HODGE PODGE

• The U.S. hit targets linked to Iran in eastern Syria. The airstrikes were intended to deter both attacks on American forces in the region and a wider war. ny Times 10/27/23

[Definition: deter: discourage (someone) from doing something by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences]

Does this mean that WE are now at war too?

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• The Texas House voted to allow local police agencies to arrest migrants, a challenge to the federal government’s power over immigration.
• ny Times 10/27/23

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• Representative Dean Phillips, a moderate Minnesota Democrat, is running for president in a challenge to Biden.
• ny Times 10/27/3

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I know what I resolved, and I’m trying to just write for myself too — just backslid a little temporarily, I hope.

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Sorry about the following, too. I just wanted to get some of my earlier research off my “N”. Have included earlier definitions:

What are the five major religions in the world? Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism are considered the five major religions. However, the five most popular religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. Judaism, compared to these, is a fairly small religion. From <https://study.com/academy/lesson/different-religions-world-overview-facts.html>

What are their gods?

CHRISTIANITY: Yahway or Jehova. [Or, I presume, God] — Elohim, the first name of God mentioned in the Bible, emphasizes His role as Creator. In addition to the personal name of God YHWH (pronounced with the vocalizations Yahweh or Jehovah), titles of God used by Christians include the Hebrew titles Elohim, El-Shaddai, and Adonai, as well as Ancient of Days, Father/Abba which is Hebrew, “Most High”. (Also known as “GOD,” I presume)

ISLAM: Allah. The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.” Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah. Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. From <https://www.google.com/search?q=islam+definition+simple&sca_esv=575511268>….Muhammad^[a] (Arabic: مُحَمَّد; c. 570 – 8 June 632 CE)^[b] was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam.^[c] According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.^[2]^[3]^[4] He is believed to be the Seal of the Prophets within Islam, with the Quran as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis for Islamic religious belief.ISLAM Jihad Definition & Meaning The meaning of JIHAD is a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; also : a personal struggle in devotion to Islam (Also jehad) https://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › jihad https://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › jihad …. Its original Charter identified Hamas as the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine and declares its members to be Muslims who “fear God and raise the banner of Jihad in the face of the oppressors.” The charter states that “our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious” and calls for the eventual creation of an Islamic state in Palestine, in place of Israel and the Palestinian Territories,[3] and the obliteration or dissolution of Israel.[4][5] It emphasizes the importance of jihad, stating in article 13, “There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.”[6] The charter also states that Hamas is humanistic, and tolerant of other religions as long as they “stop disputing the sovereignty of Islam in this region”.[7] The Charter adds that “renouncing any part of Palestine means renouncing part of the religion [of Islam]”.[1] The original charter was criticized for its violent language against all Jews, which some commentators characterized as incitement to genocide.[8][9]

BUDDHISM: Siddhartha Gautama was the first person to reach this state of enlightenment and was, and is still today, known as the Buddha. Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment

HINDUISM: Hindu God name: the one supreme god Atman or Brahman has three major forms known as the trinity. All of existence is also a form of god, as he created creation from himself. The Hindu trinity is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are respectively the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe. List of Hindu Gods Hinduism is the dominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. It comprises three major traditions, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, whose followers considered Shiva, Vishnu And Gods from the Vedas, Ramayanaand Mahabharata. Shakti (also called as Devi) to be the supreme deity respectively. Most of the other deities were either related to them or different forms (incarnations) of these deities. Hinduism has been called the “oldest religion” in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as “the eternal law”. From <https://budaipedia.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Hindu_Gods> Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hizballah (the “Party of God”), a Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group, advocates Shia empowerment globally. From <https://www.google.com/search?q=hezbollah+meaning&sca_esv=575511268z>

JUDAISM: Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites

SHINTOISM: “Shinto gods” are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Who is the main god of Shinto? The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto’s most important kami. Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami. In contrast to many monotheistic religions, Shinto does not have absolutes.

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LEBANON definition: country in SW Asia, at the E end of the Mediterranean : formerly a French mandate …

Collins Dictionary (My former dictionary source was in error, saying it was on the W end of the Mediterranean)

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DEFINITIONS

HAMAS — see also ISLAM way above. The Hamas Covenant or Hamas Charter, formally known in English as the Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement, was originally issued on 18 August 1988 and outlines the founding identity, stand, and aims of Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement). A new charter was issued by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal on 1 May 2017 in Doha.

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JORDAN — If your map calls Palestine “Jordan,” then be advised that per Wiki, “In 1946, Jordan gained independence and became officially known in Arabic as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.[11] The country captured and annexed the West Bank during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War until it was occupied by Israel in 1967. Jordan renounced its claim to the territory in 1988, became the second Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, and since supports Palestinian statehood within a two-state solution.[12] From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan> So…Israel…Under the British Mandate (1920–1948), the whole region was known as ‘Palestine‘…. And speaking of Palestine, I read in the Times today that they may be being unfairly maligned.