Posted on 07/01/2007 8:15:01 PM PDT by Kaslin
“Allahu Akhbar” --- God is (the) greatest! was shouted by a man as he swung his fists at an innocent bystander in Glasgow, Scotland. The screamer was involved in a botched attack on that city’s airport. He and his accomplice planned to kill or maim enough UK citizens to release a fresh wave of fear over the nation.
What he lacked in skill he made up for in zeal, and, to a certain extent, he succeeded. After all, he made the front page of most newspapers and was the lead story on most radio and television news programs.
Unholy acts of torture, suicide bombings, and beheadings have become choice methods of religious expression for some Islamic radicals. There have been too many incidents to dismiss these attacks as isolated outbreaks. Only the naïve believe that the flare up of radical Islam is a temporary response to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We ask, “How is it that a tolerant, politically correct society like Britain provokes people to respond to the nation in such a manner?” This is an inappropriate question that presupposes that the West is creating an atmosphere of conflict. A more appropriate query is, “Why is Islam trying to dominate the world again?”
We are observing an age old pattern of Islamic imperialism. This is not the result of U.S. and British foreign policy glitches, alone. These are the pervasive and dangerous manifestations of an ancient ideological war. Traditional-minded Islamic families and mosques are raising a new generation of terrorists as intolerant advocates of jihad. While I would be the first to say not all Muslims are evil, I would be very quick to add that we cannot separate the political aims of Islam from its spiritual goals. Unfortunately, in the name of religious tolerance, western cultures may actually be emboldening a terrorist element in their society.
This past week, terrorism was on the mind of every American traveling overseas. My wife and I were in Greece during the tumult. Modern day Greeks are painfully aware of the nearly 400 years of domination their ancestors suffered under Turkish Muslims. Churches and historic buildings were desecrated during the Muslim occupation of the land. The Greek light of democracy and freedom was snuffed out during a long night of national fear. One of the greatest civilizations in human history lay ravaged and imprisoned by a backward, brutish occupation force that only understood the politics of the sword.
Further, religious intolerance was practiced in Greece just as it is every nation in which Islam has the upper hand. For example, “non believers” paid higher taxes, had no say in the government, and were not free to evangelize others. In some modern nations non-Muslims cannot even enroll in school until they change their Christian names to Muslim names.
Greece was set free because they mobilized a religious revival along with military/political action in 1822. God’s grace helped them overcome horrific odds and turn their nation around. Many people died during Greece’s 400 years of occupation, but until Greek apathy died they were unable to turn things around.
Just one day after Gordon Brown became UK’s prime minister, he had to deal with one of the major threats of the next decade – terrorism and Islamic fascism. It was almost as though his enemies said, “We want the new government to know that they have to deal with us.”
How should the UK and other European countries respond to modern Islamic imperialism? They should be totally intolerant to any immigrant violating their national laws, even in the name of cultural pluralism. Next, countries applying to the European Union, such as Turkey, should demonstrate internal religious liberty and a willingness to accept non-Muslim citizens. Finally, terrorist violence should be punished quickly and fiercely.
Sometimes westerners are so concerned about giving other religions “absolute religious freedom” that they allow these groups to undermine everyone else’s freedom. I have seen video tapes of the kindest looking little Muslim children vowing to kill Americans, Christians, and Jews.
Christians are being jailed internationally for preaching against sexual sins and the gay lifestyle. Conversely, western governments are starting to look the other way as Islamic groups incite terrorism and attempt to set up Sharia law (which violates their nation’s internal laws). Islamic radicals do not feel that our concessions are olive branches of peace; they believe that western governments are so depraved that they should honor the “superiority” of Islam. The west is so afraid of making Muslims mad or appearing racist that they violate basic principles of domestic justice.
The UK experienced God’s grace and divine protection this past week. These attempted attacks should be seen as warnings. Ironically, on the day of these foiled attacks, I stood on the very spot where the apostle Paul brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to Athens. He preached to them about an “unknown God” that had been worshipped in Athens – but not fully understood (Acts 17:23). Perhaps God is telling all of Europe to stop following humanistic and atheistic philosophies. The greatest hope for civil peace in the region, once considered the cradle of Christianity, is to stop acting as though the God of Christianity is unknown to them.
And I wonder who is to blame for this sad state of affairs. You don't suppose it could be our Washington crapweasels do you?
It surely isn’t “us”!
Don’t ask us, ask the one who said, “I AM: I am The Way, I am The Truth, I am The Light. No man (or woman) comes to The Father but by Me.” Here’s a hint: if star trek transporters were a reality and only one man held the ‘go’ key, who could get you in and out of the transporter safely? Talk to Him, not us little folk. And ya know what?... He’s listening for your inquiry! You, your own personal inquiry, He’s listening for you to ask ... and it shall be opened unto you, not me or them, Y O U . Who gets in? Ask the guy with the key to the transporter, madame. He’s the ONLY one with whom you have to deal.
Thanks for the nice post. I'm just glad I've never popped off and posted :)
Just a quick response to the quoted language. Don't let this concept stand in your way because this concept assumes there is no God. If there is a God, He gets to make the rules. Your language quoted above assumes that you get to determine whether the rules are OK. Or, in other words, that you get to determine the rules. This language assumes its conclusion and wraps it up in a soundbite.
Thus, your language assumes the fundamental premise of humanism (man makes up his own rules) but clothes that assumption in an apparent willingness to consider God. But given the assumption, your language is a complete block to belief.
Whether you like God and his rules is a completely different question than whether God exists. Don't confuse them. Frankly, there are parts of Christianity that I would change if I had the power because I don't like them. One of the things I don't like is the same thing that bothers you--Jesus' statement of that "noone comes to the Father but through me," and that "all power of judgement over creation has been given to Me." I would prefer it be different.
But having studied the New Testament pretty closely and the associated history of early Christianity, I'm pretty certain that there was a man named Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God and then backed it up with endless miracles, by dying and coming back from the dead, and by granting miraculous powers to his Apostles. There's no other credible way to explain the New Testament and that history. And I'm a double blind kind of scientist.
Given that, I really have to take what He said seriously, whether I like it or not. So it's me that had to change to get right with God. Not God that has to change to get right with me.
The lesson I took from that is that no matter what your path and no matter how long you put it off, it's never too late, so long as you breath. And that was a good thing for me. I came to the cross kicking and screaming after exhausting all other possibilities.
All you have to do is admit you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness, confess Jesus as the Son of God and ask him in. Life is a lot better the sooner you do that. But it's never too late. It's possible that someday you might want to remember that.
No, I don’t think that we as a Nation will listen.
I’m with you.
read later
You do notice that the attacks in Britian have incresed both in in intensity and frequency.
In a few months, I believe it will be between 24 and 36 months,things wil begin blowing up over here [the U.S.A.] there have already been probes here and there that the Government denies.
You try resoning or co existing with them.
I think they may wait to see who gets elected in 2008.
If it’s a Dem, expect major attacks around Jan. 20, 2009.
I agree.
well said. I too am a believer...
Well, if you prayed like that as a child (and children are closer temporally to His presence than we oldsters), I have zero doubt that He will eventually reaqch you, it’s just a matter of your timing. Peace be with you, enjoy the ride at this the beginning of the eternal journey. You can freepmail me anytime you wish to ‘talk a bit more about it.’ Glad to have you at FR ... brians are such a fun thing to witness in action.
brians??? Brians in action? Bwaahahaha, what a maroon! I meant B R A I N S. Don’t have many apparently.
I read your post #36 and thought it was very nice of you to say that. I thought; “this is an open minded and kind person who is a very good representative of his strong Christian faith and not angry at me for my lack of belief, but sincerely wants to help me see that there might be other possibilities” and I was actually looking forward to corresponding with you further.
I like a good debate and I’m not so arrogant to think that I’ve got to win every argument or that I can’t be persuaded to change my mind.
You and I actually share some core values in that I also respect the rights of the unborn to have life. (Does that surprise you, coming from an Atheist/Agnostic and one who did not always believe so?)
Despite my very deep skepticism concerning god, I do try to keep an open mind. (I think my post #23 made it clear that I deeply regretted what came off as angry and closed minded)
Despite the fact I have never been able to make a deep and lasting spiritual connection to the same god and religion you follow, that doesn’t mean I hate you or think you are stupid. I’ve always looked to the spiritual side of life and I respect those who have found a meaningful and loving faith and practice their faith’s true principals; I just haven’t found any one particular religious path or god-centered belief that I can embrace or one that has yet to embraced me – but just because I’ve not made any connection yet, that doesn’t mean I’m completely un-open to that possibility.
Then I read your post #37 and realized that whatever spiritual path you have chosen, it is certainly not that path I would ever want to take.
You had an opportunity to open a dialogue with me, but instead, you chose to call me a “brainless moron”; an insult that I never extend toward you.
Thanks! And you have a nice day tomorrow. I hope that on this Sunday morning, you find the love, acceptance and spiritually in the church you attend and from the god you believe in; one that that you obviously think I’m too stupid to deserve.
In your post #36 you had my attention for a brief moment, then, with your next post, you completely lost me again.
I know you are not representative of all Christians, but it is people like you and unfortunately all too many that I’ve come across here and elsewhere who keep me turned off.
Um, I am the one who made the spelling error over which the designation of ‘maroon’ was offered. I was laughing at myself in #37 and commenting that making such a stupid spelling error hints I have none of those ‘brians’ needed to prevent the spelling error. But that was a nice piece of ranting you just offered. If you care to take this discussion further, we are not so far apart as readers may suppose. I’m sure you can discuss this topic in a less ‘shoulder chipped’ attitude because, as I tried to state above, ‘brians(sp) are such a fun thing to witness in action.’
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