Tag: Persecution of Christians

Asia Bibi: Update and Comments

Refugee status for Ms. Bibi has been squashed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, according to CBN. Ms. May is concerned about upsetting British Muslims.

Furthermore, the article states:

“May’s indifference about Bibi has angered many people in the UK. According to the website Jihad Watch, May’s government has welcomed two jihad preachers, who praised the murderer of a man who had broken Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. One of the preachers was even welcomed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. “

In other news on CBN,

“LONDON – Last week’s terror attack by a British-born Muslim proves again that a radical community exists within Britain. Its goal: create an Islamic nation. And there is a quieter force at work that will likely achieve that desire long before guns, bombs and violence.

This is not Karachi. It’s London.

Britain’s policy of mass immigration has brought what one expert calls “demographic upheaval” to the United Kingdom that could change almost everything.”

My Comments

Aid to Pakistan in 2016: 780 million dollars. (USAID) This is a very Seriously Flawed Approach to Helping Our Friends.

If Britain becomes a Nation under Islam, it will have done what Adolf Hitler could not accomplish with bombs.

Perhaps you don’t think it could happen in the United States, even if it were to occur in England. I disagree. Here’s why: Some years ago a “guru” and his followers moved into a small Oregon county. They established residence. They grew. They voted. Voila! They became the power of that county. It worked for only a short time. The “guru” was eventually run out of the county after breaking some laws. His followers fled, too, as I recall, not really having a way to support themselves and stay.

Islam is a religion of peace. Okay. Fine. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway. What exactly does that mean? Does it mean that Islam derived from the Quran supports peaceful relations with all people? Doesn’t exactly look like it to me. Or does it mean that Islam’s peace initiative is making all Infidels (those who are not of Islam) either convert or die?

Interestingly, Christianity, like Islam, has a mandate to make disciples of all people. Convert the lost, is often the way it’s presented. And Catholicism has done its share of forced conversion in the past. But that’s not a directive of the Christian Scriptures. Most Protestant denominations make disciples by offering something that appeals to the would-be convert. Not under force, under threat of death.

Judaism does not, as far as I am aware, have any mandate to convert anyone. Judaism, however, does believe that eventually Israel will become the religious center of the Earth, and all nations will believe and worship the G-D of Israel. The G-D of our L-RD Yeshua (Jesus). I believe this, too. I believe all Israel, all of Judaism, will acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah, as L-RD. Apostle Paul believe this as well.

“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved. . .” [Romans 11:25,26]

Priestly Blessing
Priestly Blessing

 

 

 

Christianity as Religious Extremism

Generally, citizens and guests within the United States of America are free to believe and behave as they please. Constitutional provisions protect various rights, such as freedom of religion. The First Amendment to the US Constitution states in part: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . .” The consequences of such protection has brought about a situation in which two foreign-born men came to America, and have the right to interpret or misinterpret their religion as they please. This interpretation on their part led to the Boston marathon bombing.

For a Christian, there are within the framework of the Bible, various scriptures that self-limit our pure freedoms. Y’shuaJesus taught:

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 19:19

The Apostle Peter spoke about submitting “to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.” (1 Peter 2:13)

It’s all part of balance. We have the right to exercise our religion, and we have the duty to self-limit our rights such that we obey various ordinances that are created by our G-d-ordained government to protect all citizens.

But. There is always a “but,” isn’t there. But our responsibility is first to our Lord, our G-d. We must study His Word to be approved. We must study the Whole Word, not pick and choose from various places to suit our fleshly agendas. Our conduct is to be exemplary. We are to be models as citizens. So we do all we can to be good Citizens of G-d’s Kingdom at the same time juggling the responsibilities and duties of the country in which we reside. We want to also be good citizens in a secular sense, too.

Yet increasingly we, as Christians are told by people who aren’t part of the Lord’s Fellowship, the Lord’s Church, how we are to behave. I’ve spoken of this in the past. It is a bit of an irritant to me to hear, “The Bible Says” this or that, “and you should. . . ”

So this morning I noticed a posting on the Lighthouse Blog that bothered me. It’s more of the same setting of a stage for Christian persecution in the future. It is more defaming of Christians. The beginning of the article is taken from an article on Christian News Network, By Heather Clark:

“Washington, D. C. – Over 40 United States Congressmen have signed a letter calling upon the secretary of the Army to rescind a briefing by an instructor who classified evangelical Christianity and other faiths as “religious extremism” next to Al Qaeda and Hamas.

“As previously reported, the training session occurred a year ago in Pennsylvania, and involved an Army Reserve unit that was receiving training on worldwide religious extremism. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) obtained a copy of the Power Point presentation, which includes a slide that lists 18 religious groups that the instructor deemed to be extremist. While it is not known whether the groups were ordered in relation to their severity, evangelical Christianity appears first on the list, followed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, a group called “Christian Identity,” Al Qaeda and Hamas.

“The presentation had utilized information and data collected by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that classifies “hate groups” throughout the country.”

And then there is a related article to which the website refers:

Obama Administration: We Can and Will Force Christians to Act Against Their Faith The article states that “the Obama administration is claiming that the First Amendment—which expressly denies the government the authority to prohibit the “free exercise” of religion—nonetheless allows it to force Christians to directly violate their religious beliefs.” This article details the fight that a nationwide hobby store is engaging in so that it doesn’t have to comply with the presidential mandate in the health laws to provide birth control and abortions to employees.

Now this presentation that declares Evangelical Christians (are there non-evangelical Christians, really?) as Religious Extremists was initially reported a year ago. And this Hobby Lobby fight has gone on for a while, too. The crux of the matter is that as Citizens of G-d’s Kingdom and citizens of a secular nation we must voice our opposition at times to governmental measures and mandates that go against our religious views. We do this by informing our representatives in the US Congress, and we do it by actions within the legal process, in court.

While Christians may submit to ordinances made by governing administrations, they also may act within their rights, objecting to ordinances they deem unG-dly.

What Christians don’t do is kill and injure people at the Boston Marathon. That’s just plain ol’ evil.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .