Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

February 13, 2008

Today’s Announcement

Congratulations go out to Cynthia Groopman who just published her 500^th piece with Storytime Tapestry.  She has posted more articles/poems here than any other writer/poet for Storytime Tapestry to date.

A Special update and prayer request from our writer/poet Janice Bumbalough Marler, please pray for this fine lady and her family.

She writes: 

Don’t forget to order your copy of Angels Watching Over Me, the story of an ordinary woman facing less than ordinary challenges.  Angels Watching Over Me is a story of family love, sacrifices, poverty and an undying faith that makes heroes out of all of us. Here is the link in case you have forgotten it: http://www.lulu.com/content/964306

Important notice: Storytime Tapestry is a free e-zine, however donations are always needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   You can make your donations to paypal at: winterose@videotron.ca, or if you would prefer to use the mail system contact the publisher at the same email address: winterose@videotron.ca

Today’s Stories

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WHEN RELIGION GOES WRONG

Duane Bates

Recently the CBS program Sixty Minutes ran a segment on the plight of Iraqi Christians still living in Iraq.  Since our invasion of Iraq the minority Christian community has been subjected to increasing persecution, murder, kidnapping of their children and bombing of their churches. They now have to hold services in secret, led by an Anglican priest that is suffering from MS.  Many Iraqi Christians have left the country, but those that remain either cannot or will not leave.

The interview with the Anglican priest was very interesting.  In response to a question from the Sixty Minutes interviewer he stated that before the invasion there was no persecution of Christians and that people of all faiths lived together peacefully in integrated neighborhoods.  In fact, Saadam’s Foreign Minister and later Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, was a Chaldean Catholic. Saadam was a mass murderer, torturer and generally a terrible human being, but his secular government apparently did know how to maintain peace and respect between different religions.

The Anglican priest said the persecution of Christians in Iraq occurred because “Islam has gone wrong”, but he was quick to add that in the past Christianity has also “gone wrong”.  We are all shocked and upset when we see video of Sudanese marching in the street demanding the death of a British schoolteacher working in their country for allowing her seven-year olds to name a teddy bear after their Prophet, but we forget the mass killings and persecutions that have occurred in the name of religion, and as the result of simple prejudice and greed, throughout history. 

The centuries-long persecution of Jews by European Christians that culminated in the Holocaust of WWII, the treatment of indigenous peoples by Islam and Christianity during the age of world exploration and conquest and the murderous treatment of people of different religions and nationalities by the Empire of Japan prior and during WWII are all examples.

If religious and political leaders fail to condemn these types of violent behaviors we can only assume they tacitly approve of them.  In our country the lynching of thousands of African-Americans did not provoke any national outcry for justice until after the Civil Rights laws were passed. 

I believe the persecution of Iraqi Christians is directly related to our invasion because Iraqi Muslims see the invasion not just as an invasion from the United States and England, but as an invasion of Christians, invoking the centuries old conflict between Christianity and Islam.  The Iraqi Christians are now bearing the brunt of the conflicts that began in the Middle Ages and are still, unfortunately, alive and well in the minds of supposedly modern human beings.

Duane Bates

batesduane@yahoo.com

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HATRED

Dr. Harmander Singh

"Do you like apples?” her mother asked knowingly.

"I hate apples,” she replied.

"Do you hate those who eat apples?” her mother was worried.

"Well, I've never thought about it. However, I think that when somebody eats an apple, I feel disgusting. It is silly to eat apples. Is not it?” she expressed.

"Dearly if I say that I hate oranges. What would you say?” her mother asked.

"What! How can you hate oranges? It seems you do not' have the taste and appreciation. Mum, I never knew that you hate oranges. It means when you give me oranges, you add hatred and when I eat it, you hate my eating. Is not it?” she did not like hearing it.

"My child, I do not hate oranges. I just wanted to show you that your hatred is not a creative habit of your liking and disliking attitudes. For this moment, just feel that I hate oranges and you hate apples but we do not hate each other. It is all right?” her mother suggested.

"All right,” she said.

"Bring an apple for your Mum,” she requested.

            She took an apple from the refrigerator and sliced it and after putting salt on it, she brought it to her mother. Her mother prepared a dish of oranges. They ate together. Looking into each other's eyes, they exchanged the plates. In addition, she never hated the apples again.

Daily Moral Insight for a Peaceful Night

Is not it sad that we sometimes use word "hate" without really knowing how it pollutes others and us?

Is not seed of hatred a worst kind of ignorance?

Is not it a beauty of self-awareness to find love in the sad tear of hatred to give it a touch of human feelings?

Is not it a great start-to-start converting hatred into love by means of looking and searching the hidden love in all hearts?

Is not hatred just an expression seeking just a look of love with our awareness of and ignorance about human fellowship and friendship?

Dr. Harmander Singh

bhagouauty@gmail.com

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Poetry Corner

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A Sweet Story About A Cute Little Dog
Cynthia Groopman
In a window of a pet store, on a cold wintery day,
I saw a cut little dog smiling at me in a loving way.
As I opened the store's door, and walked in,
The little dog, in its cage, began to dance round and round in a joyful spin.
In a gleeful circle, he whirled all about,
Singing a welcoming song to me in a merry barking shout.
What do you think I did begin to see,
Well, the little dog began to speak to me.
In a bark, so doleful, he said to please take him home,
Because he felt sad and so very alone.
So, as quick as a wink out of the cage, the little dog did dash,
And out of the store, he ran, in a hurried flash.
Up the street, we did race, as his tail was wagging joyfully,
And sunshine crowned his sparkling canine face.
So, my little dog is name Rover,
And he frolics, does tricks, runs about and rolls over.
When I give him a toy or a chewy bone,
He barks in an elated tone.
And what do you think he does on our daily walks,
Well, he laughs and incessantly talks.
For he is indeed as happy as happy as can be,
As he has enriched my life tremendously.
Copyright ©2005 

Cynthia Groopman

cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

 Readers Feedback

  Re Shadow Sails.                    Gotta love that cat.  What a boy!                   Louise

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Here is our Storytime Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime Tapestry up and running.

Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider, Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd, Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw, Carol Meeks, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad Cardinal,