might object to CAMERA's  
underhanded tactics.  

"Uninvolved administrators"  

The emphasis on secrecy is apparently not only to aid the  
undetected editing of articles, but also to facilitate  
CAMERA's takeover of key administrator positions in  
Wikipedia.  

For Zeq a key goal is to have CAMERA operatives elected  
as administrators -- senior editors who can override the  
decisions of others when controversies arise. When disputes  
arise about hotly contested topics, such as Israel and  
Palestine, often only an "uninvolved administrator" -- one  
who is considered neutral because he or she has not edited  
or written articles on the topic -- can arbitrate.  

Hence, Zeq advises in a 21 March email that "One or more  
of you who want to take this route should stay away from  
any Israel realted [sic] articles for one month until  
they [sic] interact in a positive way with 100 wikipedia  
[sic] editors who would be used later to vote you as an  
administrator."  

Once these CAMERA operatives have successfully infiltrated  
as "neutral" editors, they could then exercise their  
privileges to assert their own political agenda.  

In addition, Zeq suggests making deliberately provocative  
edits to Palestine-related articles. He hopes that editors  
he assumes are Palestinian will delete these changes, and  
then CAMERA operatives could report them to administrators  
so they could be sanctioned and have their editing  
privileges suspended.  

-----------------------------------------------------------  
SOLE CLEANER & MASSAGE MAT  
Clean & Comfort Your Sole...  

Normal Price: $14.99  
DEAL PRICE: $5.99  
Get 2 for $9.98  

This unique foot massager mat features two (2) types of  
flexible bristles that clean your feet and stimulates blood  
circulation. Also, it has a built-in embedded pumice stone  
to rid dead cells on the hard skin on your sole.  

The suction cups underneath the base will allow an easy fix  
to shower floor. And when its not in use you can hang it  
on a hook or attach it to the side of the shower.  

Now you clean your soles and enjoy a comfortable foot  
massage every time you take a shower!... Makes An  
Excellent Gift.  

Get one for $5.99... or get two (2) for $9.98. To order,  
visit: http://pd.gophercentral.com/r/120/a/504/l/ud4ho1  
  
SOLE CLEANER & MASSAGE MAT  
-----------------------------------------------------------  

Passing propaganda as fact  

Gilead Ini's 17 March email provides specific advice on  
how to pass off pro-Israel propaganda or opinion as fact  
meeting Wikipedia's strict guidelines:  

"So, for example, imagine that you get rid of or modify  
a problematic sentence in an article alleging that  
'Palestinian [sic] become suicide bombers to respond to  
Israel's oppressive policies.' You should, in parallel  
leave a comment on that article's discussion page (either  
after or before making the change). Avoid defending  
the edit by arguing that 'Israel's policies aren't  
'oppression,' they are defensive. And anyway Palestinians  
obviously become suicide bombers for other reasons for  
example hate education!' Instead, describe how this sentence  
violates Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. One of the  
core principles is that assertions should adhere to a  
Neutral Point of View, usually abbreviated NPOV. (The  
opposite of NPOV is POV, or Point of View, which is  
basically another way of saying subjective statement, or  
opinion.) So it would be best to note on the discussion  
page that 'This sentence violates Wikipedia's NPOV policy,  
since the description of Israel's policies as 'oppressive'  
is an opinion. In addition, it is often noted by Middle  
East experts that one of the reasons Palestinians decide  
to become suicide bombers is hate education and  
glorification of martyrdom in Palestinian society...'"  

In fact, there have been numerous studies debunking claims  
about Palestinian "hate education," or "glorification of  
martyrdom" causing suicide bombings (such as Dying to Win  
by University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape)  
though this claim remains a favorite canard of pro-Israel  
activists seeking to distract attention from the effects  
of Israel's occupation and other well-documented and  
systematic human rights abuses in fueling violence.  

Zeq specifically names articles targeted for this kind of  
treatment including those on the 1948 Palestinian Exodus,  
Causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, Hamas, Hizballah,  
Arab citizens of Israel, anti-Zionism, al-Nakba, the  
Palestinian people, and the Palestinian right of return.  

Interestingly the CAMERA editors also target the article  
on the early Islamic period concept of Dhimmi, a protected  
status for non-Muslims which historically allowed Jews to  
thrive in Muslim-ruled lands while other Jews were being  
persecuted in Christian Europe. Pro-Israel activists have  
often tried to portray the concept of Dhimmi as akin to  
the Nuremberg laws in order to denigrate Muslim culture  
and justify ahistorical Zionist claims that Jews could  
never live safely in majority Muslim countries.  

Also among the emails is a discussion about how to alter  
the article on the massacre of Palestinian civilians in  
the village of Deir Yassin by Zionist militiamen on 9 April  
1948. Unable to debunk the facts of the massacre outright,  
the CAMERA activists hunt for quotes from "reputable  
historians" who can cast doubt on it. Their strategy is  
not dissimilar from those who attempt to present evolution,  
or global climate change as "controversial" regardless of  
the weight of the scientific evidence, simply because the  
facts do not accord with their belief system.  

Zeq has already made extensive edits to the Wikipedia  
article on Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist  
murdered by an Israeli soldier in the occupied Gaza Strip  
on 16 March 2003. As a result of these and other edits  
Zeq has himself been a controversial figure among Wikipedia  
editors, suggesting his own stealth tactics may not be  
working.  

"We will go to war"  

Zeq, however, counsels CAMERA operatives to be patient and  
lie low until they build up their strength. "We will go  
to war after we have build our army, equiped it trained  
[sic]," he wrote on 9 April. "So please if you want to  
win this war help us build ou[r] army. let's not just rush  
in and achieve nothing, or abit more than nothing [sic]."  

DOWNLOAD CAMERA'S EMAILS:  
http://electronicintifada.net/downloads/pdf/080421-camera-wikipedia.pdf  
 

---

Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos.