Posted on 11/21/2001 7:53:40 AM PST by Jeff Head
This letter/note is to all Muslims, and people everywhere caught up in discussion of and debate regarding the 9/11 attacks in America and what it means about those who perpetrated them or supported them. It is also in response to a Ms. Rini of Indonesia, who posted an article/testimonial about herslef entitled, I am a Muslim Woman.
I was raised to believe in and place my allegiance to God, Family and Country. In that order. My God and the One whom I worship and defer to in all things is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for all mankind and who will return to this earth someday (I hope soon). He is a God of mercy, compassion and love who taught us to love those who despitefully use us and to turn the other cheek and forgive others ... He also taught that there are times when men, if they do not already own one, must sell their clothing to buy a sword to defend themselves and their free will with.
I was raised to respect, cherish and defend to the death the principle of free will. I have a firm conviction that free will, exercised within moral constraint, is the single most fundamental principle associated with mankind's ultimate happiness and progress. I believe the single most conducive place for the exercise of that principle in the world (despite its faults) is the United States of America, and I have traveled throughout the world in my engineering profession and come to observe and respect many differnet cultures and peoples.
I was taught (by good parents and through my faith) a tolerance for others, a desire to share my faith with anyone willing to listen, and the understanding that not wanting to listen is a perfectly understandable and acceptable right I should respect in others and hold dear myself.
I married in my early twenties and have (along with my dear wife) raised five children (actually the youngest is twelve and not quite "raised" yet). Each of these five, with minor variations, believes as I believe ... and that is good and is one of the things (in my opinion) that will always keep America strong. I am now 45 and just visited my first grandchild, a grandson born to my oldest daughter who is raising him the same way ... so the circle of life and freedom continues.
We abhor immorality, vice and sin. We abhor the threat of force and compulsion even more.
This is because people cannot truly repent and change for the better when coersed, they must freely choose. Hence, in the Christian faith, (wiith very few exceptions) forebearance, persuasion, teaching and the voice of warning are the tools we are taught to use as opposed to secular law, force and compulsion to win the hearts of mankind. This, when coupled with the basic tennants in American society regarding free will that I already discussed have made for the freest, most prosperous and most tolerant nation on earth.
It has also, regrettably, made for a lot of vice, pornograhpy, drug culture, etc. But we continue to work on that through the means I already mentioned, and through wise (and sometimes not so wise) use of laws when those immoral or sinful activities cross the line and begin to infringe (through force or compulsion) on the rights of others.
I hope this gives people a little flavor of what is underlying in "Christian" America, at least from my perspective living in "heartland" America ... particualrly when it comes to our feelings about the horror of 9/11.
This brings me toan important understanding, that is a critical part of my own testimonial that I related earlier ... a part often unappreciated and misjudged and doubted by those (foreign or domesctic) powers and entities who would use compulsion and violence to change the heritage I just spoke of. That is this ... We WILL fight to the death to defend these principles and visit terrible, just retribution on those who try and destroy them.
So, Ms. Rini, understand that there are millions of Americans who believe God is love too and that He loves us enought to allow us to be free and make our own individual moral choices (when not infringing on others) and to seek to influence others through persuasion and long suffering.
I know there are several hundred million Indonesians and that it is the largest Muslim nation. I also know that there are good and bad amongst all peoples, parties, sects, denominations and religions. I believe your testimony about your beliefs and I wish you God's blessings.
At the same time, and this is VERY critical and germaine to the discussion, there are many, many in the Islamic faith (as we see it) who either approve of what happened in America on 9/11, or are unwilling to condemn it. Please, Ms. Rini, write a codemnation of what happened on 9/11 to supplement your remarks. That would immeasurably help most people posting on this forum and all Americans alike.
We Americans, Christian and otherwise, are very disturbed by a general lack of avowed and open condmentation, with no excuse, by Islamic clerics, both abroad and here in our own country. That is the fuel (along with the burning pyre of the WTC and the Pentagon) that is fueling many of the feelings of rightous indignation you see here.
If you and others truly believe that God is love and that He is merciful yet Just, then go with God and distance yourself from these others who will not condemn such atrocities ... because these others WILL feel our terrible retribution. Not a retribution out of revenge, rather out of Justice and a true desire to never see it happen again.
So, again, Ms. Rinin, I am a Christian man. There are millions here like me ... I am nothing special. I believe what I have related to you is something your people and Muslims everywhere need to hear and understand. Please forward it.
Sincerely,
Thanks for the ping, JH2. I would have hated missing it.
Jeff,
You never cease to amaze. I trust the Head family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. You should chuck your engineering work and pursue a career in speechwriting.
Won't be around for the next week or so. Spending some time chasing whitetails and then will be digging out from all the work that will pile up...
Take care, both of you and yours
He IS LOVE and NOT a pacifist.
LOL,LGE
See John 4:25-26 (to the woman in Samaria), Mark 14:61-62 (to the high priest), Matthew 16:14-19 (to His disciples), John 17 (to the Father in the great intercessory prayer), John 8:56-59 (to the Jews in the Treasury).
On this particular occassion, I just felt moved to share my thoughts and impressions with this particular young lady and anyone else who would read it.
Hopefully things will be resolved in Klamath in January by the government doing the right thing ... but right now it doesn't looking like that will happen without more confrontation. And in these times ... that is a crying shame.
We shall see.
Hope to see you again soon.
Regards.
God bless you for your faith in Him and every good deed done in His name.
Back home now.
Thanks for the huge BUMP.
That is who I speak for ... though, as stated here, and based on my travels around this country over the last 6-8 years involved in various patriotic activities ... I believe there are millions who believe that way despite the growth of the state.
At some point, it will either be turned back, or there will be an unavoidable collission, as surely as the same was the case in the 1760's and early 1770's.
Regards.
Yeah, I'm hip. I've known that "humbling" feeling myself on four previous occasions. I recall the first event most lucidly, as I wondered: "How can this be happening to me? Geez... I'm a Grampa and I'm only 39 years old !!! :-))
And it really doesn't get any better, necessarily, for a number of years! I bought the "terrible twos" line for awhile--my daughter's terrible twos lasted for 10 years. But not to fear, now at 16, she's the nicest person I know. Staying the course and consistency works wonders! The best to you, Geraldine and the wife who thinks you're the best. Life doesn't get much better!
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