Happy Birthday, President Reagan

[n david]

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

Did not change the subject but you sure aren't questioning my location anymore.

Why, cause you know some roads anyone can find using Google Earth?

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

See What matters is that a passport tells you where someone is at any time. Mine says i was on the bahrain causeway in January. So who cares what you believe or dont believe.

Color me skeptical, but I don't know you. I have known more than one nut online who claimed a bunch of stuff which wasn't true. Again, your claims about religious freedom and tolerance in SA is contrary to both press reports and humanitarian and religious organizations. Go ahead and whine about me not believing you, doesn't bother me a bit.

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

The catholic church address is posted on their website. Anybody can find it using google. There is a posted article about people having church services and that article also says, as i do, those people have had those services for a long time.

You want pictures get a visa, buy a plane ticket, and come take them. Rule number one is this - you have to pay to play. You may now return your head to where you pulled it from. Why would i spend even another second of time on this when your head stays parked up there anyway?

So that means you don't have a picture to post? Too bad.

[n david]

I have to leave for a bit, just didn't want you to get your hopes up, thinking you "shupped" my mouth. Whatever "shupped" means.

[Walks_in_islam]

Originally Posted by n david

Why, cause you know some roads anyone can find using Google Earth?


Color me skeptical, but I don't know you. I have known more than one nut online who claimed a bunch of stuff which wasn't true. Again, your claims about religious freedom and tolerance in SA is contrary to both press reports and humanitarian and religious organizations. Go ahead and whine about me not believing you, doesn't bother me a bit.


So that means you don't have a picture to post? Too bad.

Because i have lots and lots of little stamps putting me on those roads and i have them in sets of 4 sport cuz when i get one everyone in my family gets one too. Dont know why you are laughing at me. Too bad for you. You will never know or see any of it. If you are skeptical then you should dig into it and find the truth for yourself. I started to get you what you want but i have concluded that proving i can get it is enough. You are not worth even a single moment of further action on my part. Closing your eyes to make something invisible is a toddlers game. Do you to play it all you wish.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

Isnt it funny that the news comes from the very countries and very people that Reagan armed and propped up? Then some bright genius posts a happy birthday? Is a lookback even warranted? Should we not question this? Question who we are as Americans and what we stand for? Are we more or less free following the line of dominoes that fell from these decisions?

As Americans we like to question everything.
And hindsight is always 20/20.
And a backseat driver is always right.

Even knowing what I know now, I support the action that was taken to oppose the USSR in Afghanistan.
Their failure there led to the downfall of the Soviet system.
Looking back, the US failure in Iraq and Afghanistan seems to fall at the feet of the current administration.
We are still in Germany and South Korea, but for some reason we were adamant about getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan as quick as we could.
Also, under BHO our policy towards the entire Middle East has been a disaster.
Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen...
No effective policy at all!

[Walks_in_islam]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

As Americans we like to question everything.
And hindsight is always 20/20.
And a backseat driver is always right.

Even knowing what I know now, I support the action that was taken to oppose the USSR in Afghanistan.
Their failure there led to the downfall of the Soviet system.
Looking back, the US failure in Iraq and Afghanistan seems to fall at the feet of the current administration.
We are still in Germany and South Korea, but for some reason we were adamant about getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan as quick as we could.
Also, under BHO our policy towards the entire Middle East has been a disaster.
Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen...
No effective policy at all!

As in China, the downfall of Communism was just a matter of time anyway. The Chinese were smart enough to realize that before breaking their own economy down. Now China has a better free enterprise business model than we do and they have a trigger to pull the likes of which the Soviets never had, which is that dumping a trillion dollars or so of bonds, which though it would drain about 15% or so of their reserves, would turn our economy into a train wreck. Come to think of it growth by borrowing started with Reagan too.

[Walks_in_islam]

Originally Posted by n david

So that means you don't have a picture to post? Too bad.

You must have a mind. Here are some statistics to figure out:

Saudi Arabia ranks fourth in having the largest number of foreign manpower worldwide, according to a study published by the Population Division of the United Nations.
The report pointed out that most foreign workers have been living outside their home countries for an extended period of time.

The United States ranked first as the most popular destination for expatriates, with 45.8 million foreigners, followed by Russia at 11 million, Germany at 9.8 million, Saudi Arabia at 9.1 million and the United Arab Emirates at 7.8 million.

That's a lot of people who choose to go work somewhere for such a small country. They have a population of less than a 10th compared to the US but 25% of number of foreign workers. On a size basis, 5 times as many people globally choose to work in Saudi Arabia than in the United States.

In 2012, the country’s population stood at 29.2 million. There were only 19.8 million Saudi citizens in 2012 versus 9.4 million foreigners, showing a slightly more accelerated Saudi population growth rate. Under its ninth five-year plan, the country is striving to make foreigners account for a little over a quarter (26.6 percent) of the total population in 2014.

There is one foreigner living and working here for every (2) Saudis. Now tell me what does your logic say:

1. None of these foreigners practice their religion
2. Saudi Arabia has enough jail space, resources, and time to find and prosecute the ones that do

http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/...try&country=SA

You have Google Earth. Either sit in your living room in whatever dump little town you posted a picture of and imagine what life elsewhere is like or get up and get your own pictures.

Our Lady of Fatima
Alvin Sigua
1st Fahad St.
Khobar, Ash Sharqiyah 31932 Saudi Arabia

Kerala Catholic Charismatic Fellowship-Kingdom
Riyadh
Riyadh 11566 Saudi Arabia

Malankara Catholic Association
Riyadh
Riyadh, Al Bahah 11482 Saudi Arabia

Tamil Catholic Charismatic Fellowship
Riyadh, Ar Riyad ------ Saudi Arabia

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

As in China, the downfall of Communism was just a matter of time anyway. The Chinese were smart enough to realize that before breaking their own economy down. Now China has a better free enterprise business model than we do and they have a trigger to pull the likes of which the Soviets never had, which is that dumping a trillion dollars or so of bonds, which though it would drain about 15% or so of their reserves, would turn our economy into a train wreck. Come to think of it growth by borrowing started with Reagan too.

The next 2-3 years will be very interesting in China, as the economy slows and the struggle of who will emerge as the new Chinese leader heats up.

[Walks_in_islam]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

The next 2-3 years will be very interesting in China, as the economy slows and the struggle of who will emerge as the new Chinese leader heats up.

The chinese probably wont pull that trigger. I am more worried about the countries who have to dip into reserves because of crude prices or other issues starting the ball then forcing the chinese or other bondholders to sell because of falling prices. I believe KSA is holding a trillion or so. We have put ourselves in a very dangerous place where we can fall off the stage and nobody has to fire a shot. Different from the FDR days when we bought our own bonds to fund the war.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

You must have a mind. Here are some statistics to figure out:

Saudi Arabia ranks fourth in having the largest number of foreign manpower worldwide, according to a study published by the Population Division of the United Nations.
The report pointed out that most foreign workers have been living outside their home countries for an extended period of time.

The United States ranked first as the most popular destination for expatriates, with 45.8 million foreigners, followed by Russia at 11 million, Germany at 9.8 million, Saudi Arabia at 9.1 million and the United Arab Emirates at 7.8 million.

That's a lot of people who choose to go work somewhere for such a small country. They have a population of less than a 10th compared to the US but 25% of number of foreign workers. On a size basis, 5 times as many people globally choose to work in Saudi Arabia than in the United States.

In 2012, the country’s population stood at 29.2 million. There were only 19.8 million Saudi citizens in 2012 versus 9.4 million foreigners, showing a slightly more accelerated Saudi population growth rate. Under its ninth five-year plan, the country is striving to make foreigners account for a little over a quarter (26.6 percent) of the total population in 2014.

There is one foreigner living and working here for every (2) Saudis. Now tell me what does your logic say:

1. None of these foreigners practice their religion
2. Saudi Arabia has enough jail space, resources, and time to find and prosecute the ones that do

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

You have Google Earth. Either sit in your living room in whatever dump little town you posted a picture of and imagine what life elsewhere is like or get up and get your own pictures.

Originally Posted by Walks_in_islam

Our Lady of Fatima
Alvin Sigua
1st Fahad St.
Khobar, Ash Sharqiyah 31932 Saudi Arabia

Kerala Catholic Charismatic Fellowship-Kingdom
Riyadh
Riyadh 11566 Saudi Arabia

Malankara Catholic Association
Riyadh
Riyadh, Al Bahah 11482 Saudi Arabia

Tamil Catholic Charismatic Fellowship
Riyadh, Ar Riyad ------ Saudi Arabia

The Catholic Herald states there are no Catholic Churches in Saudi Arabia. Notice only one has an actual street address, and it's under the name of an individual, and is not actually a church building.

Mass can only be celebrated in foreign embassies. There is, I believe, a regular Mass in the Italian embassy in Riyadh, and there are priests in Saudi Arabia, but these live anonymously and discretely.

LIES, right!? I mean, YOU claim there are church buildings around SA (though you refuse to post photos of these buildings). The Catholic Herald must be lying!

There is no Saudi ambassador to the Vatican, because the Holy See and the Saudi Kingdom have no diplomatic relations. This is because the Kingdom refuses to concede freedom of conscience to its subjects and foreign residents, and the Holy See refuses diplomatic relations to such countries.

In case any reader is in any danger of forgetting, in Saudi Arabia it is illegal to celebrate any non-Muslim feast, or to hold any non-Muslim act of worship.

Wait, WHAT?!? It's illegal to celebrate any non-Muslim feast or hold any non-Muslim act of worship?!?

You should contact the Catholic Herald and set them straight on these lies they're propogating. In fact, you should contact the Pope himself and tell him SA is a wonderous, free and tolerant kingdom.

[n david]

All citizens must adhere to Islam, and conversion to another religion is punishable by death. Public Christian worship is forbidden; worshippers risk imprisonment, lashing, deportation and torture. Evangelizing Muslims and distributing non-Islamic materials is illegal. Muslims who convert to Christianity risk being subjected to honor killings, and foreign Christian workers have been exposed to abuse from employers.

Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, created an implication with his assertion. Nettleton explains, "This was in a meeting with Kuwaiti officials who came to Saudi Arabia. They were asking this Islamic official, ‘What should we do about the churches?' His statement was, ‘There should be no Christian churches on the Arabian Peninsula.'"

According to the report, the delegation wanted to confirm Shariah's position on churches. Essentially, Nettleton says, "If you have churches in Kuwait, which they do, they should be destroyed. The interesting thing about this is that there are no churches in Saudi Arabia. There are no church buildings that are allowed to exist there."

Islam is the only religion that is allowed to be practised publically in Saudi Arabia, and the freedom to practice any other religion in public is non-existent. However, the private practice of other religions in Saudi Arabia is allowed, and expats are therefore able to practice their own religion in the privacy of their home or compound. However, the conversion by Muslims to another religion (apostasy) is not allowed, and non-Islamic proselytising, including the distribution of non-Muslim materials such as bibles, is illegal.

There is a very small community of Saudi Arabian Christians, and they practise their religion discreetly, as there are no official Christian churches in Saudi Arabia.

Expat Christians may meet at private church meetings arranged at one of several embassies, while other small groups meet in school halls or at private houses inside expat compounds.

Nina Shea is director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and co-author of Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians. She has a passport with likely more countries stamped on it than you do.

The State Department has long ranked Saudi Arabia among the world's most religiously repressive governments, designating it a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act.

Saudi Arabia is the only state in the world to ban all churches and any other non-Muslim houses of worship. While Saudi nationals are all "officially" Muslim, some two to three million foreign Christians live in the kingdom, many for decades. They have no rights to practice their faith.

Christian foreign workers in Saudi Arabia can only pray together clandestinely. The more fortunate do what I did when I visited three years ago-sneak off to pray in a windowless safe room behind embassy walls.

The official Saudi National Human Rights Commission director Bandar al-Aiban told me that churches are forbidden because the entire country is "a sacred mosque" for Islam's holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina-two cities completely closed to non-Muslims.