Christianity in Baghdad

Reports still vary from source to source, but the story seems to be that a Catholic Church (Our Lady of Salvation) was targeted on Sunday by Islamic terrorists tied to Al-Qaida.

They said, 'We will go to paradise if we kill you and you will go to hell' ... We stood beside the wall and they started shooting at the young people. I asked them to kill me and let my grandson live, but they shot him dead and they shot me in the back.

An accusation (that many sources claim to be false) was made by the terrorist that two Islamic woman were abducted, and thus attacks on the Catholic Church would take place until the women are returned. The terrorists state:

We direct our speech to the Vatican and say that as you met with Christians of the Mideast a few days ago to support them and back them, now you have to pressure them to release our sisters, otherwise death will reach you all.

More than 50 were killed in the horrific event that started with over 120 attending Mass at the Church. The armed terrorist came into the church and immediately killed the priest. Some reports talk about others along with the priest being murdered when the terrorist first arrived. People were beaten and herded into a church hall. After four hours, Iraqi security forces arrived. The terrorist detonated their suicide vest killing themselves, and more than 50 others.

I saw at least 30 bodies ... Many appeared to have been blown apart by explosions detonated by the hostage-takers ... They said it was 'halal' to kill us ... They hated us and said we were all going to die.

Pray for these souls, and all of the souls of the faithfully departed. (Some of these recent souls could be martyrs.) Also pray for the our fellow Catholics and priests who will be targeted by these Islamic terrorists.

A country paying off its debt

This coming Sunday (October 3rd, 2010) Germany will pay the last of its debt / war reparations from World War I. On June 28th 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end the war between the German Empire and the Allied Powers. Articles 231-238 of the Treaty involved payment reparations to certain countries. In 1919, this amount totaled approximately $31.4 Billion. Compared with today's dollar value, that amount can equate anywhere from $1900 Billion ($1.9 Trillion) to $5000 Billion ($5 Trillion).

To say the least, this impossible amount of debt had an impact on the German economy. One solution was for the government to print its way out of debt. In a few short years German banknotes had lost so much value, that they were used as wallpaper. This Hyperinflation combined with the effects from the American Depression sent the German economy in a downward spiral.

The German Workers' Party that had formed at the end of World War I changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei) in 1920. The conditions of war torn Germany and its failing economy set the stage for this Nazi party's rise to power.

Anyone reading this should be able to recognize parallels with our current governments economic actions, and what road this may be leading us down.