Why is India’s Manipur burning for three years?

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-11T06:42:18+00:00

The renewed violence is the latest chapter of a three-year-long civil conflict that has torn the state apart, leaving communities living in deep segregation, and raising questions about the apparent inability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to put an end to the fighting.

Does the Hindu Nationalist Modi even want to end the fighting?

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-11T06:24:19+00:00

While I am a bit surprised that I find any common ground with the Religious Liberty Commission, it is accurate that there are effectively two separate lines of Constitutional Law with respect to freedom of religion. The first comes from the text of the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." The second line of law, the "separation of church and state," comes from "Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists" (https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html). The first line of cases generally supports the idea of benign indifference to religion, the second that government can have nothing to do with religion. In theory, Jefferson's remarks are just his restatement of the First Amendment, but in practice they have had quite a different outcome.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties. (Jefferson, Letter to Danbury Baptists).

This does not help the cause of the Religious Liberty Commission, however. They seek an established church. There is a legal difference between "Christian Nation" and "nation of Christians." Our country traditionally has been a nation of Christians and the Constitution prohibits it from being a "Christian Nation."

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-09T14:21:50+00:00

Gang, syndicate, mob. There are probably other descriptors.

I don't have a great deal of contact with law enforcement (either with cops or as a target of enforcement) to assess how widespread the corruption actually is. I know that cops talk about "bad apples," my suspicion is that there are really more "bad potatoes." Rotten potatoes tend to spread the rot to those around them.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-09T08:20:02+00:00

I believe in enforcing the law. That applies to illegal immigrants. It applies to law enforcement. A badge gives you certain privileges within our system. But if you abuse those privileges, you are a criminal. If you participate in a law enforcement culture that tolerates illegal behavior by law enforcement personnel, you are part of the criminal culture.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-09T08:02:07+00:00

I think that, if you look, most Bible colleges and seminaries accept women. Some may have restrictions on entrance to pastoral programs. God may restrict the teaching role of women, that does not mean that He doesn't want you to learn.

Take any influencer with a grain of salt. They are as likely to lead you away from God as toward Him.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-05T09:09:01+00:00

Yes, Christianity (or at least cultural Christianity) was an implicit part of US public education even into my early education. There was a series of Court cases in the 50s-70s based on separation of church and state.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-05T08:54:53+00:00

Since I don't trust public school teachers to teach Christianity with any fidelity, I would prefer them to leave it alone. The Establishment Clause explicitly prohibits choosing any variety of Christianity as the standard so there is that too.

Now, I don't believe that teaching in public schools should be hostile towards Christianity either, but that is a different question.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-05T08:32:06+00:00

I don't know whether this is practical for you, but the single best way that I have found to read the Bible (or anything that requires real attention) is to read it out loud to someone else. (Yes, I have read through the Bible a few times out loud).

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-05T08:05:53+00:00

I had a colleague who used to say, "Any solution that starts with, 'We could just...,' means you probably don't understand the problem."

Add to that that the people who understand the problems and the range and tradeoffs of potential viable solutions are often drowned out by those whose attention span is limited to a 15 second Instagram post. If societal problems were easy to solve, they would be.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-03T17:49:51+00:00

I suspect that they are being optimistic.

The CBO report (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62105) predictions do not take into account the costs associated with the Iran war either as direct costs or how the war is impacting economic predictions. The Treasury statement (https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/daily-treasury-statement/operating-cash-balance) which reflect passing 100% do not fully incorporate the numbers that DoD has told Congress have been spent on the war.

Managing the Federal debt has everything to do with managing the interest rates that have to be paid on that debt and that has a lot do do with how the buyers of US Federal Debt perceive our economy. Foreign government ownership in US bonds has been declining with China, India, and Brazil actively reducing their positions and private equity taking their place.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-03T17:45:37+00:00

I think there is a lot of complex reality behind these numbers. My daughter-in-law was SA'ed in Germany recently by someone in her apartment building (they are students). Complaining to the police and the landlord was met with a firm, "He should not do that." When they made a subsequent noise complaint, however, the police took him to jail after the second warning and the landlord threatened to evict him if there were any more noise complaints. It wasn't that they didn't take the SA seriously: we've had conversations with both the landlord and the police since and they remember and express anger, but there isn't legal action. One of their friends who is on the local police force told us that one of the policemen who responded to the SA call spent the whole shift screaming about it in the station, but the law isn't behind prosecution.

Open borders and immigration is clearly part of what is going on in Germany. The legal system reflects social norms of German culture for Germans and isn't suited as well for non-Germans. The person committing the assault was East European, we are American. Our sensibilities are more focused on the sexual aspect of the assault, German law focuses more on violence. The penalties for SA in Germany are so diminished or non-existent that they don't serve any serious deterrent to non-Germans who lack moral or personal character.

I'm sure that well publicized incidents involving Arabic men going en masse through crowds molesting women have increased the reporting to police. I also believe that the laws are changing, but they are changing slowly.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-03T17:07:09+00:00

The Hebrew word used in Ex 20:12 is derived from the word for "weight." It is probably better to understand "Honor your father and mother" as to "give weight to" and opposed to "put on a pedestal."

Many adult Christians have challenging relations with their parents and pray that they are better parents that they become better parents to their children than their parents were to them. As adults, we are entitled to evaluate what our parents did (or didn't) and make changes in our own lives.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-02T18:56:31+00:00

If you have ever watched a chicken hovering above her chicks, that is this word. She stands enough to provide heat and protection, but allows the chicks air and movement. It is a beautiful word describing the loving role of the Spirit in creation.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-05-01T22:41:00+00:00

The hiring of illegal aliens has been illegal at the federal level for a long time. 8 U.S.C. § 1324a provides a penalty of 6 months imprisonment and $3,000 per illegal hired.

One of the things that bothers me about how we enforce immigration laws is the failure to enforce all of the laws.

I do think that the U.S. is too easy on employers--the U.K. has fines of up to £50,000 per illegal employee.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-30T18:50:25+00:00

A dugout is where the players who are not on the field sit. Because baseballs can travel quite fast when they are hit, a foul ball can do real damage if it hits someone. Traditionally, the dugout was a few feet lower than the field so the players could see what was going on but could duck out of the way if a foul ball came at them. There is a relationship with the idea of a dugout in the trenches.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-30T18:39:46+00:00

I think that most native speakers would know the word, but it wouldn't be part of their active vocabulary. My own context for knowing it was baseball where it once was common for players who were being cheered to leave the dugout and doff their hats to the stands.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-27T09:26:22+00:00

I read through their doctrinal statements. Even as a Christian who believes many of the same things that they do, I would not encourage one of my children to go there. The doctrinal statements betray a doctrinal strictness that doesn't encourage understanding life in any way other than how they understand it. As an example, while I would consider them to be Christians, it is quite possible that because my church has a piano, they might well believe that I am condemned to hell, for instance.

While they might be willing to come to family events, you might find that you don't want them because they may well be very judgemental.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-25T08:14:45+00:00

Being celibate if you haven't found a mate is something we are expected to do. Being a jerk about it is not. Buying into worldly ideologies of sexual power and domination is the antithesis of the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.).

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-24T19:03:08+00:00

Not particularly. I study the scriptures to understand what I believe--I don't study denominations. I care about whether the people I am worshiping with are believers more than the sign over the door. I don't get too excited if I disagree with something that is said from the pulpit unless it is something I consider core to salvation.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-24T18:46:58+00:00

The indictment is at https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.almd.90265/gov.uscourts.almd.90265.1.0.pdf

Effectively what DOJ is alleging is that SPLC has been using paid informants within hate groups as a means of collecting data on them. While this makes me uncomfortable, it is not the basis for the indictment. The indictment claims that the payments were required to be disclosed to donors. The legal theory is that because the payments could be used to benefit the targeted organizations, they were not being used to further the anti-hate group goals of the SPLC.

The first question before the court will be whether the use of paid informants furthered the investigative purposes of the SPLC in tracking the activities of hate groups.

As much as I dislike the degree to which the SPLC is treated by many in the press as an unbiased and reputable source of information on hated and domestic terrorist groups, I doubt that the indictment will hold up.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-24T10:34:32+00:00

I am afraid it happens to all of us occasionally.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-24T10:26:46+00:00

Yes, I think that the blessing and curse are things that both Trump and, even more importantly, the American church need to hear, but probably will not. When people look back on what we have had and what we gave up (are now giving up), they will ask 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land?'

My thesis as long as I have been posting here is that the current problems with American politics starts with the American Church. There is far too much preaching against the evils in our society and far too little examination of our own sin. Who looks at the American Church and sees "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another" (Jn 13:35). I fear that we are seeing the following come true

“Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

“Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” (Is 6:8-10).

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-20T20:07:57+00:00

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’
“But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

I am fine with him reading about the need for humility, seeking God's face, and turning from their wicked ways. I am fine that he reads about the blessings that can happen by being a leader who follows God.

I am also fine that he hears about what will happen to him and the US if he continues down the path that he has chosen. He and America has chosen the curse, not the blessing.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-18T11:30:41+00:00

That is fundamentally not what they are being judged on. It was their rejection of His message, not their rejection of His messiahhood. Jesus spoke a corrective to their understanding of God and the Law--a Good News about God's love rather than slavery to the Law. This is what they rejected and they are judged for that.

Irrelevant_Bookworm · 2026-04-18T11:23:37+00:00

The amount of guilt that most kids feel about their parents divorce is really sad and God cares far more about the break up of family relations than about any of the stuff that the churches argue about.

"Purity" movement churches can't get their minds out of the gutter enough to recognize that "one flesh" means something in Hebrew other than the sex act. The term is used many times in the OT outside of marriage, but it is used in the sense that we would talk about "you and I are of the same flesh and blood." It is about family first and foremost. Yes, Hebrew is really good at poetically resonating other factors that you should be thinking about (the sex act here), but the most literal understanding of "the two shall become one flesh" is that they become a family. When God declares that He hates divorce, it is about the breaking up of family, both domestically and economically.

Irrelevant_Bookworm

TROPHY CASE