Where in the world is Macau?

- the DNA of Mystery Babylon -
Post 317

Have you ever even heard of Macau? let's do a short cultural lesson in world civics:
Macau has a long history with rich and varied culture. The recent rapid development of Macau transformed this small island as the Las Vegas of the Orient. Many world class casinos and hotels, resorts have been built by huge investments from other countries.
A little bit of History:
It was the Portuguese who first arrived in the southwest part of the Macao peninsula during the mid 16th century.
Throughout this period of 400 years, the peninsula of Macao became the core of where the Western cultures blended with the East
- Outforadventure Macau (http://outforadventure.us/2013/12/24/macau-travel-guide/).

…Macau’s ever-growing reputation and popularity as a global gambling centre could help make this year an even stronger one for Macau’s gaming sector
- Pokerupdate Macau (http://www.pokerupdate.com/news/industry-and-market-analysis/more-growth-for-macau-gaming-sector-in-january/).

Macau, a special administrative region of China and former Portuguese colony, earned $38bn in casino revenue in 2012, 13.5% higher than the year before.
A Macau casino, owned by the eighth richest man in the US and the single largest donor in the 2012 elections – is suing two mainland Chinese high-rollers over alleged gambling debts worth millions.
Macau's rise to the top of the casino market has been powered by wealthy mainland Chinese gamblers, but the lawsuits highlight the difficulties in collecting debts if they return to the mainland, where gambling is illegal and debts aren't recognized by courts. Both Macau and nearby Hong Kong have separate legal systems from mainland China.
Still, the debts are a drop in the bucket for Las Vegas Sands, which reported net profit of about $350m in the third quarter, with more than 90% of that coming from Sands China; its Macau unit. -
TheGuardian Macau (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/25/macau-casino-sues-chinese-millionaires).

Although best known for gambling, Macau is extremely rich in attractions and oozing with atmosphere, thanks to hundreds of years of fusion between European and Chinese cultures.
Macau is a fascinating place to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics. Besides buildings, there are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau where the people of Macau carry out businesses and work. If the sheer density of humans get to you, take a break and enjoy several pretty gardens or head to the island.
One of the interesting things to see in Macau is a statue of the Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara (known as kwoon yam in Cantonese) located next to the sea near the Sands Casino and MGM Grand. Despite being a Chinese deity, the statue is distinctly European in design and resembles the statues of the Virgin Mary you can find in Europe.
In the 16th Century, China gave Portugal the right to settle in Macau in exchange for clearing the area of pirates under strict Chinese administration. Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. It became Portuguese colony effectively after the treaty signed by the Qing and Portuguese Governments in 1887. It was also the last when, pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal in 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999, ending over 400 years of Portuguese administration.
- Wiki travel Macau (http://wikitravel.org/en/Macau).

So What Makes It So Special?
Macau, also spelled Macao, is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong to the east, bordered by Guangdong Province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south. The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing. The Cantonese people from Hong Kong and Guangdong, especially recent mainland tourism from Mandarin-speaking regions, have boosted the economy of Macau significantly.
A former Portuguese colony, Macau was administered by Portugal from the mid-16th century until late 1999, when it was the last remaining European colony in Asia. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550s. In 1557, Macau was rented to Portugal by the Chinese empire as a trading port. The Portuguese administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred back to China on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. By 2002, it had become one of the world's richest cities. It became the world's biggest gambling centre in 2006.
Under the policy of “one country, two systems” (*1), the PRC's (People’s Republic of China) Central People’s Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy. Macau participates in many international organizations and events that do not require members to possess national sovereignty.
According to The World Factbook, Macau has the second highest life expectancy in the world. In addition, Macau is one of the very few regions in Asia with a "very high Human Development Index”, ranking 23rd or 24th in the world in 2007 (with Japan being the highest in Asia...

(*2)
The Statue of Guanyin, a blend between the traditional images of the bodhisattva Guanyin (*3) and Holy Mary
- Wiki Macau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau).
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Tracking the DNA:
What we find in Macau is a very easily readable sample of DNA that is gently spreading sporadically across the globe at a rate of persistence equal to that of Islam’s more regionally-connected contentious growth. The Revelation 17:7 Beast and Whore are rising at the same time, and presently the Beast has the militant advantage in the experience of a former existence, while the Whore’s advantage is a universal intoxicating likeability. Other current locality of this whorish DNA is; Los Vegas, Hong Kong, Dubai, etc., but let’s focus on the details of Macau in our analysis of DNA identification:

1) "One Country, Two Systems" is a foundational marker, that while speaking specifically of a unique system in China, is far more telling of a specific nature. The nature of this marker is to belong to an entity with one system of governance but be largely governed by another system. This “second husband” is a key element to the Whore State. This is why I liken it to Los Vegas, who, while belonging to the United States of America, seems to have a very none United States system of governance in place; the things done in Los Vegas are both abhorrent and outlawed in the rest of the nation, yet it is overlooked as the nation flees to Vegas to imbibe in her whoredoms where such conduct oddly enjoys immunity from foundational American Law.
Now of course, over time, the draw and success of this whoredom has beaten down the healthy immune system of the other States and we now see her whoredoms spreading to the rest of the nation like a cancer, but this was not originally the case when the cancer could have been easily localized and cut out, but, for mysterious reasons it was not. Dubai, the Los Vegas of the Muslim world, has this same mysteriously tolerated whorish nature.
China, America, and Islam; three great kingdoms with three great centers of whordom having a “second husband” of governance that is tolerated for the lusty advantages it provides. “One Country, Two Systems.”

2) Where the Western cultures blended with the East: While indeed tied, this seems to be nothing more than a re-phrasing of the previous marker, but here we see the significance of how different that “second husband” actually is. This is not a matter of just liking another neighbor better than ones own husband, but this is taking up with an entirely different “everything” while remaining married to the original husband. At this degree, this “second system” falls into the category of changing genders in selecting a second spouse, and here is where we begin to see the mysterious motive behind a husband’s tolerance. This is like a man’s wife bringing another woman into the relationship, where, in spite of her being independently committed only to his wife with a new feminine rule, and that, mostly but not completely outside of his control, he has by osmosis in this quasi-relationship, benefits that greatly appeal to his tolerance toward the distasteful elements of usurpation regarding his functional authority in that part of the house (Zechariah 5:9-11).
The romance of extremes; like homosexuality, girls and vampires, black-and-white couples, or Alaskan’s taking up a second home in the tropics, is the mystery of the unknown culture; it’s the forbidden society on the other side of the tracks; it’s the fruit of the socially forbidden tree if you will.
Similar but different examples; such as divorce and remarriage, brown-and-white couples, or Oklahomans in Texas, are neither so shocking nor so alluring in the exciting “danger” of the strange… until the society places a moratorium on it, like marriage between the infamous Hatfields and McCoys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud).
What we will not here discuss in detail are the complexities, consequences, and/or advantages of crossbreeding these extremes, but genetics will show that great beauty and unusual strength of constitution most always results when possible. This is obviously a good thing… unless the result is a new stronger and more beautiful wickedness! (Genesis 6:1-5).

“And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah” Genesis 26:34-35.

“When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take a wife from thence; and that he…gave him charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan… And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael…” Genesis 28:6,8.

3) The Statue of Guanyin, a blend between the traditional images of the bodhisattva Guanyin and Holy Mary: This additional clear-marker speaks volumes for itself, but investigation will reveal even more. What we have in this idol-- politely called a statue for western acceptance-- is the blending of these two extremes into a chimera of something so well blended that separation becomes nearly impossible. Sure, it’s easy to mentally distinguish a strange pagan idol from a statue of the Holy Mother as you gaze on the strange image, but in the ease of making the distinction do you remember that the Holy Mary is also a pagan goddess in the name of Christianity and these two goddesses have the same loving nature? How do you explain that? and who can decry a culturally strange but harmless representation of unconditional love and compassion; “Who are you to make such a challenge here in our land? Why can’t you just enjoy it?”
So now that the “unconditional” part is established with the benefit of demonizing any argument, we learn that nobody really knows what the gender of this great compassionate one is! Like the all-too-common Asian son turned into an effeminate daughter for commercial value; sometimes it is male and sometimes it is female, so now how does that reflect on the already paganised “Holy Mary” of the western culture relocated with additional complexity in the east?
Like the second woman in the relationship, not his wife, that by independence contends with the male authority; this version of the Catholic goddess Mary can be the man when she needs to be. When needed, her authority even challenges that of her son but in a loving feminine way that is hard to combat! Yet wash away the perceptions of familiarity and this Asian goddess is just another pagan offence to the Maker of all mankind. But your “version” has no clout here, though your religiously-limited Mary and Jesus and God have been re-formatted into universal tolerance and acceptance for everyone but you. Your only options are to buy into this new version, or pick a different god; “How about Kali? No, better yet; Baal, that’s a good god” (Hosea 4:17, Judges 2:13-- just ignore v.14 and stuff~).
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(*1) "One Country, Two Systems", also officially translated as "One China, Two Systems", is a constitutional principle formulated by Deng Xiaoping, the Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for the reunification of China during the early 1980s. He suggested that there would be only one China, but distinct Chinese regions such as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan could retain their own capitalist economic and political systems, while the rest of China uses the socialist system. Under the principle, each of the three regions could continue to have its own political system, legal, economic and financial affairs, including external relations with foreign countries. Taiwan could continue to maintain its own military force.

In 1984, Deng Xiaoping proposed to apply the principle to Hong Kong in the negotiation with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher over the future of Hong Kong when the lease of the New Territories (including New Kowloon) of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom was to expire in 1997. The same principle was proposed in talks with Portugal about Macau.
The principle is that, upon reunification, despite the practice of socialism in mainland China, both Hong Kong and Macau, which were colonies of the UK and Portugal respectively, can retain their established system under a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after reunification. What will happen after 2047 (Hong Kong) and 2049 (Macau) has never been publicly stated.
Chapter 1, Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, reads:

“The socialist system and policies shall not be practiced in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years.”
- One Country Two Systems (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_country,_two_systems).

(*2) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this [photo] document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License" (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License_1.2).

(*3) Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". He is also sometimes referred to as Guanyin Pusa (literally "Bodhisattva Guanyin"). Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhavati.
It is generally accepted among East Asian adherents that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokitesvara. Commonly known in English as the Mercy Goddess or Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists (or Daoists) as an Immortal. However, in folk traditions such as Chinese mythology, there are other stories about Guanyin's origins that are outside the accounts of Avalokitesvara recorded in Buddhist sutras…
Guanyin is an extremely popular goddess in Chinese folk belief and is worshiped in many Chinese communities throughout East and South East Asia…
Guanyin is revered in the general Chinese population due to her unconditional love and compassion.

Some Buddhist and Christian observers have commented on the similarity between Guanyin and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This can be attributed to the representation of Guanyin holding a child in Chinese art and sculpture; it is believed that Guanyin is the patron saint of mothers and grants parents filial children, this apparition is popularly known as the "Child-Sending Guanyin". One example of this comparison can be found in the Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwanese Buddhist humanitarian organization, which noticed the similarity between this form of Guanyin and the Virgin Mary. The organization commissioned a portrait of Guanyin holding a baby, closely resembling the typical Roman Catholic Madonna and Child painting. Copies of this portrait are now displayed prominently in Tzu Chi affiliated medical centres.
During the Edo Period in Japan, when Christianity was banned and punishable by death, some underground Christian groups venerated [statues of] Jesus and the Virgin Mary by disguising them as statues of Kannon holding a child; such statues are known as Maria Kanon. Many had a cross hidden in an inconspicuous location.
- Wiki Guanyin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin).

Hardly Christian conduct or mindframe; We do not worship idols nor need or use in worship images of our Savior or his mother in peace time, let alone at the cost of our lives. But Catholics do, because they are idol worshipers, just like Buddhists. The names they give their idols is insignificant, other than being offensively confusing regarding the Christian faith, who neither worships Mary nor an idol named Mary. So why is it important to blend the two faiths?
Answer: Unity.
And to reject such unifying unconditional love and compassion from the religion of others makes us the bad guy. Only the most anti-social, narrow-minded, intolerant contentious Christian would refuse!
Yet somehow, while it seems most reasonable that we should convert to their faith, it is unthinkably offensive that we should ask them to convert to ours? After all; our Jesus is rejected by the entire world but theirs is loved by all.
Welcome to the unbound emotionalism of the Woman’s Word. You just can’t win that debate.
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