# Ramadan ## TL;DR - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery. {Galatians 5.1 (BSB)} - If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2.20-23 (BSB)) ## Background #### 2026.08.03 - A few days ago, someone who uses the handle @Jvnior posted on X about how the rest of the world should treat Muslims during Ramadan. As can be imagined, it didn't go well. I can't find the actual post. I suspect it has been taken down. However, there is a copy of it referenced in a post by @skskusa that was posted last night. - There are lots of great replies. However, one jumped out at me because the message was from a Muslim. ## Notes #### 2026.08.03 - The original post by @Jvnior: - During Ramadan, - Please don't eat in front of Muslims. - Please don't' drink in front of Muslims - Please don't' try to sell us food or water. - We will be fasting from sunrise to sundown. - I hope you can understand my clear message. - As of 0541, the reply by @skskusa had received 551.9K views. Here is his reply: - When we were preparing to go to Iraq in 2005 we had an Iraqi who had fled Iraq, and ended up in the employ of the CIA briefing us on culture, and Ramadan came up. - One of the senior officers in the auditorium spoke up quickly, and started to say we should not drink, eat, or smoke in front of Iraqis during Ramadan, to respect their culture. - This CIA dude immediately locks eyes with this officer and asks very loudly - “WHY?!” - The officer was a little caught off guard, and before he could answer the CIA guy started explaining. - “You are American, you are Christian, you DO NOT celebrate Ramadan, and if you don’t carry on as an American during Ramadan it will be seen as weakness. It reinforces their idea that their god is the only true god, and that all others will bow before Islam. - If they don’t offer you a drink when you come to their home, ask for one, during Ramadan! - Make them respect you, or they will attack you more because they see you as weak. - They are asserting their dominance, and if you falter in the slightest they see you as less than them.” - That stuck with me, and it was true. - You could see they didn’t respect the guys who went out of their way to accommodate them, both in the way they acted towards American troops, and in the number of attacks on US Forces in the areas. - Eat, drink, and be Merry, even during Ramadan. - FREEDOM !  - Keep That PMA