Cult of Dan Brown: Babylon, your Kingdom is Falling

As it happened, circumstances brought me near a computer (my own!) sooner than I thought, and I'll try to reply to some of the points you raise while I have a chance. Better now than three months later, I think. Especially as some things are about to happen over here now, which are likely to get a lot of people thinking about this.

Rosey O'Ryan wrote:
> "According to the news there has been a civil war raging about your location for the last thirty years!" <

How are you, Rosey (I think I saw you sign as "Rosey Croix", no?)

Your above statement is pretty handy actually, because it can server to show just how complex this whole issue is. For starters, the War over here has never been called a "civil war", but in fact - "the Arab-Israeli Conflict." "Civil war" is usually defined as a war between people who are citizens of the same Nation or State, and this has not been the case over here. So I don't quite know which "news" you refer to, that have been saying this.

I personally may agree with you on this definition, because technically, this is a war between the descendants of the two children of Abraham (from the Bible) - the First Born Ishmael vs. the Heir Apparent Itzhak (Isaac). But neither of the parties to this Conflict would appreciate it being called a Civil War! No way. It has been called an International War, a Racial War, a Historical War, an Ancient War. But Civil War? No, never, not once in History. I would be very happy if you enlighten me otherwise.

As to "thirty years" - I don't readily see what you are referring to either, since thirty years ago in 1975 was actually a time of "relative quiet" around Israel (although only two years after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the toughest war Israel has ever fought. Thankfully I was too young to participate, being only in ninth grade, but I remember well how we spent our school days filling sandbags and building barricades on the road to Tel Aviv, just in case, although of course the fighting never got that close.)

It would have made more sense to say "thirty-eight years", starting from the Six-Day War of 1967, during which Israel occupied the lands which are now called "Gaza Strip" and "Judea and Samaria (or the West Bank)", a move which later gave birth to such fun organizations as the PLO and the Hammas, and in fact had caused our sorry situation today.

Or perhaps "fifty-seven years", as that would take us back to the year of the Israeli Independence in 1948, which sparked an attack by five neighboring Arab Nations (not a Civil War.) Or possibly "a hundred years", as this takes us to 1905 and the days of the First Large Immigration to Israel. Or maybe "eight-hundred years", as this takes us back to the days of Saladin and his big Adversary, Richard the Lion Hearted. Or maybe you mean "four-thousand years", as this takes us all the way back to Abraham, possibly the "real" beginning of this War.

The point is, there is no single definition for this area, which would be "simple". Every single issue is wrought with immense complexity, both physical and moral. So sad, yet so true. That's one of the reasons that this conflict has not been able to get resolved in all this time.

> "Where the hell have you been, Sol?" <

I don't know if I appreciate the tone of this inquiry so much, because I think that it sounds a bit condescending, and appears to imply that I "have not been here", and thus, presumably have no right or knowledge to speak of such things as what's happening in Israel today and so on.

Well, as I said elswhere on these forums, for sixteen years (1981 to 1997) I was an Infantryman in this particular War, risking my very own miserable life for whatever stupid cause my Commanders invented. I do have to admit though, that many of those stupid causes did have to do with bodily protecting my very own family and home. Yet I am not proud of this! Oh, hell no. War is not the way to solve things. Today, I think that I would be prepared to let "the enemy" kill me and my family instead (because that is the choice you have over here. Either kill, or be killed, how very sad, very very sad.) I've become a Taoist Monk nowadays, sorry.

But I feel that my service years do give me the right to speak of these things. Possibly even a greater right, than would have a resident of distant Scotland, who, although an Immortal Highlander, a Rosicrucian, a Druid Priestess, and many other things all in one - but has probably not been over in Palestine for a very long time, and if so - only as a tourist, and not an Active Participant. Do you agree?

> "May I put in a word on behalf of our 'temples'...they have been around for about 7,000 years ( give or take a thousand). Nobody is preparing to storm them yet" <

I have to say, this bit is highly mystifying for me. Did I say anything anywhere about "storming your temples"? If so, I'm sorry! I do not mean to storm anybody's temples, oons no! Just slaughter some holy cows, that's all. Because these aren't "Live Cows" anyway, all Virtual and Imaginary. But they have nothing to do with your "temples"!

And anyway, maybe you're Immortal, but possibly still Young, and one who did not listen to the Lore of her Elders, at that. Your Temples, dear lady, have been around for a hell of a lot longer than seven thousand years. Longer than seven-hundred thousand years even! More like seven million, if we go back to Mu. Or more. What's seven thousand years, a mere breath for an Immortal.

But truly, I do not wish to argue about this. My point was, I do not storm temples. What I do, is I usually make a party outside of one, and eventually all the faithful come out to join me in the Carnival, leaving the Priest to pray to his gods on his own, with nobody to pay his sallary any more...

But! As to your Temples - well. They have already been stormed and destroyed, my friend. And if you don't belive me, then you are no Druid Priestess, and have also not spoken to any Elves for a very long time. Yes, all of "your" (in fact, "our") Temples have been destroyed and left destitute, and not seven thousand years ago, but a hundred and fifty thousand years ago. When what is known as the Cromagnon Man came into being.

My own Temple is the Great Mother, you know, Earth, our Planet. And it is dying as well, very quickly. So it has told me, sorry. So, no more Temples. Only in our Hearts.

> "I remind you of LDV's judgement of humanity : "Miserable mortals, open your eyes." <

Here, I feel for some reason that you are judging me again. Can you please point out to me, where do you think that I have been Blind? Truly, I would like to know. Have I said something to offend you? If so, please accept my sincerest apologies, as this was certainly not the intended meaning. If anything, I tried to become friends with you, because you had struck me as one of the more reasonable and possibly intelligent people on this forum. Didn't seem to work though, did it. Oh well. Or is this just you being friendly? I sure hope so.

> "Here's looking at you kid!" <

That also sounds just a tad paternalistic, yet I take it is a compliment. Thank you very much! It's not very often that a fifty-year old scarface gets to be called "a kid". May I stay one forever, such is my sincerest wish.

All the best to you for now, Rosey O'Ryan. And as to being more lucid in what I say - I'd love to. Which part of what I said would you like me to elucidate, which would not meet with a similar disdain and "acerbic wit" from you?

Sol

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