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Why is France so Worried About Religion?

France and some other countries were drawn into a controversy when two students were expelled from school for wearing a head scarf. France widened the ban and proposed a law forbidding the wearing of clothing and symbols openly expressive of religious identity. Besides head scarfs, this law also includes Christian crosses and Jewish yarmulkes. This law caused a wave of reaction. Muslim countries, the United Kingdom , the USA and Germany condemned the law and stressed that its enforcement would cause tension and entrenchment in France . They also asserted that the law was contrary to religious freedom and basic human rights. But, so far, these reactions have not led the French government to retract its decision.

We must not interpret what happened in France only as a ban on religious symbols; the French fear of religion and religous morality goes back a long time. Those who are aware of the development of social culture and church-state relations in France will know that these kinds of initiatives and the resulting controversies are well known in French society. Moreover, this fear is not limited only to Islam and Judaism; the memory of the murder of Catholics during the French Revolution has not yet been erased.

The present shape of church-state relations in France was forged by conflict, hatred, anger and slaughter. This struggle began in the eighteenth century against the Catholic Church with the purpose of diminishing the influence of the Church on society. We can say that during this period, society became distanced from spiritual and religious values and came under the influence of materialist philosophy.

The Age of Enlightenment:

How European Societies Distanced from Religious Values

That period in which materialist and evolutionist ideas gained widespread acceptance in European society, and influenced it in distancing itself from religion, is known as the Enlightenment. Surely, those who selected this word (that is those who characterized this change of ideas positively as a move into the light) were the leaders of this deviation. They described the earlier period as the “Dark Age” and blamed religion for it, claiming that Europe became enlightened when it was secularized and held religion at a distance. This biased and false perspective is still today one of the basic propaganda mechanisms of those who oppose religion.

It is true that Medieval Christianity was partially “dark” with superstitions and bigotry and most of these have been cleared in the post-Medieval age. In fact, the Enlightenment did not bring much positive results to the West either. The most important result of the Enlightenment, which occurred in France, was the French Revolution, that turned the country into a sea of blood. For most of the French intellectuals, the Enlightenment meant purging people’s minds of every religious and spiritual value. Nearly all the thinkers who lived in eighteenth-century France shared this view. The French Revolution was built on this idea of Enlightenment that held sway in France; it was one of the modern world’s most barbarous, merciless and savage revolutions. As soon as the Jacobins came to power after the Revolution, the first thing they did was to bring in the guillotine; thousands of people lost their heads just because they were accused of being rich or religious. One of the leaders of the Revolution by the name of Fouché (his nickname was the Butcher of Lyon) sent a committee headed by three individuals to Lyon to destroy the landed and religious aristocracy there. In a letter he sent to Robespierre, the leader of the Senate, Fouché wrote that the guillotine was operating too slowly and that he was not happy with the slow advance of the revolution. He wanted permission to do a mass cleansing. On the day he received the permission, thousands of people with their hands tied behind their back were mowed down mercilessly by the guns of the revolution.

Today Enlightenment influenced literature praises the French Revolution; however, the Revolution cost France much and contributed to social conflicts that were to last into the twenty-first century. The analysis of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment by the famous British thinker, Edmund Burke, is very telling. In his famous book, Reflections on the Revolution in France , published in 1790, he criticized both the idea of the Enlightenment and its fruit, the French Revolution; in his opinion, that movement destroyed the basic values that held society together, such as religion, morality and family structure, and paved the way towards terror and anarchy. Finally, he regarded the Enlightenment, as one interpreter put it, as a “destructive movement of the human intellect.” 1

The leaders of this destructive movement were Masons. Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, and other anti-religious thinkers who prepared the way for the Revolution, were all Masons. The Masons were intimate with the Jacobins who were the leaders of the Revolution. This had led some historians to the opinion that it is difficult to distinguish between Jacobinism and Masonry in France of this period.

During the French Revolution, much hostility was evinced toward religion. Many clergymen were sent to the guillotine, churches were destroyed, and, moreover, there were those who wanted to eradicate Christianity totally and replace it with a deviant, pagan, symbolic religion called “the Religion of Reason.” The leaders of the Revolution also became victims of this frenzy, every one of them finally losing their heads on the guillotine, to which they themselves had condemned so many people. Even today, many Frenchmen continue to question whether or not the revolution was a good thing.

The anti-religious sentiments of the French Revolution spread throughout Europe and, as a result, the nineteenth century became one of the boldest and most aggressive periods of anti-religious propaganda.

The Struggle Against Religion in France

The role played by Masons in the revolution was admitted by an “agent-provocateur” by the name of Count Cagliostro. Cagliostro was arrested by the Inquisition in 1789, and made some important admissions while under interrogation. He began by stating that Masons throughout Europe had been planning a chain of revolutions. He said that the main goal of the Masons was to destroy the Papacy or to take it over.

Masonry’s mission in France did not stop with the revolution. The chaos that came as a result of the revolution was finally settled when Napoleon came to power. But, this stability did not last long; Napoleon’s ambition to rule the whole of Europe only brought an end to his power. Afterwards, the conflict in France continued between the monarchists and the revolutionists. In 1830, 1848 and 1871, three more revolutions occurred. In 1848, the “Second Republic” was founded; in 1871 the “Third Republic” was established. In 1881, Catholicism ceased to be the official religion of France and in 1988 religious education was completely removed from the education system.

Masons were very active throughout this period of agitation. Their primary aim was to weaken the Church and its religious institutions, destroy the values of religion and the influence of its laws on society, and to abolish religious education. Masons regarded “anti-clericalism” as the center of their social and political activities.

The Catholic Encyclopedia provides important information about the anti-religious mission of the Grand Orient, as French Masonry was known:

From the official documents of French Masonry contained principally in the official “Bulletin” and “Compte-rendu” of the Grand Orient it has been proved that all the anti-clerical measures passed in the French Parliament were decreed beforehand in the Masonic lodges and executed under the direction of the Grand Orient, whose avowed aim is to control everything and everybody in France. “I said in the assembly of 1898,” states the deputy Massé, the official orator of the Assembly of 1903, “that it is the supreme duty of Freemasonry to interfere each day more and more in political and profane struggles.” “Success (in the anti-clerical combat) is in a large measure due to Freemasonry; for it is its spirit, its programme, its methods, that have triumphed.” “If the Bloc has been established, this is owing to Freemasonry and to the discipline learned in the lodges”…”We need vigilance and above all mutual confidence, if we are to accomplish our work, as yet unfinished. This work, you know . . . the anti-clerical combat, is going on. The Republic must rid itself of the religious congregations, sweeping them off by a vigorous stroke. The system of half measures is everywhere dangerous; the adversary must be crushed with a single blow.” 2

The Catholic Encyclopedia continues its account of French Masonry’s struggle against religion :

In truth all the “anti-clerical” Masonic reforms carried out in France since 1877, such as the secularization of education, measures against private Christian schools and charitable establishments, the suppression of the religious orders and the spoliation of the Church, professedly culminate in an anti-Christian and irreligious reorganization of human society, not only in France but throughout the world. Thus French Freemasonry, as the standard-bearer of all Freemasonry, pretends to inaugurate the golden era of the Masonic universal republic, comprising in Masonic brotherhood all men and all nations. “The triumph of the Galilean,” said the president of the Grand Orient, Senator Delpech, on 20 September, 1902 , “has lasted twenty centuries. But now he dies in his turn…. The Romish Church, founded on the Galilean myth, began to decay rapidly from the very day on which the Masonic Association was established” 3

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By the “Galilean” the Masons mean Jesus, because according to the Gospel, Jesus was born in the Palestinian town of Galilee. Therefore, the Masons’ hatred for the Church is an expression of their hatred for Jesus and all monotheistic religions. With the materialist, Darwinist and humanist culture they established in the nineteenth century, they believed that they had destroyed religion and restored Europe to its pre-Christian paganism.

When these words were uttered in 1902, a series of laws passed in France broadened the scope of religious opposition. Three thousand religious schools were closed and it was forbidden to give any religious education in schools. Many of the clergy were arrested, some were exiled and religious persons began to be regarded as second-class citizens. For this reason, in 1904, the Vatican broke all diplomatic relations with France but this did not change the country’s attitude. It took the loss of the lives of hundreds of thousands of French men against the German army in the First World War before the country’s arrogance was tamed and it again recognized the importance of spiritual values.

As The Catholic Encyclopedia maintains, the war against religion, from the French Revolution to the twentieth century, was carried out by “the anti-clerical measures passed in the French Parliament” which “were decreed beforehand in the Masonic lodges and executed under the direction of the Grand Orient.” 4 This fact is clear from Masonic writings. For example, a quotation from a Turkish publication of “A Speech Made by Brother Gambetta on July 8 1875 in the Clémente Amitié Lodge” reads:

While the specter of reaction threatened France, and religious doctrine and backward ideas went on the offensive against modern social principles and laws, in the bosom of industrious, far-sighted organizations like Masonry devoted to the principles of brotherhood, we find the strength and consolation in the struggle against the extravagant claims of the Church, its ridiculous exaggerations and habitual excesses…we must be on guard and continue in the struggle. In order to establish the ideas of human order and progress, let us endure so that our shields cannot be broken through. 5

It will be noticed that Masonic literature consistently presents its own ideas as “far-sighted” while accusing religious people of being “backward.” However, this is merely a play on words. The notion of “the specter of reaction,” mentioned in the above quotation, is something that sincere religious people also oppose, but which Masons exploit to take aim at true religion in their attempt to alienate people from it. Moreover, it must again be emphasized that the materialist-humanist philosophy espoused by Masons is really a superstitious, backward system of ideas, a hold-over of the pagan civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

Therefore, the Masons’ use of terms like “far-sightedness” and “backwardness” has no basis in reality. Indeed, it is unfounded because the conflict between Masons and religious people is nothing more than the perpetuation of the conflict between two ideas that have existed since the earliest ages of history. It is religion that proclaims the first of these ideas: that humanity was created by the will of God and that human beings are responsible to worship Him. This is the truth. The opposing idea, that human beings were not created but live vain and purposeless lives, is the one proposed by those who deny the existence of God. When correctly understood, it can be seen that their use of the superficial terms of “backwardness” and “far-sightedness” has no basis.

By making use of the idea of “progress,” Masons seek to destroy religion. The “Catholic Encyclopedia” states:

The following are deemed the principal means [of freemasonry]:

(1) To destroy radically by open persecution of the Church or by a hypocritical fraudulent system of separation between State and Church, all social influence of the Church and of religion, insidiously called “clericalism,” and, as far as possible, to destroy the Church and all true, i.e., superhuman religion, which is more than a vague cult of fatherland and of humanity;

(2) To secularize, by a likewise hypocritical fraudulent system of “unsectarianism,” all public and private life and, above all, popular instruction and education. “Unsectarianism” as understood by the Grand Orient party is anti-Catholic and even anti-Christian, atheistic, positivistic, or agnostic sectarianism in the garb of unsectarianism. Freedom of thought and conscience of the children has to be developed systematically in the child at school and protected, as far as possible, against all disturbing influences, not only of the Church and priests, but also of the children’s own parents, if necessary, even by means of moral and physical compulsion. The Grand Orient party considers it indispensable and an infallibly sure way to the final establishment of the universal social republic… 6

It can be seen that Masonry has put a program into effect, under the name of “the liberation of society,” whose purpose is to eradicate religion, a program that is still being implemented. This must not be confused with a model that seeks to provide the opportunity for every citizen of whatever religious faith to practice his faith freely. Rather, the model envisioned by Masonry is one of mass brainwashing, designed to remove religion completely from society and the minds of individuals and, if necessary, to persecute its adherents.

RELIGIOUS MORALITY IS THE SOLUTION TO ALL DIFFICULTIES

THE BASIC PROBLEM IS THE ABSENCE OF RELIGION

France ‘s policy of eradicating religion began in the eighteenth century and has continued for three centuries; its result has been to turn the country into a nation that fears religion, religious morality and religious people. In the past few years, and as a result of this process, Muslims and various other members of religious organizations have been assaulted. However, this fear is groundless. Actually, it is not religion, but the absence of religion that should be feared. Religious morality brings peace, well-being, justice and tolerance to a society. In a society where the sense of religious morality is strong, there cannot possibly be violence, degeneration or fear. For this reason, France ‘s fear of religion is unnecessary. In societies where war, conflict, violence and injustice hold sway, there is no religious morality.

In a society far removed from religion, it is inevitable that most people will be selfish, unjust and be lacking in moral goodness. Only the values of religion assure moral perfection for societies and individuals. Those having faith in God conduct themselves responsibly, since they only live to attain the approval of God and know that they will give an account of all their deeds. Fearing God, they cautiously avoid wicked deeds, attitudes and behavior not praised by God. A society dominated by such people becomes one that does not experience social problems.

However, a disbelieving person, failing to recognize that he will ultimately be rewarded or punished for his deeds will set no limit to his evil acts. Despite avoiding certain socially unfavorable forms of behavior, many people do not hesitate to commit other evils when they are urged, encouraged or have an opportunity.

In societies where there is no religion, people become predisposed to commit all kinds of immoral acts. For instance, a religious person would never take a bribe, gamble, feel envy, or lie because he would know that he would have to account for these actions in the hereafter. Yet, someone with no religion is prone to doing all these things. It is not enough for one to say, “I’m not religious but I don’t take bribes”, or “I’m not religious but I don’t gamble”, because a man who does not fear God and who does not believe that he is going to give an account of himself in the hereafter may do any one of these things when the situation or conditions change. A person who says, “I’m not religious but I do not commit fornication” may do so at some place where fornication is considered normal. Or a person who says that he does not take bribes may say, “My son is sick and about to die, therefore I have to take the bribe”, if he has no fear of God.

However, a religious person does not display such immorality, because he fears God and does not forget that God knows his intentions as well as his thoughts.

A person who is distant from religion may say “I’m not religious but I’m forgiving. I feel neither vengeance nor hate,” but one day some untoward event may cause him to lose his self-control and display the most unexpected behaviour. He may attempt to kill or injure someone, because the morality he adopts is one that changes according to the environment and conditions of the place in which he lives.

Yet, one who believes in God and in the hereafter never deviates from his good morals, whatever the conditions or the environment may be. His morality is not “variable” but immutable. God refers to the superior morals of religious people in His verses:

Those who keep faith with God and do not break their agreement; those who join what God has commanded to be joined and are afraid of their Lord and fear an evil Reckoning; those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and attend to their regular prayer and give alms from what We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will attain the Ultimate Abode. (Qur’an, 13: 20-22)

In an environment without religion, the first concept to be eliminated is that of the family. Values such as loyalty, fidelity, allegiance, love, and respect, which sustain the family, are totally abandoned. It must be remembered that the family is the foundation of society and if the family collapses, so does society. Even the state has no reason to exist, since all moral values that underpin the state have been obliterated.

Furthermore, in irreligious societies, there is no reason left for anyone to feel respect, love or compassion for anyone else. This leads to social anarchy. The rich begrudge the poor, the poor begrudge the rich. Anger develops against those who are handicapped or needy. Or aggression towards different nations rises. The workers become aggressive towards their employers and the employers towards their workers, fathers turn against their sons and the sons against their fathers.

The reason for continuous bloodshed and the “third page news” in the newspapers is irreligion. On these pages, every day, we see news coverage about people who heedlessly kill each other for very insignificant causes.

However, a person who knows that he is going to be accountable in the hereafter cannot point a gun at somebody else’s head and shoot him. He knows that God has forbidden men to commit crimes, and his fear of God ensures that he will avoid divine retribution. In the Qu’ran, God commands people to avoid corruption:

Do not corrupt the earth after it has been purged of evil. Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. God’s mercy is within reach of the righteous. (Qur’an, 7: 56)

The existence of the values of religion brings the love felt for God. This love has an overwhelmingly positive and encouraging impact on all people. To earn the approval of God, believers comfort themselves in the most moral way, and love and respect one another. In general, mercy, tolerance and compassion pervade society.

Going in fear of God, people strictly avoid indulging in immoral or evil acts. In this way, every sort of evil which previously could not be prevented comes to an abrupt end. The spirit and warmth of religion fills the air.

In societies where religion does not penetrate, it is an accepted fact that people become rebellious and anarchistic and take up a position against their state. However, for one who lives by the values of religion, the imperatives of the state are paramount. If it is required, one will put his life into jeopardy for these values. For such a person, the interests of his state will always rank above his own interests. They stand up for spiritual values and do their best to defend them.

Under such favorable conditions, governing the state becomes reasonably simple. The country becomes a secure and prosperous place. Administrators of the country treat the citizens fairly and compassionately and thus unjust practices cease. In return, they are respected by the citizens. Such states surely lay their basis on an unshakeable foundation.

In the absence of Islamic morals, the father becomes the enemy of the son, and vice versa, brothers dispute, employers oppress their employees. Factories and firms stop operating due to anarchy and the wealthy exploit the labor of the poor. In business life, people try to cheat one another. Disorder, conflicts and anarchy become a way of life for the members of society. The reason for all this is that people have no fear of God. People having no fear of God feel free to commit injustice, and do not hesitate to resort to extremes of violence and cruelty—even murder. Furthermore, without feeling a pang of conscience, they dare to publicly express their lack of regret. On the contrary, one who is convinced that he could face eternal punishment in Hell would never commit such acts. The morality of the Qur’an renders all such untoward deeds impossible. Everything is handled easily, quietly and in the best manner. No judicial errors occur and, meanwhile, police stations and the law courts hardly find a case to deal with.

The peaceful and comfortable state of mind of people in all walks of life brings prosperity to society as a whole. Scientific research flourishes, hardly a day goes by without a new discovery or a technological breakthrough and the results are used for the good of all. Culture prospers and leaders promote public welfare. This prosperity owes its existence to the human mind being freed of pressure. Once one’s mind is at ease, one develops better thinking ability and this state of mind enlarges the scope for reflection. The consequence is clear and unrestrained use of the intellect. Living by good standards of morality brings prosperity to people; they succeed in their business and commercial lives. Agriculture and industry flourish. In all fields of endeavor, there is true progress.

The solution is evident: to turn to God, the Creator of all beings, and to attain true happiness and tranquility by adhering to the religion God favors for us. God has informed us that salvation in this world is to turn to religion and has given the glad tidings that His sincere servants will not feel fear, provided that they are obedient to Him.

God has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will make them masters in the land as He had made their ancestors before them, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. Let them worship Me, not associating anything with Me. Any who are unbelievers after that are deviators.” (Qur’an, 24: 55)

Therefore, for all the reasons we have given above, French society must look for a solution not in the absence of religion but in the practice of religious morality. The solution to the growing conflicts, increasing violence and economic inequality does not lie in the banishment of religion; quite the opposite: it must be sought in an effort to disseminate religious morality. When a nation fears God, acts according to its conscience and exhibits compassion, mercy and tolerance, there can be no doubt that it will easily uproot violence and degradation in its society.

Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites www.harunyahya.com

1- Pocock, in; Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France , ed. J. G. A. Pocock, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1987, pp. 33-38.

2- Compterendu Gr. Or., 1903, Nourrisson, “Les Jacobins”, 266-271; The Catholic Encyclopedia , “Masonry (Freemasonry)”, New Advent, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm

3- The Catholic Encyclopedia , “Masonry (Freemasonry),” New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm)

4- The Catholic Encyclopedia , “Masonry (Freemasonry),” New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm#VIII)

5- Nur Safa Tekyeliban, “Taassuba Karsi Mucadele” (Struggle Against Bigotry): From the Speech of Brother Gambetta made on July 8, 1875 in Clémente Amitié Lodge,” Dogus Kolu Yilligi: Ankara Dogus Mahfili Çalismalari (Dogus Branch Yearbook: Ankara Dogus Society Studies) , 1962, Kardes Press, Ankara, 1963, p. 19

6- The Catholic Encyclopedia , “Masonry (Freemasonry),” New Advent, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, HARUN YAHYA

Born in Ankara in 1956, Adnan Oktar writes his books under the pen name of Harun Yahya. Ever since his university years, he has dedicated his life to telling of the existence and oneness of Almighty Allah, and to disseminating the moral values of the Qur’an. He has never wavered in the face of difficulties and despite oppression, still continues this intellectual struggle today exhibiting great patience and determination. For mor information pls visit: http://www.harunyahya.com/theauthor.php

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Jordan Maxwell lectures at the Granada Forum in Los Angeles, California. Watch this entire video if you want the hidden truth. WRITE THE TRUTH ON THE MONEY!! Only write on the light border of all your bills, as not to deface them, subsequently keeping them in circulation. Use their own control and tyranny against them. Allow our founding fathers to speak of freedom once again and the paper will leave your hand carrying true value, knowledge. Write things like, “9/11 was an inside job”, etc. anything to get the message out and inspire people to open their eyes. Do not deface the bills as they will be destroyed.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Posted on August 19, 2011 by , Reply

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Posted on August 16, 2011 by , Reply

Cool Freedom Of Religion images

A few nice Freedom of Religion images I found:

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Almighty God hath created the mind free, all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens *** are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion *** No man shall be cmpelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief. But all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.

–Thomas Jefferson, in the Virginia State Religious Freedom (act? declaration?)

Posted on August 15, 2011 by , Reply

Did Americans ever tolerate freedom of religion before the bill of rights was added to the Constitution?

Question by Woman: Did Americans ever tolerate freedom of religion before the bill of rights was added to the Constitution?
Were Americans ever intolerant of different religions before the bill of rights legally allowed freedom of religion?

Best answer:

Answer by pizza369m
I believe that the Puritans in Massachusetts were not very tolerant to other religions.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Posted on August 13, 2011 by , 1 comment

Anti-Americanism — The Radical Religion Of The Left

In card games, the hierarchy goes something like this: Two Pairs beats a pair. 3 of a kind beats 2 Pairs. A Straight beats 3 of a kind. A Flush beats a Straight. A Full House beats a Flush. 4 of a Kind beats a Full House. A Straight Flush beats 4 of a Kind. Finally, a Royal Flush beats a Straight Flush.

In the liberal world view, the hierarchy goes something like this: Free speech beats Religious rights. General Feminist rights (not including abortion) beats Free speech. Gay rights beats General Feminist rights (not including abortion). Environmentalism beats Gay rights. Union rights beats Environmentalism. Abortion rights beats Union rights. Racial Equality or preferences beats Abortion rights. Finally, Anti-Americanism beats Racial Equality or preferences.

Seems ridiculous you say? Tammy Bruce, who was the head of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW), wrote about how she thought that the OJ Simpson case was a prime example of violence against women, and how the OJ case should have been publicized by feminists to generate an understanding of the issue of spousal abuse.

Here was OJ, a man in power, systematically beating his wife and getting away with it. Eventually, of course, his wife wound up dead. The powers that be at NOW, however, didn’t want to use this case as an example of domestic violence. The reason? — It conflicted with the racial aspect. In fact, Patricia Ireland publicly censured Tammy Bruce by name for damaging “political alliances”.

Tammy Bruce also wrote about how rap music routinely objectifies and promotes violence against women. Again, this was not acceptable at NOW. Though the mission of NOW is to promote women’s issues, there is a bigger issue that trumps the main mission of NOW. Hence racial sensitivity, in both the OJ case and in rap music, prevents bringing up and dealing with the very circumstances that NOW is supposedly in existence to deal with! Incidentally, Tammy Bruce, after seeing this hypocrisy, became a conservative.

And who can forget the feminist reaction to Bill Clinton? Clinton was accused of not just having an affair, as with Jennifer Flowers, not just accused of inappropriate behavior and possible abuse of power, as with Monica Lewinsky, but of sexual assault and worse! These accusations came long before anyone ever heard of Ken Starr. Juanita Broaddrick, Eileen Wellstone, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Regina Hopper Blakely, Kathleen Willey, Sandra Allen James, Kathy Bradshaw, Cristy Zercher, Paula Jones, and Carolyn Moffet were some of the women that came forward with assault or harassment accusations. It would be difficult to imagine that each of these women made up these incidents. We’ll never get to the truth behind these accusations because there wasn’t enough of a demand to find out what the truth was.

Time contributor and White House correspondent Nina Burleigh said:

“I would be happy to give him [Clinton] a [crude word for oral sex] just to thank him for keeping abortion legal. I think American women should be lining up with their presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs.”

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So Nina Burleigh seems to accept the fact that Clinton abuses women and is even willing to participate in that abuse because it furthers a bigger cause – Abortion. Hence, in the liberal Hierarchy of Needs, feminism without abortion is separated from abortion as a separate issue and Abortion as a separate issue trumps all other feminist issues.

The “Holy Grail” of the liberal Hierarchy, to be treated with reverence and never questioned, is anti-Americanism. It is the Royal Flush of the left. It is important to define anti-Americanism because people on the left will say that they only want to improve the country; that we are an imperfect people and should always strive to get better. Who would argue with that?

But anti-Americanism, as it has come to be practiced and perfected by the left, is not about improving America, it is about re-making it in a new image. Barack Obama has said himself, on more than one occasion that he wants to “fundamentally transform the United States of America.” If the United States is a good country, does it need to be transformed? – Fundamentally no less?

The anti-Americanism which is at the top of the liberal food chain is rooted in hatred of the history, the morals, the religion, and the very people who created the unique idea of the United States as a country. The most important of these rights is the idea that freedom and liberty are not passed to people from the government but that freedom and liberty are “inalienable” rights. The most unique and beautiful part of the US Constitution is that it doesn’t say what government can do; it says what government can NOT do.

Barack Obama spoke about the idea that there are restrictions on what government can do, and he called it “negative liberty”. But as Bruce Walker said in an article in American Thinker, “How can liberty be anything other than negative? Liberty is the absence of external control.” Obama said that sometimes government needs to do things in order to improve the lot of ordinary people. The problem is where does that idea end? And what should government do and what should it not do? Once you accept government as the solution to problems, then you open the door to tyranny because in order for government to deal with problems for one group of people, it inevitably has to invade the rights of a different group of people.

In a recent survey, about 20% of Americans said they were unsure of Barack Obama’s religion or thought he might be Muslim. Personally, I don’t think Obama is Muslim or that he is a religious man in any traditional sense. His religion is the ideology of his pastor Jeremiah Wright, not that of any actual religious teachings such as the Bible or even the Koran. It is an ideology that says Supreme Court justices can bypass the legislative process. It is an ideology that says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can act without the input of congress. It is an ideology that forces citizens to buy a product they may not want. In short, it is an anti-religious ideology practiced with fanatical religious zeal that has no respect for the traditions of the United States and no understanding of how the country came to generate such unprecedented wealth and freedom.

Perhaps people think Obama is Muslim because he has criticized the New and Old testaments in a way that he has never criticized the Muslim religion. He criticized Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and the Sermon on the Mount by saying that a civilized country can’t be based on such ideas. No religious text has as many violent passages as the Koran but Obama has had nothing but praise for the Muslim religion – why?

In countries that practice strict Muslim law (Sharia law), every doctrine that liberals supposedly hold dear is trampled upon. There is no free speech or freedom of or from religion. A woman is considered at fault if SHE is raped and can be stoned to death if caught committing adultery. Women have their genitals mutilated so that it will be difficult for them to have sex. This way they can fulfill their one real purpose – having babies. Men have the legal right to beat their wives. Women do not even have the right to file grievances in court except under very stringent circumstances. But enough of the wonderful lives women have in these countries, what about gays? At Columbia University, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there are no gays in Iran. He’s probably right – they’ve all either disappeared or kept very silent. In countries that have Sharia law, the rich live in castles, the poor live in tents.

You could go on and on with this but the question is why do Barack Obama and the left feel so at ease criticizing Judeo-Christian values and feel so uncomfortable criticizing the religion of Islam? The answer is anti-Americanism. The United States of America was founded on Judeo-Christian values. The left does not like the United States as it is. In a chicken or the egg scenario, it’s difficult to determine if their dislike of Judeo-Christian values is due to hatred of America or if their hatred of America causes them to have hatred of Judeo-Christian values.

The Muslim religion has constantly criticized the west and America – to the point where many Muslims consider themselves to be at war with the west. Every doctrine held dear by the left is trampled upon by Muslim countries (even moderate ones). Yet the left continues to defend Muslims and blame America. The left seems to share the same anti-Americanism as radical Muslims and that anti-Americanism trumps everything else that they claim to stand for as supposed liberals.

Howard Jacobs
MBA Marketing Pace University
I currently work for a large finacial institution.
I started the blog EndTheChange because I am outraged at the direction our country is going in. People who feel this way want to know “What can I do?” This blog is my little way of trying to set the record straight on the upside-down state of our country. http://endthechange.blogspot.com

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Posted on August 12, 2011 by , Reply

Torn between- the Nation and the Religion: Part II

TORN BETWEEN THE NATION AND THE RELIGION:  part II

 Leaders of Indian freedom of struggle having a substantially large following among the believers in diverse faiths like Hindus Muslims and others did not accept,  the two nation theory propounded by the erstwhile colonisers as such. The masses formally embraced the concept of India -phenomena that had existed in this land for ages but got crystallised during struggle for independence and formalised between 15th August 1947 and 26th January 1950. An idea of a secular Indian republic had taken a shape, and a size that wanted then to follow a socialistic pattern of society,

 Beside the lay citizens, whose thought process comprises ‘not-a-great-concern-about-politics’ as such, sizeable numbers of Muslims knowingly opted to stay back in India and a sizeable numbers of Hindus who knew and understood ‘what-it-means’ to stay in a joint-family (call it a joint-nation) happily adopted it. The concept India being a joint nation, in the minds and hearts of these fellow-people, meant  staying together, allowing everyone and each to be free to follow their own and varied religions, cults, castes, creeds, customs, cultures and what you have yet also meant to stay and undivided as a nation and constantly convinced about: “I am an Indian first”. During those formative years of India, a popular topic for essay-writing in schools used to be “The unity in diversity”       

Decades immediately after the partition did see a period of greater harmony between Indian Muslims and others but for occasional eruptions of religious ego-centric riots and blame for the same is to be shared by local intolerances – when seen objectively and without taking a partisan view.

There was a period when a fruit dealer from a merchant family, Yusuf Khan, spotted by a Devika Rani -a London educated and accomplished heroine and her Russian husband (second)-  had  to be renamed as Dilip Kumar or a Mahajbin Bano, preferred herself to be called as Meena Kumari – lest the Muslim name(s)  would get a lesser acceptance from audience (call it-it acceptance by the Nation). Cut to today no such fear exists. It is all Khans who are the heart throbs of nation. As a nation, India today does not discriminate against Muslims as such and incidentally the editorial board of India Today, a widely read and popular news and analysis magazine, is headed by MJ Akbar as on date.Muslims like believers in any other faith,deservedly, are thus definitely popular with Indian nation, more today than yesterday..

 Gradually, however the globalization of markets including that for semi-skilled and unskilled variety, trade links abroad, improved networking and speedier communications – all very good indicators of human development- did bring and have informational and other proximities that juxtapose and showcase far-better material achievements by Muslims in oil-rich Arab countries, Europe, USA   and other prosperous countries. Even if it is a ‘poor-cousins’ treatment, Muslims from India are preferred over other Indians in oil-rich Muslim countries for manual, menial, low skill and even high-skill jobs. This is evident from the ‘Muslims preferred’ content in the advertisement on behalf of Gulf recruiters and employers, and prominently published in Indian newspapers. An affinity gets generated- a cousin is a brother, always closer to a non-brother or a fakir. Generous contributions from abroad for places of religious worship and charities also provide an abetment to yearning for a better life and thus a discontent with what we have (from the nation) vs what Muslims have elsewhere (from the religion).

 Like in other parts of world, particularly in Europe, certain changes have been visibly happening also in India, to begin with in urban areas. Then similar changes get followed in the country side as well, of course with some little time lag, these changes began subtly and have been getting extenuated with Indian economy markedly expanding to reach outside and that was instrumental to a gradual replacement of socialist (socialistic pattern in case of India) to a market economy ending the isolation, we had from richer industrial economies and oil-rich, smaller but wealthier Muslim economies.Human psychology leads  people not towards  analysing their own compentencies, own decisions, own performances but  fend to find scapegoats on whom to put the blame for one’s lower grades against those achieved by others..     

 Last few decades have been witness to a trend for more and more Muslim youths wanting to form and become more attached to their own communities, where Islam’s values and regulations get greater attention, prominence and also adherence. This may and should be seen as a totally natural phenomenon but for their side-effects that get generated and tend to culminate ultimately to renounce / denounce / deny the concept of India as a nation. And begin to find fault with values that reflect the Indian-ness that we, as Indians, whether Hindus, Muslims and others rather need to cherish- remembering the sacrifices that were made by martyrs of freedom struggle in later centuries and peaceful assimilation of all migrants from India to other countries as also of invader migrants into India in earlier centuries.

 The trend of these changes gives rise a fear in the minds of other Indians – and that term includes even the Muslims in India (call then Indian Muslims but not the Muslim Indians) besides the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and others as the trend poses a challenge to Indian secularity. The trend simply gets reflected in choice or fixation of names even- a students’ union chose to christen itself as Students Islamic Movement of India- rather than Indian Muslim Students Union. The trend has been giving occasion to possibilities of increasing incidences of conflict and brings to fore the necessity on the part of the other Indians including many Muslims, to acquire and carry an excess baggage: the necessity to be armed with requisite anti-conflict skills like conflict-prevention, conflict-avoidance and conflict-resolution- to say the least.

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 The writer once came across a superfine example of an anti-conflict pill, embedded into the age-old Indian-ness. Invited for family dinner by at his residence by a Police official, who happened to have a Rajput ancestor-age, I asked for his pardon stating transparently that following an orthodox Brahmin culture, not only I have been a vegetarian but do not consume even onion and garlic. The reply from proposer-host was disarming: coming from an erstwhile ruler family, his inner family kitchen was kept by his wife as pure to keep the continuity of being in a position to invite Brahmins- and that their non-veg food was still getting cooked only in an outer kitchen and thus we were unhesitatingly welcome to have a family dinner with them. However such examples are becoming rare now- I for one really felt that just for civility, I could have had cited some non-transparent and yet graceful reason for non-acceptance of such an invite to begin with. However that was a greatly pleasant surprise.           

 The trend, referred to earlier, towards narrowing themselves to Islam among Muslim youth, seemingly contributes to anomalies and disturbances in terms of- fragmentation of the larger Indian society (call it insistence on distinctive dress and appearance codes even for non-clergy), ill-effects on education and emancipation (call in gender separation in education, commerce and other public domains), local abatement to external terrorism (call it Indian Mujahidin or SIMI) and even the organised underground criminality.If you wear a distictive dress or name, and therby specifically isolate yourself-is it not a self-designed prelude to blame the system, should you not get selected for some other reason? May be and may be not.   

 It must be stressed that Muslims also (like non-Muslims as well), in India are a group of many diversities. The diversity arises and depends a lot on locale factors of our vast country like varying environment, customs, languages spoken and written, major occupational aggregates besides the intra-Islamic sects.These diversites may be and are also material and contribute to Indian-ness. There is also another pointer of diversity :of  existence of four sub-groups among the Muslims themselves based on their outlook towards life and opportunities:

On the one hand are the normal peace loving Muslims, who but for occasional difficulties (and those also- not of their own volition) that get created- as it may happen in any family or malarial environment- who have liberal outlook. They want to assimilate and cohabitate in the liberal, democratic society- as their fore fathers- have done for ages. This group may also include, now-becoming-rare, situation where two sons from the same parentage, may have allegiance to two separate religions (some few years ago India-Today located some such brothers living in remote interiors in Havana – not at great distance from Delhi). They are generally content and happy with what they get by way of assistance in the form of affirmative action that the politics provides them. Not that, this is because all of them remember that they are just the descendants from ancestors – who opted to convert, or got a conversion to Islam for other reasons.  

 On the other hand, there are some who tend to turn Islamists per se, who want an Islamic society and probably look for a larger piece of pie in the process. They are in pursuit of power .They get aided and abetted to a considerable extent by external forces as also by internal vote-bank politics. Not that all of them see as descendants from the former rulers or ruling class yet they have greater arrogance and a kind of superiority complex.

 Yet other group of Muslims who understand and admire Indian-ness, are aware of strengths and weaknesses of democracy and cognizance thereof, acquire a forbearing nature and forgiving tolerance – and who are self-confident enough and therefore dream to fully integrate in the public pace with the mainstream, and contribute to the secularity and the modernity of Indian society- while keeping at heart the goodness of Islam with them as their personal faith. An example set by Mr Azim Premji (part of the name sounds non-Muslim) is revealed in a statement made by him and quoted here: Only when I am away from India and more so when I visit USA, that I am made to realize that I am a Muslim. Further the same Premji had a very simple and short ceremony with a very small and restricted family gathering for marriage of his son –who chose to select a life partner only in a childhood friend.

In between these three, there always exists a substantially large middle group who accept Islam’s ogmas, but only practice them to a lesser degree. Practice is restricted to personal observances as far as practicable. This group’s care is critical. Unfortunately, however a an increasing number of this group get enchanted with and  have been currently moving more into the hardliner Islamic variety.

Islam like all other religions is a good one and lays emphasis on tenets like sacrifice for poor and down-trodden, purity in thought and behaviour etc. However it is not just a religion like all others.  Islam has set, almost written down rules and even laws and regulations restricted not only to person faith but has its horizon extended to social behaviour: as to how the society and inter personal relationships should behave, should be, how the people need to organize themselves and besides, how these (Islamic) rules can only be implemented in practice. Power- political as also as social force is an Islamic pre-requisite. Fatwa is a case in point. There has to some authority behind a Fatwa. The insistence on its practical implementation becomes feasible only if the Islam has its power in the society.

 Therefore Muslims need to acquire strength. Strong Muslims forces try to influence the form of society and this aspect needs to be carefully watched, understood, moderated and eradicated as necessary. Muslims should have freedom to practice their faith, but it need not mean allowing acquisition of power through methods that are not only not permissible, but are inimical to a democracy. .

Islam’s power shows itself up in many diverse ways. It can be religious Islamists who want to implement their principles. But at the opposite end, it can also be Muslim gangs, who take control of say a neighbour hood, like that in Europe or in an underworld like those in Mumbai or other cities of India- within connections to hinterlands like say in Ajamgarh of Uttar Pradesh. Even if they don’t comply with basic good principles of Islam, it is clear that many of them identify themselves strongly with Islam. It is a matter of analysis  that rise of Shiv Sena of Mahrashtra (now spreading its influence to other parts of the State as also gradually to other states), as a saviour  had in part something to with the ‘protection’ demand that originated from petty shopkeeper sections out of local Marathis, against the ‘Hafta’ that was collected by  underworld of Mumbai- Hafta for Shiv Sainiks is equally bad

Sportsmanship spirit apart, it hurts the national pride, when sweets are distributed in isolated Muslim mohallas in cities like Kanpur, on occasions of Pakistan defeating India in a cricket match and the news about the same spreads as rumours around the city.

While India means and stands for all types of diversities, however non-positive aspects in important life-situations do hurt. Diversity that can be deeply damaging leading to fragmentation and disintegration of society needs to be curbed. Getting a society where there are deep rifts between the population groups undermines one of the most important qualities of a society, namely the trust between people. The distrust and disconnect within the nation does prompt external agencies (sometimes in guise of non-state actors) to use methods that inflict very heavy costs not only on economic development of involved nations (on both sides) but also in terms of human toll and misery. Plural Indian-ness an evolution, India settled for after a long course and history of sacrifices and it will be a tragic decline if we squander away the feel.

Indians insist on the tradition of information and freedom, which applies the same rules, the same demands and the same rights to all (call it Uniform Civil code) and a polite yet firm denial to special Islamic requirements in public space that instigate discrimination. Like Burqa for Indian women folk (in France that voted it out this year despite the vote-bank constraints). Modern India is not a Hindu India and therefore need not be too tolerant for the deeply intolerant features of Islam. It need not allow Indian to torn between the nation and religion for a short term- the Nation has to be a long term player. No gender separation, no male domination over women, no Islamic heads carves in our justice system, educational system, commercial and government institutions and health system any restrictions on freedom of speech.

 Tailpiece: When veteran actor Dilip Kumar met Prime Minister, in wake of Shiv Sena’s demand that he return the award in view of Pakistan’s aggression against India. Atal Behari Vajpayee told him to retain the Nishan-e-Imtiaz conferred on him by Pakistan. The actor told reporters immediately after the meeting with Vajpayee “The PM told me, it is your award, your honor. It is up to you to decide what to do with it. If you want, you can keep it, but nobody can point a finger at your patriotism”. Dilip Kumar, who did not immediately indicate what he intends to do about the award, finally decided not to return the same. Here are the two Indians who set an example to emulate in conflict-resolution.  

 

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Posted on August 10, 2011 by , Reply

Politics and Religion

These are the two words that seem to cause the most conflict in the earth today. On this Independence Day (for Americans) I thought I would share on these two subjects.

Here in the U.S. the Presidential political season is beginning to warm up.  Republicans, Democrats and everyone else are unveiling their, “How I would do it better” proposals to voters across the nation.  Rhetoric, clichés and grandiose promises fill the airwaves, the internet and every other form of media. Some choose to lead with messages of change for a brighter future while others choose to lead with fear of a dismal future. All sides seem to make valid points at some point in their speech and all sides also seem to say things that cause your eyebrows to rise in disbelief.  There are many issues that candidates and parties choose to champion or oppose; some of them with clear biblical guidelines and others coming in the form of preferred style and form of government. 

Is there a candidate, cause or set of issues that we as followers of Christ should be behind? Should our faith in Christ be the key influencer of our selections in the ballot box? Can we separate moral, social, financial and political agendas to justify our selection and support?  Is there guidance from scripture concerning our participation in the civil arena?

Let’s try to break this down into a few different sections and then pull it all together at the end. I want to look at the moral side of politics; i.e., the issues that will appear on the ballot and the key moral issues that candidates pledge their support or opposition for. I want to look at taxes, governmental size and style.  I also want to look at our obligation as Christians to be involved in the affairs of our society.  As always, I will use scripture to illustrate the points that I make.

Before we move any further I think it is important to say that the God of the Bible is not a member of a political party.  The God of the Bible does not have an earthly nationality. The God of the Bible’s rule supersedes the governments of our nations (Psalm 24:1). As followers of Christ we have been called from every nation on earth (Revelation 5:9).  We are the church; the Ecclesia – and our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Our call as followers of Jesus Christ is to establish the Kingdom of God here on the earth through the preaching of the Gospel.  We are not call to build a nation but a nation within the nations.  Our movement is not a movement of people in the political arena but a movement of people towards God.

Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)

The Bible predicts that Christ will establish a theocratic government at His second advent (Revelation 19). The New Testament does not speak of a Christian nation or a Christian government prior to this event.  The governmental systems of our nations can never establish the church nor can they further the cause of Christ.  As believers we cannot look to elected officials or propositions on a ballot to bring men and women to belief in Christ. Conversely the governments of our nations have the ability to create freedom to preach the gospel without persecution or prosecution or they have the ability to impede or outlaw the free exercise of our faith.  It is to this goal that we as followers of Christ must work civilly and prayerfully to either maintain or secure; to ensure that the gospel of Jesus Christ may be freely preached in our nation.

Moral & Social Issues

Morality is a term that is often overused or misused in public discourse today.  There is no end of debate on what is right and wrong or even if there is a right or wrong. There are causes for and against multiple issues that scripture provides clear direction on.  It is these types of scenarios that we as followers of Christ must find ourselves agreeing with the Word of God when we stand in the ballot box to cast our votes.

One of the most relevant scriptures on this subject is found in Second John:

If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work. (2 John 10-11)

As followers of Christ we cannot support candidates, propositions or policies that violate the truth of God’s word and declare that which the Bible teaches to be sin to be OK.

Governmental Issues

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There are no political candidates who represent a complete biblical worldview and far too often we are forced to elect the lesser of two evils. It is in these times that we must still stand for what is righteous, what is good and what is true. There will never be a political savior in your nation who will solve all of the problems you face and there will never be a government that is pure. We have been redeemed from this world’s system for a reason and we must remain conscious that even though we live in this world we are no longer of this world. (John 15:19). We must preach, pray, live and work to further the message of Christ at every level of society but must also remain cognizant of the fact that the system of the world is opposed to what we are doing. We cannot change the system; we preach Christ so that people’s hearts can be changed.

The Christian Right

Hot button issues in many nations are items like Abortion, Homosexual Marriage and Doctor Assisted Suicide. The curriculums of elementary schools, secondary schools and universities are also frequent battlegrounds for Christians in politics. There is also great debate over social welfare programs, immigration, healthcare and taxation. Each of these issues affects the lives of people; regardless of their faith. They are important for our culture, our economies as well as the fabric and future of our societies.

As a Bible believing follower of the Lord Jesus Christ I cannot support any can political party, candidate or proposition that disagrees with God and His Word. As an American I believe that our political and social landscape has significantly deteriorated to the point where our nation will no longer be able to maintain its status of prosperity and leadership in the affairs of the world unless there are significant changes. There are far too many men and women who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ in our nation to expect that the policies of our nation will be righteous and congruent with biblical teaching.

This does not mean that we should abandon hope but it does mean that the need for a genuine move of the Holy Spirit in our nations has never been greater. Political change will not provide the necessary catalyst for changing the heart of a nation. A true revival of divine origin is required to change the heart of our nations. It is only then that we will elect a representative who can change our governments to reflect the demands of its people.

The message of Christ should be the first thing that comes to the minds of unbelievers when they hear the term Christian. Politicians, preachers and lobbyist have turned the first thoughts of many into biblical stances on Abortion, Homosexuality and other Moral/Social issues when speaking of Christianity. This has done our cause a great disservice. Arguing political, moral and social stances without the cross turns our faith into a political doctrine. As followers of Christ our first priority is to share the message of Jesus. As people receive Christ and grow in their faith the Holy Spirit renews their mind, their worldview changes and consequently so does their political, social and moral stances. We cannot reverse the equation. We must love God and love people.

Biblical Christianity

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If we are going to be the Christian Right – our right place is foremost one of repentance and prayer for our nations. If we ever expect any true change to come to our nations, the change must first come in our hearts. Revival in our nations will begin when the church “gets right”. We cannot expect the world to embrace the doctrines of life and righteousness unless the church is living in the fruit of the Spirit and moving in the power of the Spirit. Cultural and political change of divine origin begins at the house of God.

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:13-15)

These verses were spoken to believers. It is our mandate to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  The message of Christ follows the life of those who follow Christ.  It is the life we live and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives that creates authentic hunger and thirst for the message of the cross. Why are we different? Where does the love, joy, peace, etc. come from in our lives? What is the source of integrity? What motivates our compassion?

 

Obligations of Believers

There are two primary passages of scripture that provide guidance and direction for followers of Christ in relationship to their government in the New Testament.

Pray

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Obey the Law

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. (Romans 13:1-7)

Conclusion

This is a challenging subject to write about from a completely biblical perspective and I am sure this is a challenging subject to read about from a completely biblical perspective. Each of us has political beliefs and opinions and there is a high probability that we agree on some things and disagree on others. As followers of Christ we must work diligently to maintain focus on the core of who we are. Our identity in Christ is the most important aspect of our lives and if it is not then we are truly not followers of Christ.

Our faith influences every aspect of our lives, including our political views and stances. The relationship between faith and politics can be looked at in a similar way to the relationship between faith and good works. Good works are not performed in an effort to earn or attain salvation; good works are the result of a regenerated heart that has already received the free gift of God’s salvation. Upholding biblical political views is not the pulpit from which the message of the gospel is to be preached. Those who have received the message of the gospel naturally hold biblical political views as a result of the change that Christ has made in their hearts.

So, here are the bullet points for this message:

Stand for what is right; regardless of the opinions of men
Focus on sharing the gospel and converting men and women to Christ instead of propagating a political doctrine
Pray for your leaders and the direction of your nation
Participate in government (i.e., voting)and obey the laws
Live the Christian life and fulfill the great commission

 

The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). Until that time our calling remains the same:

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

My passion is to educate and provoke Christians to fulfill the calling of God on their lives (which is always tied to the fulfillment of the Great Commission). I have been known to offend with bluntness and sarcasm, but normally it happens by telling the truth people do not want to hear or be reminded of.  The motivation behind it is to provoke people to become more like Jesus and live the faith they profess to have. More messages can be found here.

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Posted on August 7, 2011 by , Reply

Nice Freedom Of Religion photos

Check out these Freedom of Religion images:

The Intersection of Church and State
Freedom of Religion
Image by Wyoming_Jackrabbit
We don’t believe in separation of church and state here in Knoxville. Here’s proof.

Clearfile of The Constitution of Japan(freedom of religion)
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日本国憲法のクリアファイル、信教の自由の箇所拡大

Posted on August 1, 2011 by , Reply

Antique Religion – Buddha Said Heaven Welcomes All Pure and Good

Gautama Buddha (560-480 B.C.E.)was born a prince in the Sakya or warrior caste, the second highest in the Hindu faith of India. His mother died when he was young and the boy was brought in luxury with servants in a palace.


When Gautama was 29 and just after the birth of his son he felt the need to leave and felt great sorrow at leaving his family. He wandered across the fertile Ganges plains to the tree covered hills of Vindhya hills where he lived for six years.


Here Buddha practiced the usual ways of the ascetic then common among holy men in India. He shaved his head and beard, put on the yellow robes and tortured his body with long fasts and every known form of physical mortification.


He became known as a pure man yet the truth seemed to escape him until he awoke from a fainting fit from hunger he awoke as light came like a flash to his mind.


All the fasting, the suppression and control of the breath, the fasting were leading him to enfeeblement of mind and body. To reach unclouded reason, flawless thinking, surveying the processes of thought, acquire clarity of vision and unadulterated experience, a person must have proper food and lead a healthy life.


Buddha was thrilled by his discovery but his disciples were so shocked that their master would turn away from constant suffering and all left him. The day that followed has been said to be one of those defining moments in history.


Left to himself Gautama walked the forests in now Bihar and sat by the banks of the River Neranjara where he sat under a wild fig tree. Here a lady presented him with a dish of milk which invigorated him.


And it is said there, after his ranging through every emotion known to humanity from blackest despair to sublime hope. Gautama found at last the peace and certainty he sought. Truth was revealed to him and he became the Buddha, the Enlightened One.


Followers became drawn to him from the great and ancient Hindu religion, which caused consternation among the ruling courts. The caste system which Buddha rejected held that all were born into one of five levels of caste, with the ruling court on top.


Next were the warrior caste to protect the court, then down to merchants who were needed for trade and wealth, the higher skilled laborer, and at the bottom the Untouchables. They were all stuck in their positions for life, an Untouchable could never work his way up into court. This is changing now in modern India finally.


Buddhism exported better in other nearby lands, where the gentle teachings allowed all to reach heaven, or Nirvana by living pure lives and forgoing excess. Buddha has long since taken on more oriental eyes and the fat belly in south east Asia, Japan and again now in China.


It seems the feeling of empty lives is driving young affluent coastal Chinese to be meditating in city parks and the authorities are so far able to realize this is not threat.


People are reporting happier lives and feeling more calm. What came to the West in a faddish wave in the 1960 era and has shown evidence of reducing high blood pressure and many calming effects. Good news circles the world in way and waves that can be very good news.


We will carry these thoughts into further articles that had Gautama be the first to break through the Hindu anger about his greater freedom to a rather court style Nirvana that was not sure Untouchables were ever going to more than the septic brigade.


Buddha overlapped their eight steps which might have you become a cow or monkey on your steps through reincarnation. He added a fast track that anyone could choose to make it to Nirvana or Eternal Bliss or Heaven in this life if one lived a pure life and learned the four basic truths.

Derek Dashwood enjoys antique religion books that can show how small acts can lead to great or small changes we later take for granted. Now antique religion has prove to show which ways were helpful, and which were most vital, and we talk about it further at
http://www.antiquereligionbooks.com
Rare Religious Books

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Posted on July 26, 2011 by , Reply

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Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
By Martin Jalleh Dear Holy Father, I am a Catholic, writing from my blessed and beloved country, Malaysia, a land of poignant diversity, pitiful contradictions, pathetic leadership and plentiful opportunity. It is a nation which I am proud of, one where anything and everything is possible – from the most virtuous to the most vile and venal. Very soon our Prime Minister (PM) Najib Tun Razak will …
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07/16/2011 12:22 VATICAN – CHINA Holy See condemns illegal Bishop of Shantou, appreciates “resistance” of bishops and …
» by Bernardo Cervellera Fr. Joseph Huang Bingzhang is publicly excommunicated. Many times, the Vatican had said he could not become a bishop. Appreciation for bishops, priests and faithful who have resisted participating in the ceremony. Fears of government revenge: a appeal to AsiaNews.
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Posted on July 19, 2011 by , Reply
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