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Showing posts from January 3, 2006

Red States for Bush and Ahmadinejad: Waiting for Armageddon

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(pic via www.gabeanderson.com) One more proof that U.S. President George W. Bush and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad share common values is the news story in the Christian Science Monitor about Waiting for the Repture in Iran For those who believe, the devotion is real. Tears stream down the cheeks of 2,000 men ripe for the return of the Mahdi, the 12th Imam they expect will soon emerge to bring justice and peace to a corrupt world. Eyes stare upward and arms open wide to receive God's promised salvation. The storyteller's lyrical song speaks of tragedy on the path to salvation, prompting cries of anguish and joy. As at a Christian revivalist meeting that promises healing and redemption, many weep as they pray for the Shiite Muslim version of the second coming of the Messiah. "Sometimes I feel they don't need me," says Mahdi Salashur, the religious storyteller, after leading congregants on an emotional late-night journey. "They are wired to God in t