Good Luck USA
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Jack predicts USA 3 - 0 Iran
The Existence of Hell and the Question of Eternity
"For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10) Introduction There are objections to hell that come from anger. Some objections come from wounded experience. And then some objections come from love, from a refusal to believe that the God revealed in Christ could eternally abandon His creatures. It is the last of these that deserves the most careful listening. Understanding the suffering of hell as a freely chosen separation from God, rather than a divinely imposed torture, has made the doctrine morally intelligible for many Christians. It aligns with the Father who runs to meet the prodigal, who entreats the elder brother, who desires not the death of the sinner but that he turn and live. Yet the difficulty remains. Why must such separation be eternal? Why would freedom be "locked in" at death? Why would the Father ever cease to entreat? What the Church Teaches The Catholic Church teaches that hell is real, that it is eternal, and ...
In the news a day or two ago, I saw the ((Ῐ)) in the middle of the ayatollahs’ flag described as “a symbol of Allah”. Just out of curiosity, does anyone here know whether that is correct? And, if so, what is the backstory? What was its origin and how did it evolve?
ReplyDeleteFrom Wiki:
Delete"[T]his emblem is a highly stylised composite of various Islamic elements: a geometrically symmetric form of the word Allah ("God") and overlapping parts of the phrase lā ʾilāha ʾillā l-Lāh (There is no God Except Allah), forming a monogram in the form of a tulip it consists of four crescents and a line. The four crescents read from right to left; the first crescent is the letter aleph, the second crescent is the first laam; the vertical line is the second laam, and the third and fourth crescents together form the heh. Above the central stroke is a tashdid (a diacritical mark indicating gemination) resembling "W". The tulip shape of the emblem as a whole memorialises those who have died for Iran and symbolises the values of patriotism and self-sacrifice, building on a legend that red tulips grow from the shed blood of martyrs."
(cont)
Delete"Written in white and repeated eleven times on the inner edges of each the green and the red band is the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest) in a stylised version of the kufic script."
Yes, that's correct. It's a sword with four curves, which are highly stylised composites of various Islamic elements. The name 'Allah' is abstracted as the four curves and the shadda (the little crown) on top. Each of the five elements represents different religious principles. The tulip shape commemorates those who died for Iran, following an old Iranian belief that a red tulip will bloom on the grave of a martyred soldier.
DeleteIt was designed in 1980 to replace the Persian Lion and Sun emblem following the Iranian Revolution. Flags carrying the Persian motif have been widely used during the protests, with protesters claiming that it's the 'true flag' of Iran. The media seems to shy away from showing it, though...
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Iran
@Lain and @Happy Jack, thank you both. When I read that news story I was reminded of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, when they tore out the Communist Party symbol and flew the flag with a big round hole in the middle. That’s something we haven’t seen in Iran (yet) …
DeleteRomanians did the same in 1989, cutting the communist insignia from their flag.
DeleteThe flag with the hole in the middle can still be seen here from time to time!
DeleteA tulip? The Iranians are Calvinists? Carl will be all conflicted.
DeleteOn the outlook for today's match, don't forget that Iran are a point up and have the option of playing for a draw — which is what most teams do, given the chance.
ReplyDeleteDidn't the Iranians complain the Americans had depicted their flag with the Allah symbol removed?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the news story I was referring to.
DeleteOnly 5 minutes in, but are England really going to be boring all over again??
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether Southgate told them to take it easy, it's not a game they need to win.
DeleteMy mate says several teams are coasting at the moment, saving themselves for the next round.
DeleteYes it's not as if people have paid thousands of pounds to watch
Delete"Game management."
DeleteWell it was 1 nil USA
ReplyDeleteJack's days as a prophet are over!
ReplyDeleteSo the question is this - how did the US manage to not defeat Wales? And how did Wales manage to lose to Iran, for that matter? Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteThe 'big' question is: How did England not defeat USA?
ReplyDeleteThat's football for you; full of mystery.
Good fortune on Sunday.
Well, one presumes the answer is that the US has achieved parity with England in Soccer. It was inevitable, of course .
DeleteSee you in the final then!
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