This is a remarkable day in history already!

Image via Wikipedia

I was born on this day in 1935 in Barcelona, Spain. At the time of my birth, my parents, siblings and I were all British subjects.

My parents arrived in Barcelona in May 1923 so that my father could begin his appointment as Assistant Branch Manager of the Royal Bank in Barcelona. By the end of July 1936 my mother, siblings and my nanny Pensa Gomez were on our way to Montmagny QC since a bloody civil war broke out in Spain on July 17-18, 1936. Government forces supported by armed workers fought off Nationalist forces led by General Franco and his brother officers of the Spanish Army in Barcelona and Madrid.

It is an interesting coincidence that today some 72 years later the NY Times reports via AP news:

October 8, 2007

Spain Addresses Civil War, Dictatorship

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:11 p.m. ET

MADRID, Spain (AP) — Spain took a bold first step toward addressing one of its darkest chapters — carving out an agreement that would honor victims on both sides of the Spanish civil war, and the ensuing rightwing dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco.

There is still work to do before the bill, known as the Historic Memory Law, becomes law, but an agreement reached Monday by lawmakers of the ruling Socialists and several smaller parties was a breakthrough after months of deadlock.

Spain’s 1936-1939 civil war left half a million people dead and pitted brother against brother. But dealing with the war’s atrocities and aftermath has been largely taboo, both in the Franco years and since the country returned to democracy in 1978, with many saying they would prefer not to dredge up painful memories.

That could all be about to change.

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A Nation of Christians is not . . .

a Christian nation! Jon Meacham, who is or was managing editor of Newsweek and a thoughtful presence on talk TV wrote a piece in NY Times yesterday that I missed. Here is the Intro:

October 7, 2007

Op-Ed Contributor

A Nation of Christians Is Not a Christian Nation

By JON MEACHAM

JOHN McCAIN was not on the campus of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University last year for very long — the senator, who once referred to Mr. Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance,” was there to receive an honorary degree — but he seems to have picked up some theology along with his academic hood. In an interview with Beliefnet.com last weekend, Mr. McCain repeated what is an article of faith among many American evangelicals: “the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.”

According to Scripture, however, believers are to be wary of all mortal powers. Their home is the kingdom of God, which transcends all earthly things, not any particular nation-state. The Psalmist advises believers to “put not your trust in princes.” The author of Job says that the Lord “shows no partiality to princes nor regards the rich above the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” Before Pilate, Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” And if, as Paul writes in Galatians, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” then it is difficult to see how there could be a distinction in God’s eyes between, say, an American and an Australian. In fact, there is no distinction if you believe Peter’s words in the Acts of the Apostles: “I most certainly believe now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is welcome to him.”