After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28 — New International Version

Other Easter Posts:
Blogs for Bush
Theodore’s World
Freedom Eden
Freedom Folks
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Nancy Astor: “If I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee.”
Sir Winston Churchill: “And if I were your husband, I would drink it.”

Programming Note: I am heading out to finish a little bit of shopping. Today’s First Cup will actually be an after-the-second-cup-and-I-get-home edition.

DONE!! On with the post —

The Wide Awake Cafe (Laura Lee Donoho) God Will Provide

My prayer is that the Lord of all will shine on this disbelieving, violent world and that the star that rested on Bethlehem will one day illuminate many hard, and harried hearts and show them the way to true Peace. May all the troops in harms way know the very presence of Emmanuel, God with us.

Actually, I think I’ll leave it at that and urge you to read the whole thing.

One of the goodies inside of an Easter basket this morning was the DVD of The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The C.S. Lewis book has been a favorite of mine for years.

I can’t think of a better movie for them to have watched this afternoon than this one. A beautiful allegory, beautifully told.

Today’s First Cup is very simple — He Is Risen!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28 — New International Version

Linked with Resurrection Sunday / Open TrackBacks at basil’s blog.

Nancy Astor: “If I were your wife, I would put poison in your coffee.”
Sir Winston Churchill: “And if I were your husband, I would drink it.”

Captain’s Quarters (Ed Morrissey) Gray Lady Misrepresents FISA Testimony — “The New York Times has panicked into a serious misrepresentation of the testimony given to the Senate Judiciary Committee by five former FISA judges. Power Line looks at the transcript of the committee hearing and discovers that reporter Eric Lichtblau, who predicated his new book on the supposed illegality of the secret NSA terrorist surveillance program, wrote dishonestly about their appearance in yesterday’s hearing.”

Sister Toldjah TIME magazine publishes hit piece on Rahman and the Christian right — “Since when did Rahman become a “poster boy” for the Christian right? Does the Christian left not support religious freedom or something? Is the Christian left not concerned with the fact that a man was nearly put to death over the “crime” of converting to Christianity in a country where our military (and that of our coaltion) has shed blood and lost lives fighting for things like religious freedom?”

The Jawa Report (Bluto) Cynthia McKinney: Why She Punched That Pesky Cop — “Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) allegedly assaulted an officer of the law earlier today, when he failed to recognize her as she rushed past a metal detector. While members of Congress are not required to go through the Capitol metal detectors, they are supposed to present their credentials. McKinney was in too big a hurry to be bothered complying with one of the people who help ensure her safety.”

Michelle Malkin DOCUMENTS OF THE “UNDOCUMENTED” — “Search Google News for the term “undocumented.” You’ll get thousands of hits like these:” [Great visuals. -- Jim]

Blogs for Bush (Mark Noonan) The Death of the Guest Worker Program? — “While the Senate bill on immigration reform has a provision for allowing illegals currently here to remain (in a sort of modified guest worker program), Senator Frist – testing the waters for a Presidential bid and also understanding of political reality – seems to be backing away from support for anything hinting of amnesty.”

Abdul Rahman has found refuge in Italy.

The Afghan man who faced the death penalty after converting from Islam to Christianity flew to Rome on Wednesday after the Italian government granted him asylum. Abdul Rahman, 41, “is already in Italy. I think he arrived overnight,” Premier Silvio Berlusconi said.

The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks ~ Sir James Mackintosh

Right Wing News (John Hawkins) The Pro-Illegal Immigration Rallies — “Here’s the situation in a nutshell: we have illegal aliens, the businesses that hire them, immigrants whose first loyalty seems to be to Mexico, and the democrats who want to turn the illegals into citizens to get more votes being given preference over a much larger group of law abiding Americans who believe, correctly, that we need to secure our borders and that we should not reward people for breaking our laws.”

The Strata-Sphere (AJ Strata) GMU Class of ‘85 and ‘89! — Final Four bound George Mason Alums AJ and LJ Strata let their school spirit show. “We are so proud of you!”

TMH’s Bacon Bits (The MaryHunter) Islam, the Religion of Peace (Part 3) — “So, it seems that the Afghan Abdul Rahman, the Christian convert from Islam who was to be condemned to death, has been saved from execution. But what does this whole episode, from a budding Muslim democracy (no less), tell us about the Islamic countries for which thousands Christian and Jewish soldiers from America, Great Britain, and the West have risked – or lost – their lives, in order to save said countries from evil Islamofascism?”

Spring break started today, so naturally the kiddies are up earlier than they would be if this were a school day. What’s up with that?

While it is indeed good news that the three hostages were rescued today, the utter ingratitude of the organization they represent is appalling.

Let me put this in a way that perhaps the Christian Peacemaker Teams will understand: I am a Christian, not because sin released me, but because Christ rescued me. A not insignificant difference.

Others are saying:

“There’s more than just a little irony in the fact that it was the “illegal occupiers” that this group opposes being there who rescued them.” — Sister Toldjah

“Today, the CPT insulted the U.S. and other Coalition troops who daringly rescued the three peace activists by releasing this announcement. In it they compare the taking of hostages and their subsequent murders to Coalition Forces who detain suspected terrorists” — The Jawa Report

“Many readers note that the CPT statement refers to the hostages’ “release” instead of their rescue.” — Michelle Malkin

Coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drank. — Alphonse Allais

Wizbang (Kim Priestep) Bush: Use Blogs to Spread the Truth About Iraq — “If the truth about the progress in Iraq isn’t getting onto the MSM, then it needs to be communicated throughout the blogosphere.”

In The Bullpen (Chad Evans) U.S. Officials Concerned Iran and Al Qaida are Cooperating — “The Los Angeles Times reports U.S. intelligence is trying to determine what relationship, if any, there is between the Iranian leadership and the known Al Qaida leaders that reside in the nation. Previous reports indicate there could be up to 25 high-ranking Al Qaida leaders inside Iran that are known to reside inside the nation by the Iranian government.”

TMH’s Bacon Bits (The MaryHunter) Away, GOP Gloom! Spring Is in the Air! — “C’mon Republicans and conservatives! Let’s win — not just for The Gipper, but for America.”

Danny Carlton — alias “Jack Lewis” (Danny Carlton) Adbul Rahman, accused Christian — “The latest news is that the Afghani government may be pretending that Rahman is mentally unfit to stand trial. It sounds, though, as if the entire reason to declare him so is that he adheres to his faith as a Christian.”

PoliPundit (Lorrie Byrd) Hillary’s Immigration Sermon — “Preach on Sister Hillary. Just keep on talking and supplying ammunition to Republicans.”

The story of Abdul Rahman, on trial for his life in Afghanistan, is disturbing to anyone who loves the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States. Saturday’s story from Voice of America explains that Rahman is on trial not for becoming a Christian, but for being a “traitor to Islam.” The prosecutor in the case, Abdul Wasi, is seeking a punishment that he says would fit the crime. “Under Islamic law and under the Afghan constitution, he says, the defendant should be executed.”

There are three considerations at play in this case — Societal, Political, and Religious. The three are both intertwined and conflicting.

Looking at the societal aspect I am talking about society as a whole, The Brotherhood of Man if you will. The possibility that Rahman could be executed for his conversion is an abomination to the large portion of the world which believes in religious freedom. True religious freedom, including the right to worship in the way you choose or to not worship at all.

There appears to be a stunned silence from most of the world, a disbelief that someone could loose their life because of the religion they practice. We get rightly outraged at the atrocities committed by radical Islamists, but this event is taking place in court under the umbrella of the laws of a so-called moderate government.

The reaction of much of the world reminds me of own feelings when the shuttle exploded or when the terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center — a conflicting feeling of something so wrong that even the evidence right in front of me could not totally erase the thought that I must be missing something; That something so horrible could not possibly be happening. I believe that a large portion of the world sees this the same way; Something that can’t really be happening in our society.

While the societal aspect is pretty clear cut, the political aspects are more conflicted. On the one hand is the fact that the Afghanistan government is legitimate and has every right to determine their own laws. Our own intervention helped to create the power they now wield.

The United States and all other nations would be offended if Afghanistan attempted to dictate how we should run our affairs. However this does not, and should not, preclude those who see this as an outrageous injustice to speak out against it.

President Bush and Secretary Rice have both made statements saying they are troubled by the implications of this case. Some would argue that being troubled is far to mild, but for the time being I am willing to accept the possibility that additional pressure is being applied behind the scenes. Pressure that puts forward a strong argument against execution and in favor of religious liberty while not undermining the sovereignty of their government.

Finally there is the religious component. Two things strike me in this regard.

First it points out the stark contrast between radical Islam and Christianity. I realize that the Christian religion has it’s own history of atrocities carried out under it’s banner. Not to be glossed over, they are not germane to the current argument.

A highly simplified version of the differences in the two religions can be seen in the way they think about conversion. As a Christian, I see my role in converting others as two pronged. One, to live in such a way as to accurately represent my faith and in doing so to attract others. Secondly, I should be unashamed of my faith and willing to gladly tell others what I believe.

Islam, and the radical elements that control much of it today, follows a violent agenda that seeks to impose their religion on others. All others. The brutality that takes place in the name of Islam is the visible, public face of it’s intolerance. However, the actions of a legitimate government and their court system is, in some ways, scarier than a direct physical assault.

More important than all of this is the life of Abdul Rahman. Via Michelle Malkin come several ideas on how to help.

Write the embassy of Afghanistan:

Ambassador Said T. Jawad
Embassy of Afghanistan
2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
info@embassyofafghanistan.org

Contact the State Department:

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Main Switchboard:
202-647-4000

She also point to a rally being organized for Friday 3/24.

Cam Edwards of OnTap e-mailed me yesterday with an excellent idea–a rally for Abdul Rahman outside the Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the D.C. Freepers, a permit has been submitted to the D.C. police.

[...]

Please join us if you can (and if you can’t, why not organize an event/prayer service/etc. in your own neighborhood?):

Friday March 24
Noon to 1pm
Outside the Afghan Embassy
2341 Wyoming Ave NW.
Washington DC

Our prayers are with Abdul Rahman as this case moves slowly forward. And with those in power who have the ability to make a positive statement about religious freedom and true tolerance.

Linked with the Picnic at basil’s blog and TMH’s Bacon Bits Bacon Break — Under The Radar.

Let me play bird dog this morning and point out some really good stuff.

Jay Tea — Wizbang Speaking truth to pinheads

With the anniversary of the war in Iraq (or, as I like to call it when I’m feeling formal, the Iraq Campaign of the War on Terror), I think it’s long overdue time to actually LOOK at some of the anti-war crowd’s charges and give them the slightest shred of credence, for at least long enough to rip them to pieces.

Which he does.

Mark Noonan — Blogs for Bush The Anti-Liberation Demonstrations Really Did Fizzle

One of the biggest protests was only 6,000 strong? In San Francisco!?!?! Geesh! And by the report it seems just a bunch of ageing hippies…people who showed up for the Summer of Love back in ‘67 and never grew up and got jobs.

Ed Morrissey — Captain’s Quarters American Death Rate In Iraq Lowest In Two Years

Handwringers in the press have turned Iraq into Viet Nam, calling it a quagmire so often that the repetition has become numbing. However, according to a study done by USA Today of military data, the casualty rate for US troops has dropped to its lowest level in two years, while the Iraqi forces show increasing engagement against the terrorists:

And

More Connections Between Saddam And Al-Qaeda

At the same time that leftists would have us believe that Saddam was safely in a “box” and contained by UN sanctions, he had corrupted the UN’s aid program and plundered his own nation for billions of dollars.

Howie — The Jawa Report Christian Man on Trial, Facing Death for Converting from Islam.

I thought Islam teaches Jesus is cool? They are always talking up how much they respect Jesus Christ. Yeah right, they respect him so much they execute Christians!

John Hawkins — Right Wing News Does The GOP Deserve To Retain Control In The Senate?

For — I don’t know — at least, a good, solid three years now, conservatives have been yapping, complaining, and kvetching non-stop about two issues on the domestic front: out-of-control spending and our government’s refusal to take a tough stand against illegal immigration.

Yet, here we are, in an election year and what are we seeing from Republicans in the Senate on these two crucial issues?

Well, that should be enough to get you started on this first day of spring. Go get another cup of coffee and jump in.