Christians celebrate Christmas by setting a two alarm fire in downtown Houston

[Pointedstick]

I was really hoping we could have a serious discussion of the proposed "right to travel" instead of getting caught up on definitions of the word "rights," which if anything lends support to the position that rights are nothing more than a distraction from reality.

[Reub]

There is no right to international travel.  There's also no right to health care. Same for rights to immigrate into our country.  Same applies to Obamaphones.

[Mountaineer]

I was really hoping we could have a serious discussion of the proposed "right to travel" instead of getting caught up on definitions of the word "rights," which if anything lends support to the position that rights are nothing more than a distraction from reality.

PS,

Your post outlined property rights vs. travel rights quite thoroughly.  Not a lot left to say.  For my two cents, there are no God given travel rights; man makes up a plethora of rules (not really rights) to fit his ever changing agendas.  I think the only God given rights we have are those outlined in the 10 Commandments of the OT summarized by the the 2 commandments of the NT, but that gets into a religious discussion.  For example, we have a right to life, a right to keep our own property, a right to keep our own spouse, a right to have the truth told about us, a right to be loved (i.e. cared for, respected, helped) by our neighbors, etc.  I do not see travel rights included.  But, we, corrupt beings as we are, blow the 10 and 2 continually. 

... M

[Reub]

How about a right for Sharia Law?

[lazyboy]

Good point, lazyboy. You made me want to read the article, so I will. I don't normally read the National Review.

Separately from the level-headedness above:
When I "demonize" Muslims -- which I do from time to time, despite having an amicable relationship with plenty of them ("Some of my best friends are...") it has nothing to do with terrorists in the sense of bombs and stabbings. It has more to do with terrorizing and taunting on the streets of Paris. I might be ok in Detroit or Hamtramck. I don't think I would be comfortable in Paris or Copenhagen or Malm�.  I don't think Christian Americans feel that way, and they have no reason to.

Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but that's the way it is. I don't want to round them up or make them wear yellow stars. I would simply rather have an influx of Vietnamese or Australians.

Dualstow, I'd like to know more about your experiences or expectations in the places you mention. Having fears/reservations does not make you a terrible person, just human.

[dualstow]

Dualstow, I'd like to know more about your experiences or expectations in the places you mention. Having fears/reservations does not make you a terrible person, just human.

I think that much interfaith progress is made in the States. It certainly must dwarf the terror attacks but peaceful progress is boring and thus not news. On the other hand, I see weekly reports of people getting harassed in Europe, nearly always Jews, and nearly always by Muslims. The Jews have been there for many many generations, while the Muslims are often recent arrivals. They are emboldened by their numbers.

The result of this is that places like Malm� are become very nearly judenfrei and loaded with Muslims. Were this because of superior math scores, I wouldn't bat an eye. Instead, it's for all the wrong reasons.

I don't think any of this would fly in the States...yet.

In the meantime, I do have hope for full Muslim integration in the U.S. I really do. I just have no idea how it's going to play out when the numbers get real.

[Libertarian666]

I was really hoping we could have a serious discussion of the proposed "right to travel" instead of getting caught up on definitions of the word "rights," which if anything lends support to the position that rights are nothing more than a distraction from reality.

It seems impossible to discuss the "right to travel," when the idea of "rights" is irrational in a naturalistic worldview.

Exactly. It would be like discussing the exact alloy preferred by the FSM for the sacred headpiece.

For those not of the Pastafarian faith, anyway.

[lazyboy]

Dualstow, I'd like to know more about your experiences or expectations in the places you mention. Having fears/reservations does not make you a terrible person, just human.

I think that much interfaith progress is made in the States. It certainly must dwarf the terror attacks but peaceful progress is boring and thus not news. On the other hand, I see weekly reports of people getting harassed in Europe, nearly always Jews, and nearly always by Muslims. The Jews have been there for many many generations, while the Muslims are often recent arrivals. They are emboldened by their numbers.

The result of this is that places like Malm� are become very nearly judenfrei and loaded with Muslims. Were this because of superior math scores, I wouldn't bat an eye. Instead, it's for all the wrong reasons.

I don't think any of this would fly in the States...yet.

In the meantime, I do have hope for full Muslim integration in the U.S. I really do. I just have no idea how it's going to play out when the numbers get real.

I share your concern, especially after reading some of comments in articles in Europe and Isreal concerning judenfrei. Here's one that is prescient of the Paris attack and other recent attack events: a very disturbing portrait of European and Arab collusion:
http://destination-yisrael.biblesearche ... -free.html

[dualstow]

That's a powerful essay, lazyboy! I had never heard of William E. Grim before.

[rickb]

Looks like there was an arrest in this case, see

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man- ... e-36010432

Although being arrested does not mean he's guilty, the person arrested is a Muslim.

[Pointedstick]

Looks like there was an arrest in this case, see

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man- ... e-36010432

Although being arrested does not mean he's guilty, the person arrested is a Muslim.

…And that's all the gloating I'll do, promise!

[Tyler]

The Reuters article discussing the arrested Muslim suspect is especially laughable.  Clearly they wrote it before the suspect was identified, but rolled with it anyway.

"A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Field Division said a hate crime motive had not been ruled out, though there was no evidence of that yet.... Anti-Muslim sentiment has been on the rise in the United States, stoked by recent Islamic State-related attacks in France and California and anti-Muslim statements by Republican presidential hopefuls." 

Get that?  A Muslim congregant allegedly set fire to his own mosque, but it's still Trump's fault.  His powers of mind control must be way more potent than we realize. 

[dualstow]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ekWQUsIq4IU/U ... mption.jpg [/img]

maybe I'm missing a second level to the joke, but doesn't it only work when you say to ASSUME makes an ASS out of U and ME?
Assumption makes an ass out of U and some Egyptian pharaoh whose Greek name is Ption.

[Mountaineer]

... M

[rickb]

And, in earlier news (Dec 12), there was an arson incident at a mosque in Coachella, CA (not too far from San Bernardino) which led to the arrest of a 23-year old white male, see

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man ... re-n479036

In both of these cases arrest does not necessarily mean guilt. 

[dualstow]

A fire has broken out at a hotel in downtown Dubai near the world's tallest building.

--cnn