Augustine predicted Cheney, Putin, the Taliban, and too many others

“Thus it is that all men want peace in their own society, and they all want it on their own terms.  When they go to war, what they want is to make, if they can, their enemies their own, and to impose on them the victor’s will, and call it a peace.…Sinful man hates the equality of all men under God, and, as though he were God, loves to impose his own sovereignty upon his fellow men.”

Augustine as quoted by Elaine Pagels in “Adam, Eve, and the Serpent.

A Bible for all seasons

The Bible is an amazing collection of history, fables, rules, and wisdom.  Almost anybody can find something somewhere to support their beliefs.  Some believe because the New Testament does not mention instrumental music then there should be no instrumental music in church services.  On the other hand there are many who take the Old Testament to heart to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" with all kinds of instruments.  Thank you, Bach, Handel, Verdi, and many others.

Unfortunately much evil has been done by some interpretations, from the burning of "heretics" to the following:

"John’s visions, throughout the centuries, have been applicable to almost every conflict or fit of us-against-the-world madness. Charles Manson read the Book of Revelation before his followers’ rampages; Hitler, encouraged by Joseph Goebbels, apparently read himself into the narrative as a holy redeemer, while the rest of the civilized world saw him as the book’s beast."

"Into the Apocalypse With an Unruffled Tour Guide: 'Revelations', by Elaine Pagels", Dwight Garner, New York Times, 2012-03-20.