Of course, people will say, "but that is not Christianity", and we will get down to the old chant of "the problem with Christianity is that it has never been tried", which is as tired and as meaningless as the other one: "the problem with socialism is that it has never been tried."

I don’t agree James. Socialism failed from its Marxist inception which mandated coercion. It was tried and failed dismally. The compassion that Jesus taught however was lost as soon as Paul created the personality cult of Christ. It has never been properly tried and has only recently been glimpsed at by biblical scholars like Marcus Borg and JD Crossan.

I agree that there is a compassion deficit, and there are aspects of Christianity, just as there is with Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, that, if adopted, would make some improvement. But it means first getting rid of a lot of the bullshit that Christianity has accumulated over the centuries. Since a lot of that bullshit is tied up with property and power, I don't see that happening too quickly.

This is an overly pessimistic outlook, especially in relation to Christianity. Property and power were far more imposing obstacles a few centuries ago before they were reined in somewhat by democratic revolutions in the West. That process could now be greatly advanced if Christians could tap into the confidence and idealism of Jesus. But this would involve jettisoning the debris of a failed theology with its hollow rituals and liturgies, smoke and mirrors, ‘softly spoken magic spells’ and constructing a new social revolutionary, grass roots ‘religion’ based on Christ’s spiritual humanism.

Royal Dutch Shell abandons drilled wells in Libya

by: Benoit Faucon
From: Dow Jones Newswires
May 29, 20127:40AM

SHELL will quit Libyan exploration blocks amid incessant attacks on oil fields and harsh contracts, the first such move since Muammar Gaddafi's overthrow.

The Anglo-Dutch giant insisted it was still interested in the country, which holds Africa's largest oil reserves.

Manipulating these reserves to strangle the countrys income is what they are up to here.

I was tempted to put up Bushes Axis of Evil speech ...but is a lost cause I think ...everyones made up their minds based on the given media tripe.

I'm just disappointed that we are so hopeless these days ....blinder than blind.

Just loose your great dependance on OIL and watch all these problems fall away!!!!.....makes me furious that [people can't see that!!

if we could loose oils strangle hold I'll bet you'd see Israel petition the UN to be moved to Madagasca

The reason why such horrors are tolerated is a world wide compassion defecit that perhaps only Christianity can overcome.

I think it is wildly optimistic to think that Christianity, at least in its earthly embodiment, is going to overcome a compassion deficit, if past and current history is any indication.

Even in current history, you only have to look at the Ellis defence to see how the Church is seriously defective in compassion for the victims of its own clergy's sexual abuse, let alone the problems caused by others.

And then there is the real Catholic "culture of death" through HIV AIDs infection where the Church will not support the use of condoms even as a back stop measure, because of some truly bizarre reasoning.

Of course, people will say, "but that is not Christianity", and we will get down to the old chant of "the problem with Christianity is that it has never been tried", which is as tired and as meaningless as the other one: "the problem with socialism is that it has never been tried."

I agree that there is a compassion deficit, and there are aspects of Christianity, just as there is with Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, that, if adopted, would make some improvement. But it means first getting rid of a lot of the bullshit that Christianity has accumulated over the centuries. Since a lot of that bullshit is tied up with property and power, I don't see that happening too quickly.

So true Chris Hum,except that it would only mean--"STOP IN OUR BACK YARD"?!
georgeh

The reason why such horrors are tolerated is a world wide compassion defecit that perhaps only Christianity can overcome.

We must prioritize.

Jesus told us to focus on the ptchos not the poor but the desperate. Like the butchered children of Syria.

In a sane world Christians would produce a video like Kony 2012 and not yield to compassion fatigue until the entire international community came on board and cried with one voice: THIS MUST STOP NOW!!!!!

Sad affair for sure.
Although one would think that external intervention like that in Iraq would be worse than internal strife like in Syria?!
Although indirect interference seems to be taking place anyways?!
Major powers control the Security Council, and they need to agree for settlement. Lybia was a small fry in comparison to be sacrificed by the Major powers?!
georgeh

Looking at the pictures of the adult and child dead today, I wondered why this was different from sending US cruise missiles into Baghdad in 2003, an action which Australia, Spain, and the UK among others backed.