Middle East

Religious Sensitivity

I read news like this and half-wonder about the hue and cry about to be released on the “Arab street” and from the Muslim mosque:

Thirty people were killed and 36 wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite Muslim funeral procession northeast of the Iraqi capital, police said.

What if this had been a mis-directed missile strike, say by Americans, British, or Israelis?

What if it had been caused by some “Christian” or Jewish zealot?

I remember not so long ago when all manner of warnings were issued against the US military to back off during Ramadan. Gotta show sensitivity and respect for Islam and Ramadan, you know.

Do these Muslim homicide bombers show respect and sensitivity for their own religion?

I say not.

But then again, maybe they’re no more Muslim than some “Christians” are Christian.

The answer is Jesus, folks, not some cultural-religious creed.

Grasping for Explanations

This whole deal of the Islamic terrorists seizing the CPT folks in Iraq and threatening to kill them if some impossible demand isn’t met seems odd to me.

How to explain it?

I suppose we could say this group of Muslim terrorists is simply ignorant of (1) who CPT is, (2) what good PR is, and/or (3) what righteousness is.

Maybe they didn’t count on their fellow terror groups taking exception with them for snatching this particular group of people. (See below.)

Maybe this particular terrorist crew isn’t Islamic at all. Maybe they’re American and/or Israeli agents trying to give the Muslims some bad press. That would even explain the targets of choice. Hmmmm. Maybe after/if these four are executed, this is the explanation that will be given by some folks “out there.” Well, I guess if that’s how it happens, I’ll be able to say I read it first right here at my very own MVP. Big deal.

Anyway, Robbins over at National Review Online says this in his current piece:

A letter in the Mennonite Weekly Review featured a letter signed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Palestine People’s Party, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Union of Palestine, Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian Liberation Front, and the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front. “We appeal to our brothers in the resistance and all those with alert consciences in Iraq,” the letter said, “with whom we consider ourselves to be in the same trench confronting American aggression and occupation, to instantly and quickly release the four kidnapped persons from CPT, in appreciation for their role in standing beside and supporting our Palestinian people and all the Arab and Islamic peoples.”

Why did these guys use the Mennonite Weekly Review?

Could it be they know the CPT-snatchers read MWR?

Now I’m getting carried away.

May God somehow glorify Himself through all this.

God is great and Daniel was His prophet!

Didn’t He Know the Risk?!

From The Washington Times this story of commitment:

A court sentenced a teacher to 40 months in prison and 750 lashes for “mocking religion” after he discussed the Bible and praised Jews, a Saudi newspaper reported yesterday.

Al-Madina newspaper said secondary-school teacher Mohammad al-Harbi, who will be flogged in public, was taken to court by his colleagues and students.

He was charged with promoting a “dubious ideology, mocking religion, saying the Jews were right, discussing the Gospel and preventing students from leaving class to wash for prayer,” the newspaper said.

I wonder what this man’s testimony is.

Oh, and before anyone goes off on what the “religion of peace” does to its opponents, wait.

Remember the Crusades. Remember the Catholic-Protestant battles of not so long ago.

That said, I do believe there is a substantial spiritual and moral difference between genuine Islam and genuine Christianity.

The question for me is simple: Is my faith (and subsequent life) an accurate reflection of the Lord Jesus?

The Best Lions

Al Qaeda continues sowing its mayhem. I wonder how they possibly can think that they shall reap anything else.

But that’s not the point of this post.

I just read this over at Yahoo! News:

The Qaeda group led by America’s deadliest foe in Iraq on Thursday claimed bombings that ripped through luxury hotels in Jordan’s capital and killed 57 people.

In Wednesday night’s closely synchronized attacks, two bombs exploded while crowds were celebrating weddings, leaving blood and destruction at Amman’s Grand Hyatt and the nearby Radisson SAS. A third blast targeted a Days Inn hotel.

Al Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said in a statement on an Islamist website that “a group of our best lions” had carried out the attacks.

Their best lions blow themselves to bits with the intent of killing a bunch of others, most (if not all) of whom have done them no personal harm.

We can criticize them and mock them and condemn them for that. (They certainly deserve no glory or commendation for such deeds.)

But I ask you — What do your faith’s best lions do and with what intent?

And — Are you one of your faith’s best lions?

Above all, love God!
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