It's the End of the World on August 22...

My computer is slowly dying, and hopefully I'll have a new one coming by the end of the week. I've not been blogging very much because it's such a pain with a dying computer, plus some other things have been going on, I didn't have the funds, blah, blah, blah. I've had to liquidate some funds to buy a new computer, as I still haven't been able to pay my bills down to the point where I can save a little bit... but that's coming soon, and I'm very happy about it!

However, it may not matter that I need a new computer, or that I'll pay down my bills, or that the world will continue after August 22, 2006. Since I don't know that much about the inner workings of Shite/Sunni politics or the Koran, who would have thought that the "foot-in-mouth-disease" leader of Iran, Ahmed Ahmadinejad, is alledgedly planning something big on August 22 in order to bring about the 12th Imam and lead the Muslims into glorious... well... whatever glorious something that they want. The 12th Imam, as far as I can tell, is the Islamic version of the 2nd coming of Christ, and I guess if they both show up at the same time, there's going to be a showdown, which will not resemble a hootenanny. (Disclaimer: as far as I can tell, I made the whole thing up about the Battle of the 12th Imam and the Christ. Hootenannys, unfortunately, are very real.)

According to the "Armageddon Cocktail Hour"

August 22 is at the very least an auspicious day for the Shi’ite Ahmadinejad: in that it is the day that Muhammad’s power to create a new Islamic society became manifest, it can be analogized with the beginning of the putative new era of Islamic justice to be ushered in by the Mahdi. As Iran comes out of its period of isolation — its time in the cave — Ahmadinejad’s public statements indicate that he sees himself as an agent of change in the next phase of Islamic development, one in which “the world is standing on the threshold of great development and the Muslims are expected to overcome their aggressive enemies.” Symbolically, it may be that Ahmadinejad sees August 22, the day on which he has promised to respond to Western nations regarding their offer of incentives to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program, as the day on which he begins his own transforming mission.

While Armageddon Cocktail Hour goes on to note the wee differences between the Islamic and Persian calendars as to the possible date in question, a goodly portion of the blogosphere (as pointed out by Boing Boing), predicts that Iran has something up its sleeve for August 22. Some predict a nuclear attack on Israel; others a snub to America. Whatever does or doesn't happen, we are all amping up the rhetoric, and in my opinion, bringing Armageddon on ourselves.

I grew up in Pentacostal Christianity, and the End Times prophecies almost caused me to loose my mind back in the day. I'm convinced there will be no second coming of any Imam or Christ, but that our own mouths and beliefs and headbutting will lead to any sort of Armageddon that may be in store for us.

It's all quite sad, the entire bloody mess we've gotten ourselves into all because a good portion of the world hates the other half and has God on their side to prove it. If the Chosen People are Jews, Christians, or Muslims who are determined to kill each other in the name of their God, then have at it. Personally, I think the Jews have been pretty much just leave us the fuck alone, but Christians keep egging them on and Muslims keep wanting to rid them off the face of the planet.

It's hard out there for a radical when you're trying to prove how great your God is. I came to the conclusion long ago that if God where as vindictive and jealous as was written about him, then I didn't want any part of him. And I've stuck to that, with the occassional dip into the Buddhist pool, which clearly states that it's WE who are full of ego, and our surroundings are reflections of our own egomanical fantasy worlds, like say for instance, making Gods out of our own images. Get rid of the ego, and you'll see the connections of us all. Blow up a Buddha, though, and you can pretend that your God is greater after all.

Alrighty, I'll acknowledge that I'm getting a tad ranty, but I've had it. Whatever the President of Iran does on August 22, if anything in the shape of an explosion, well, have at it. But just remember: the consequences of your action may not bring about the 12th Imam, but it just may bring about your complete and total annihilation. All in the name of "Whose God is Bigger."

I'm sick of this game where absolutely no one wins.