A Rose By Any Other Name -- probably isn't a rose?

OOPS!  I just published a post written about two weeks ago that I forgot about...

So here is what I WANTED to post today.

A few days ago, someone posted on Facebook that Muslims aren't wanted in the US because they don't worship God -- they worship Allah.  My first thought was, how ignorant that person was -- and I told her so.

Then I began to think of many ways I could explain the difference.  Shakespeare wrote that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  But apparently if your word for "rose" is different, it's not a rose...

Well, in Maine, we have a sandwich we call an Italian (usually pronounced "EYE-tal-e-an".  It's a longish bread, cut down the middle, and filled with cheese, sliced ham or salami, dill pickles, tomato, onions and black olives.  But the same sandwich in Massachusetts is called a "sub", for "submarine."  And the same sandwich in New Jersey is called a "hoagie."

So that means that they must be three different sandwiches because they have three different names, right?

And a "hot dog" and "frankfurter" must be two different meats.  And "baloney" and "bologna" can't possibly be the same.  And "French Fries" can't possibly be the same in Quebec because there, they are called "Patates frites".

Christians all around the world worship the idea of one God, right?   But ...

Arabs can't worship God because they worship Allah..
Finns can't worship God because they worship Jumala.
French Christians can't worship God because they worship Dieu.
Greeks can't worship God because they worship Theos.
Hebrew-speaking Chistians can't worship God because they worship El or YHWH.
Italians can't worship God because they worship Dio.
Portuguese Christians can't worship God because they worship Deus.
Romanians can't worship God because they worship Dumnezeu.
Russians can't worship God because they worship Bog.
Spanish Christians can't worship God because they worship Dios.
Swahili-speakers can't worship God because they worship Mungu.
Turks can't worship God because they worship Tanri.

I'm sure Christians in these countries, or those who speak these languages can't REALLY be Christians because they don't worship "God".

At least that's what a number of people believe.  They will tell you however, that the only group here that really doesn't worship God is Muslims, because ... Allah.  And the Muslim "Allah" can't be the same as the English "God."  Why don't we make the same distinction with Spanish speaking people, after all they don't worship "God", they worship "Dios, and those can't be the same, right?

It's been too long and I've been too busy!

Working on genealogies of African-Americans here in Boyle County, and transcribing 110 years of marriage records, plus having company, has kept me from thinking too much.

Well, the marriage records are transcribed, and the company has left.  The genealogies will ALWAYS be there, but I can work on those a little at a time. 

So now I can think.

Thoughts for today:

• Obama gets US into anti-nuclear treaty with Iran.
• Trump pulls US out of Iran treaty, says Iran is violating treaty.
• Russia, China, others say, no Iran isn't.
• Trump doesn't listen.
• Iran now feels threatened, positions missiles on ships.
• Trump now says Iran is militarizing and Bolton says Iran is a threat.
• Trump believes Bolton, not the rest of the world.
• US attacks Iran.
• House sits on hands afraid of upsetting Trump.
• Senate investigates Hillary's emails.
• Cut to the future.
• US casualties, hundreds of thousands dead or wounded, Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, and Israeli casualties too many to number.
• Armageddon.
• US Christians can't control their joy at the End of the World...

Plausible?  I think so.  As long as we have a mad man in the White House, and a Congress that is basically letting him get away with whatever he wants, i don't think this scenario is that far-fetched.

Right now, I fear for the future of my daughter and son in law, and grandchildren.