Posted on 11/11/2004 5:07:02 AM PST by truthandlife
Bush said this because he is a Christian. He knows what monster Arafat was, but he gives the authority of vengeance to God, and adheres to the creed that those who are merciful will receive mercy.
This article quotes one of Bush's less apt comments. The President sometimes goes a bit far in trying to befriend the enemies of our country, and in this case, an enemy of all civilization and decency.
Arafat was a disgusting monster. Now he is a good terrorist.
That means, a dead one.
Good riddance Mr. Arafat. The world's a better place without you.
Hmm... I have a different take on Bush's comment. I read it as an unfinished statement, as in, "God bless his soul... because he's gonna need it!"
Certainly, the mind of God is far beyond finite and sinful man to comprehend. But what He chooses for us to know about Him is clearly revealed in His Word. There we can find out that Arafat, and every man, woman and child on earth, is already condemned. The only way to avoid condemnation is to be regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit within, enabling one to trust in the life, sacrifice and resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ, as a substitution for the person's own imperfect life, deserved death and inability to bring life to himself.
So what can we deduce about Arafat? During his public life, he never showed the slightest indication that he might have been a person whose heart was changed by the Holy Spirit, who was endeavoring to become more Christlike. Of course there is the possibility that his repentence and conversion took place on his deathbed, and, if so, then praise God for His mercy. Greater sinners then Arafat have been reclaimed by the power of God's Spirit! But, barring that, we can probably feel safe in concluding that the tenor of his life indicates his condemnation after death.
Oh please stop it! Is "your theology" is so muddled or confused that you can not say with 110% certainty, without stopping to "contemplate", that unrepentant mass-murderers DO NOT make it to heaven?!
And I also reiterate that I will never state I'm sure God will condemn someone to hell. That is hubris beyond what we, as the created ones and not the Creator, are entitled to say. I think it's dangerous territory to begin speaking for God in the area of judgment.
Although humans did eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the devil is a liar and we still cannot tell the difference, especially not when it comes to our own motivations and sinfulness. This is precisely the place where I am thankful for the grace of God in Christ and lay it all at his feet, he who is the final judge and arbiter.
We all saw how Yassir Arafat - THE father of world terrorism, spoke about how bad he felt over the greatest terror attack in the history of humanity - but we also saw how his people, the Palestinains, drunk on their "victory" in Durban, South Africa, went dancing in the streets, giving out sweets, and shooting in the air, to show how happy they were. CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE
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Celebrations in East Jerusalem after Attacks on 9/11 |
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Celebrations in Lebanon after attacks of 9/11 |
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See post #30. Yep. Afraid it's not my call.
Back in 2000, he used a current internet pass-along as a basis for a column.
The Glob editors, while meeting at the RamRod Room, decided it wasn't properly credited, and
put him on unpaid leave through the last months of the 2000 election season.
===This guy nailed it====
Arafat was never crucified
I'm with you on that one, so I prefer to think that Mr Arafat has damned himself for all eternity through his dispicable and unrepentent acts of barbarism against his neighbors.
Bush should have said that Arafat now knows that there is a controlling legal authority....
Christians have traditionally believed that God blesses the faithfully departed. Somehow I think that Pres. Bush meant something else, because "God bless his soul" is a remark typically reserved for a beloved one just departed, or as a warm remark to someone whose just done something nice. I chalk this statement up to a "Bushism", :o)
Yet... it's pretty easy to say that Jesus says that those who reject him are dead already. That he is the only way to salvation. To eternal life. So you just need to know one thing about Arafat to know if he is in heaven or hell. And that one thing is did he know Jesus Christ as his savior?
And I think we all know the answer to that one thing.
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