Yes, there is the stuff with Israel, but I am willing to propose the question - or challenge - of why what happens over there with Israel is any interest to the church or to America. Israel, a wealthy, modern society with lots of capable people running their country (whose political structure, society and economy by the way are much more similar to the liberal EU social democracies than our own, and yes Israel made a conscious choice to reject the American model and copy the European one), is more than capable of taking care of its own affairs and should be left to do so. They don’t need an American cheering section, and furthermore if those doing the loudest cheering are evangelical and fundamentalist Christians (whose existence and involvement in the public sphere in this country are the main reason why Jews consistently vote Democratic by more than 3 to 1 margins) they don’t want one either. Instead, they would much rather have the support of liberal and progressive religious and political groups.
There is September 11th, but there is no shortage of groups around the globe who hate this country and desire it harm for any number of political, economic, ideological etc. reasons. Islam isn’t only one, and it isn’t even the most problematic: China and Mexican drug cartels (for example) are far bigger external threats to our economy, culture and stability. Better to work to improve our security in light of this fact - starting by addressing our borders and immigration situation and also stepping back from the interventionist military and foreign policy approach that we have had since World War I - than to get all analytical with why certain folks choose to exercise their prerogatives to hate us.
Unlike the Soviet Union and communism, Islam has been around for going on 1400 years, isn’t going anywhere, and also poses no real threat to America or the western church. (It does pose a threat to Christians in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but it has to be asked why the people who made Islam the #1 enemy of Christianity after 9/11 didn’t do so when millions of Christians were being slaughtered by Muslims in Sudan in the 1980s and 1990s.) With regards to both the western church and America, our main issues and threats are internal.
You asked: “Fascination?”. I’m not sure if I see any fascination w Israel in this filing. I do see a future for national Israel so it does interest me.
You said: “Why what happens over there with Israel is any interest to …. to America?”. Response: Israel is an ally of the US and what touches Israel is impactful to the US.
You said: “Why what happens over there with Israel is any interest to the church?”. Response:
We ought to be concerned about the impact of Islam on the worldwide church and mission field
Countries that are dominated by Islam are countries that are hostile to the Gospel and where believers are persecuted
You said: “There is September 11th.” Response … kind of the 800 pound gorilla in any discussion of radical Islam!
In the film “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray wakes up each morning and relives the previous day.A similar scenario is playing out in the Middle East between Israel and her enemies. The deadly “movie” always goes like this: Israel is shelled or attacked by terrorists groups, often called “militants” by the media, each one with the same goal: Israel’s elimination. After demonstrating considerable restraint of the kind that would never be tolerated by any other nation, Israel fires back.Suddenly, the world awakens from its indifference. World leaders, who said little when Israeli civilians were wounded and killed, now urge “restraint” by “both sides,” as if a moral equivalency exists between victim and predator.
“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.”
Discussion
NewWhile This Is True I Don't Get The Fascination With Islam
Yes, there is the stuff with Israel, but I am willing to propose the question - or challenge - of why what happens over there with Israel is any interest to the church or to America. Israel, a wealthy, modern society with lots of capable people running their country (whose political structure, society and economy by the way are much more similar to the liberal EU social democracies than our own, and yes Israel made a conscious choice to reject the American model and copy the European one), is more than capable of taking care of its own affairs and should be left to do so. They don’t need an American cheering section, and furthermore if those doing the loudest cheering are evangelical and fundamentalist Christians (whose existence and involvement in the public sphere in this country are the main reason why Jews consistently vote Democratic by more than 3 to 1 margins) they don’t want one either. Instead, they would much rather have the support of liberal and progressive religious and political groups.
There is September 11th, but there is no shortage of groups around the globe who hate this country and desire it harm for any number of political, economic, ideological etc. reasons. Islam isn’t only one, and it isn’t even the most problematic: China and Mexican drug cartels (for example) are far bigger external threats to our economy, culture and stability. Better to work to improve our security in light of this fact - starting by addressing our borders and immigration situation and also stepping back from the interventionist military and foreign policy approach that we have had since World War I - than to get all analytical with why certain folks choose to exercise their prerogatives to hate us.
Unlike the Soviet Union and communism, Islam has been around for going on 1400 years, isn’t going anywhere, and also poses no real threat to America or the western church. (It does pose a threat to Christians in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but it has to be asked why the people who made Islam the #1 enemy of Christianity after 9/11 didn’t do so when millions of Christians were being slaughtered by Muslims in Sudan in the 1980s and 1990s.) With regards to both the western church and America, our main issues and threats are internal.
Solo Christo, Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura http://healtheland.wordpress.com
NewFascination?
Responses:
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Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewCal Thomas
Groundhog Day: Middle East version
In the film “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray wakes up each morning and relives the previous day.A similar scenario is playing out in the Middle East between Israel and her enemies. The deadly “movie” always goes like this: Israel is shelled or attacked by terrorists groups, often called “militants” by the media, each one with the same goal: Israel’s elimination. After demonstrating considerable restraint of the kind that would never be tolerated by any other nation, Israel fires back.Suddenly, the world awakens from its indifference. World leaders, who said little when Israeli civilians were wounded and killed, now urge “restraint” by “both sides,” as if a moral equivalency exists between victim and predator.Twitter
Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewThe Hamas charter
http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm
Portion of it:
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“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.”
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Question: How does one negotiate with barbarians?
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Jim's Doctrinal Statement