?Questions?

Interesting stats from the Washington times and a few other places:

Russian Military compared to Georgian Military

Us spending stats for Military

Death toll in Iraq

initial uncensored questions just being honest with you and giving you some of my uncensored internal monologue that occurs in my head each time war breaks out...some of the questions may be unfair comparisons some may be very fair...

Has the US been allowed to retaliate on individuals who are loosely related to the culprits of major terrorist attacks and not allow the Russians "their just war" the same? I realize I don't have all the facts or entire history here (i.e. targeting schools or homes...) but at first glance this is what I thought...I'm trying to figure this out and reading credible news sources not only from the U.S. frame of reference but others too for a broader perspective....... Perhaps the Russians feel to best stop terrorism in Russia is to go where it is breeding? (a familiar argument?) When some Russian citizens are killed how come they cannot invade a country where terrorism (ideology other then their own) and nuclear bombs may exist (much more likely then other examples) as at the fall of the soviet empire some 10,000 or so weapons and 6,000 warheads (BBC ARTICLE) exist and some of the where abouts of warheads are a bit sketchy...How come Russia can't change Georgia's government, we change other folks governments all the time? Can we as a nation call other peoples fouls and not our own (old plank in the eye gag)? Has a nation ever apologized to another nation or how often could a nation just say, "my bad" and the conflict would end at that? (as we all know words are powerful things, that's at least the power many religious texts have on people...)? What do Believers in Christ who are in the army on both sides do? What if Jesus followers are fighting Jesus followers? (which is probably the case...)

I'm not saying I know the answers to these questions. I am not trying to get in some political "cheap shots" in, even though it may feel that way as some of these questions hit very close to home. I'm not even tying here to push a political agenda, honest, (as many can attest to!) these are just questions that I think on a daily basis and I would love to hear questions you think about on the matter...Weather I (we) feel it is just, not just or never can be just, death, violence and killing is something as a believer I need to take seriously and always ask questions about (at the very least)

How do I as a believer in Jesus respond? and how do I model by example? How do I (or we) model Jesus?

(obviously asking pointed questions here...In general I believe this violent cycle (often referred to as the Samson Cycle or myth of redemption violence) that any one or group chooses to participate in to be a very bad thing....)

very interested in peoples thoughts here.....trying to incite dialogue....