The Kindness and Severity of God

There are many who think that because God is kind and merciful, that although they ignore Him and His way, that when He calls them to stand before Him, He will overlook their sins because He is kind and merciful.

Yet scripture tells us this is not the case...

Romans 2:3-5 (ESV)  Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
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And in another place scripture says...

Deuteronomy 7:9-10 (ESV)  Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
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And again, our Lord says...

Exodus 20:5-6 (ESV)  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
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As well as...

Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV)  The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
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You will usually find this sort of thinking with unbelievers.

That no matter what they do or how they live, that upon death, God will simply forgive them because He is kind and merciful.

Just like the devil and his angels, they recognise that God is real and are able to identify attributes that God does indeed have.

Unlike the devil and his angels, they fail to take into consideration the other attributes of God.

God's righteousness. God's holiness. God's justice.

It's these characteristics of God that causes Him to say...

Ezekiel 18:4 (ESV)  Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

It's these characteristics that sees all of mankind as condemned.

Romans 3:23 (ESV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

So then, we see that God's mercy and loving kindness doesn't do away with His holiness and righteousness.

Because of this, the mercy and loving kindness has a purpose behind it. That purpose is to draw one towards God.

To have them recognise that they are undeserved of the mercy and loving kindness that is shown towards them.

They would then turn from their sins (repent), recognise that Christ Jesus is Lord/King/God, and walk in humble obedience to His commands.

Those who see God's mercy and loving kindness as a get out of jail free card, do not acknowledge Christ's rightful place over them.

They have no desire to submit to the authority of Christ.

So how is it they expect to be welcomed by God?

They are able to do this because they've erected for themselves, an idol, who is not about justice, righteousness, or holiness.

They recognise the loving kindness of God towards them, but they inflate that to be all God is and does.

Romans 1:19-21 (ESV)  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
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The aspects of God that they ignore are the aspects that made it necessary for Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all those who would come to Him.

Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
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It's because of this act in time, that one can receive the true blessing of God, which is to know Him and be known by Him.

Galatians 4:4-6 (ESV)  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
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Those who recognise God's authority over their lives and act accordingly are those whom God has demonstrated His love towards.

Romans 5:8 (ESV)  ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:10 (ESV)  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
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When speaking about God, we must remember that His love and mercy is not so great that it over powers God's righteousness and justice.

As it is written...

Hosea 2:19 (ESV)  And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

Amen

The "Talking Snake" Objection

For awhile  now I've been hearing those who are against christianity object to it on the basis of it having a talking serpent and donkey.

They usually state this objection as though its some kind of supreme logic that completely reduces the bible to fairytale land.

This, of course, is absurd.

The argument is actually quite nonsensical when you actually put some thought in it.

So, for the benefit of exercising the ole grey matter, i thought i'd refute this objection.

First things first, we need to understand the presuppositions behind this argument.

That would be that a serpent cant talk because... ?

Well, the first thing we think of is literal verbal communication.

A serpent can't verbally talk because they dont have the necessary biological organs to permit them to do so.

Also, it's not that a serpent cant communicate at all. After all, they communicate with each other at the very least.

However, the bible didnt say that the serpent spoke like a human did.

This is simply assumed as being the case.

Also, the bible doesnt say that this was an everyday occurrence.

There is no biblical indication that adam and eve spent their days conversing with animals. This isnt The Jungle Book afterall.

No. This was a one off. Something different than the norm was going on that caused the serpent to be able to "speak" in a way that adam an eve could not only understand but to fully converse with.

The issue is that the Holy Spirit chose not to give us a lot of details in regards to how this was happening. So, speculation and imagination tend to run wild as to the how.

One option is that at this time in human history, due to the affects of sin not being present, that humans actually had a relationship with animals that included actual understanding.

We actually see instances of this today. Not with just cats and dogs, but animals such as lions, elephants, horses, etc.

Where there is a level of "friendship" where the human seems to have a connection to an animal where they seem to "understand" each other.

There are numerous cultures throughout human history who believe that its possible to have spiritual connections with animals.

Even with some people having an affinity to one sort of animal as opposed to others.

There are even people who claim to be "animal whisperers".

Once sin entered into creation through the rebellion of Adam, nature was set against him. One aspect being that humanity was no longer able to have that easy connection with animals to understand one another on such a level.

Another option is that it wasnt a real serpent, but rather one of the biblical antagonists know of Satan, who took on the form of a serpent.

Satan, after all, is an angelic being. He has the capacity of reason just like humans and us able to speak as well.

Angels are also able to transform themselves into other creatures, such as humans.

The third possible option is that Satan actually possessed an actual serpent, granting it the ability to communicate somehow.

Out of these three options, the 3rd one is considered to be the orthodox christian position.

The 1st option is a close second in popularity.

Some even combine those two and say they're both true.

The 2nd option is not believed by a large amount of people.
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With that, we can see that the first presupposition is dealt with.

That is, the serpent was able to "speak" due to a spiritual ability to communicate with humans that was either innate or enabled by the possession of the spiritual entity known as Satan.

Those who have some knowledge of the bible are actually aware that this is the orthodox belief.

So, there is a second presupposition that we must look at.

That is, that its not possible for this scenario to take place.

This is where the objection becomes nonsensical.

For someone to maintain that this scenario couldnt take place, regardless of whether it is option one or option three, theyd have to be a materialist.

And once you're a materialist, you're worldview is not worth having.

A materialist is one who claims to believe that the only thing that exists is matter.

This means that there is no spiritual reality. So there is no spiritual entity known as Satan.

However, this also means that there is no such thing as a soul. Feelings aren't real either. Having a mind (not a brain) isnt possible. Logic and its laws aren't real either.

For materialism to be true, all nonmaterial truths, that even materialists believe to be true, must be false.

But since the very laws of logic are immaterial, and there is no scientific evidence to show that "matter in motion" will produce truth, holding to such a worldview means that you do not function within reality.

For example, no one is actually making decisions to do something. Decisions and reasoning are all immaterial.

Within a materialistic worldview, ones actions are detetmined by "matter in motion". In other words, a person doesnt actually have control over themselves, but are simply being controlled by their biological matter within their bodies.

Just as blood flows throughout our body and our heart beats without our control, so too, in a materialistic worldview, would our actions and decisions be beyond our control but would simply be the result of matter moving within our body... independent of our input.

We wouldnt even be considered sentient puppets.

For something to have sentience, it would need to have a mind. A mind is different from a brain as a mind is what we would consider to be consciousness. Some might call it awareness.

So a computer's brain would be its circuitry, but if a computer had a mind, it could recognise that its brain is the circuitry.

A materialist would have to deny the existence of the mind as its not material in nature, and so the puppet would never be sentient as without a mind, consciousness is not possible.
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Lets do a brief recap before we continue.

Those that raise the objection that christianity is false because it has a talking serpent do so by presupposing two things.

The first presupposition is that serpents can't speak as humans do.

However, the bible doesnt say the serpent did that.

Instead the bible indicates that there was something spiritual happening rather than a serpent being able to speak like a human does.

The second presupposition is that there is no such thing as a spiritual reality.

This means that materialism is true. However, materialism is self-refuting as it is not what is experienced by any materialist and is not affirmed by science, as all science presupposes immaterial truths such as logic.

So, now that we know that position is flawed the only one left is that spiritual reality is indeed real.

Since it's real it makes no sense to assume that a spiritual being could not possess a creature nor cause it to do something that it couldnt do before.

As a matter of fact, the bible shows that this is actually the case. That spirits can and do unhabit and possess creatures, be they human or not, and cause creatures to be able to do things not normally possible.

One example of this is the demoniac mentioned in the new testament. He was possessed by multiple spirits and was able to break chains with his bare hands which is not a normal human feat.

It also states that when Christ Jesus spoke to the demoniac that it was the spirits who spoke back... as a collective... instead of the man himself.

In other words, once the existence of the spiritual side of life is affirmed there is no good reason to deny the possibility that a serpent can indeed speak as long as the right spiritual conditions are met.

That being said, the majority of the people who use this objection are not materialists. They arent atheists either.

They are simply those who have an unreasonable bias against christianity and will use any nonsensical argument to try and knock christianity down, as long as it looks good on the surface.

However, this argument doesn't even look good on the surface because the spiritual life, that which is immaterial in nature, is actually reality.

Everybody affirms that this is the case.

And those who don't affirm this basic truth, do not function within reality, but are the ones believing in fantasy.

Soli Deo Gloria

LGBT from the Christian POV

The christian/biblical position on lgbt is not that one can't be born with such a disposition.

Although there are many christians who erroneously state this, it's simply not true.

The bible clearly teaches that all of humanity are born sinners. We are born with a disposition to do things, think things, and want things, that are contrary to God's desire.

Therefore, it is obviously possible for a person to be born in the spectrum of lgbt.

However, its equally possible for a person to be born with an overt desire for some other sin.

This includes the spectrum for all other sins.

Lgbt proponents balk when they get compared to beastiality or incest, however, from the biblical view, their sin is like other sin.

Just like they are born with a desire for lgbt, others are born with a desire for beastiality and incest.

This is undeniable fact. There are people who want to have sex with inanimate objects like cars.

Once we get into the realm of being born with a sinful desire, then all sinful desires are up for grabs.

The difference is that the lgnt have couches their sin in an expression of love.

The incestuous adult couple are never afforded the same even though there isnt a non-religious reason not to allow their relationship.

So being "born this way" makes one no different than anybody else. And makes their sin no less than anyone else's.

Even having their sin define their life is not different than a lot of other ppl. Its just that their sin has becone socially acceptable in contrast to other similar sins.

And the answer to all of these sins is the same as the answer to the sins of non-lgbt people.

The answer is found in the life, death, and ressurection of Christ Jesus of Nazareth - who came to pay the price for the sins of all those who would turn away from their sins and turn to Him for salvation.

Show Love (part 3)

In the last post, we took a brief look at how a christian is supposed to love others.

However, there are two things that are often left out when dealing with a believer's responsibility to love.

The first one we need to look at and understand stand is that the kind of love that God is and shows, does not mesh with sin in any way.

We get a glimpse of this in God's proclamation of Himself, but He is quite explicit about it.

Psalms 5:5 (ESV)  The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

Psalms 26:5 (ESV)  I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

Psalms 97:10a (ESV)  O you who love the Lord, hate evil!

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)  The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Amos 5:15 (ESV)  Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Zechariah 8:16-17 (ESV)  These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”

Romans 12:9 (ESV)  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

1 Corinthians 13:6 (ESV)  it (love) does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

1 John 5:16-17 (ESV)  If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death.

There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
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The love that we are supposed to show, is one that calls out sin. Love is shown when one cares enough about another to warn and help them deal with their sin.

It's akin to the following famous verse...

Proverbs 13:24 (ESV)  Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

The one who turns a blind eye to another's sin, doesn't really love them.

Even worse, the one who celebrates in the committing of sins, definitely doesn't love them.

Just like the expression of God's love causes Him to not only highlight the sins in our life, but to also use the rod of correction to drive those sins out of us, we too are called to expose and seek to deal with the sins in those whom we love.

The goal of this love isn't simply so our loved ones can stop doing a specific sin. It's not simply for their benefit so that their life can be stopped from a downward spiral.

The goal, is the love of God. To glorify God. When we show love to others, especially to those within the body of Christ, we show love to God.

Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
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On that note, we see the second forgotten part of love.

That is, that it's embedded and cannot be separated from, loving God.

Loving our neighbours can only be done in the context of loving God.

And the way we show that we love God is to obey Him. Not a begrudging obedience either.

God wants the heart of His people to be one which delights in doing what He commands.

Hosea 6:6 (ESV)  For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)  And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

1 John 2:5 (ESV)  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

1 John 3:24 (ESV)  Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 5:2-3 (ESV)  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

John 14:15 (ESV)  If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:21 (ESV)  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:23 (ESV)  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:31a (ESV)  but I (Jesus) do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

John 15:10 (ESV)  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
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Jesus drills into our head the idea that our love for God is shown in our obedience to Him.

Loving our neighbour in the way He commands, and not in our own way... or according to the standards of the world, is actually loving God.

1 John 4:21 (ESV)  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
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What about those who not only dont obey, but don't care about obeying God's commands?

Well, God tells us...

John 14:24a (ESV)  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.

John 3:18 (ESV)  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 6:28, 40 (ESV)  Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Numbers 15:31 (ESV)  Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”

2 Samuel 12:9a (ESV)  Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?

2 Kings 17:15 (ESV)  They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.

Proverbs 13:13 (ESV)  Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.

Mark 7:9 (ESV)  And He said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

Luke 10:16 (ESV)  The one who hears you hears me (Jesus), and the one who rejects you rejects me (Jesus), and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me (the Father).”
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There are many more verses that can be called upon to prove the point.

Those who disobey God, are showing that they not only don't love Him, but that they despise His commands and by extension, Him.

This even extends to believers, as its an indication that sin still dwells within us, warring against our new man.

However, the difference between the unbeliever and the believer is that the believer has the desire to mortify that sin.

They may not always recognise their sin, whether its ignorance or self-deception, but because the Holy Spirit dwells in them, He will not allow them to go their own way for long.

He will call them back to obedient repentance and faith, and will chastise them with the rod of correction if necessary.
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With all that said, we now have an overall view on the sort of love that God is, and the sort of love He commands us to have.

God is love. That means God is merciful and gracious. It also means He is righteous and just.

To those whom He loves, He calls them to be like Him in their love towards others.

So they are supposed to be merciful and gracious, while at the same time being righteous and just.

They are to treat others as how they'd want to be treated, while calling people to holy living.

Their love for others should be spurred on by their love for God first and foremost.

Just as how people recognise that love without mercy and grace is not love, so too, love without righteousness and justice is also not love.

We show the love of God when we, in obedience to God, love our neighbours in the way God commands us to love them.

Amen

Show Love (part 2)

Last time, we had a brief look at what it means to say the love of God, or how God is love.

We see that God Himself defines the love He is talking about.

Now, that is God's love. That is how God is love.

However, we are not God.

It makes sense for God to determine who should receive mercy and grace and who shouldn't.

He is the just judge who sees the hearts and minds of everyone.

So the question is, how does God expect us to show this love of His.

Clearly it would take on a different aspect once the finite sinner applies this love.

This is true, of course.

So how does God expect us to show His kind of love?

First things first, He commands us to love Him above everything and everyone else.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Luke 14:26 (ESV)  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

The love that we are supposed to have, is one that makes God pre-eminent in their lives.

Our love for God is supposed to be far above our love for everyone else, including family.

So, we don't love man with the same love we love God.

Our love for God should be much more.

This is why Jesus says the following...

Matthew 10:34-39 (ESV)  Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
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So, if thats the case, what is our love towards humanity supposed to look like?

Well, God gives us a number of situational examples as to what this love looks like. I won't refer to them all, but will focus on only some of them.

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:34 (ESV)  You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Matthew 5:44 (ESV)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:27-28 (ESV)  But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)  However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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Our love for humanity is supposed to be a reflection as to how we want to be loved ourselves.

Just how we care for ourselves... our wellbeing... our self interests... we are supposed to place those same cares unto others.

This is where the commonly known "Golden Rule" is actually derived from.

Luke 6:31 (ESV)  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
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Going a bit further, Jesus actually tells us that all the commands and laws that were ever given actually stems from those two expressions of the love of God.

Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
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Now, a lot of people stop here when it comes to the discussion of biblical love.

But there are two more aspects that must be taken into consideration.

Show Love (part 1)

"we scream love, love, love, but don't know what the word means"
- Corban

What is love from the christian perspective?

When it comes to christianity, people tend to twist and bend the idea of love into all sorts of ways to fit their agenda.

People will even go so far as to say its christian love to not just condone, but to celebrate what the bible calls sin.

What does God have to say about love?

What is it? How do we show it?

I thought it would be beneficial if we spent some time meditating on this.

The first thing we need to understand is that God is love.

1 John 4:8 (ESV)  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

From this understanding, we have to say, that to have the kind of love that the bible talks about, is to have God.

For God is the love that we ought to have.

Unbelievers are quick to point out that God doesn't act in a very loving way plenty of times throughout the bible, so how can we claim that God us love.

The issue is that their definition of love is different from the one declared in the bible.

Since God is love, He is the standard by which we identify what is and isn't love, or loving.

With that said, does God describe Himself in a way that helps us to understand what love is?

There is a place in scripture where God declares Himself to moses.

Here's what He said about Himself.

Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV)  The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

God, who is love, states that the standard for the kind of love that He deals with, not only has mercy and grace, but also has anger.

He forgives the iniquity, transgression, and sin of some, but won't clear the guilty of others.

Even visiting the iniquity upon ones lineage.

Thats the kind of love that God is, and the kind of love that God shows.

This is why He protects and helps some and brings the utter destruction upon others.

So the love He is and shows is not one that can be demanded of Him.

He has no obligation to extend His love. This is why He begins His proclamation by saying He's merciful and gracious.

Mercy is the witholding of the just punishment or consequence that one rightly deserves.

Grace is the giving of favor that is undeserved.

Those two things, by definition, can't be demanded. They can only be asked for, with the decision to do so being left up to the one who is being petitioned.

This makes the love that God is, and has, one that is freely given.

This is why those who've been recipients of God's love, rejoice, are thankful, and seek to love Him back.

I Sympathise With Peaceful Muslims

Lately, i've been feeling more and more that "black" christians are in a unique position to speak on certain topics due to what has happened to them in western society.

One of those topics is abortion.

A lot of the reasoning being used to murder children in the womb, are very similar or exactly the same as those used to kidnap, enslave, and treat horribly scores of africans and those of a darker complexion.

Recently, there was another islamic attack on british citizens.

I was in the middle of discussing it and encouraging people to read the quran, when it dawned on me that this is another unique position.

Although i'm not hostile to peaceful muslims, and i fully understand what is going on and why its happening, i started to feel a bit sympathetic to the peaceful muslims.

As one who is a christian and as one who's skin enjoys the sun, i can understand what they may be going through.

You see, from the christian side there are a number of instances where people who claimed to be christian, did some incredibly wicked things.

Slavery, for example.

Even though the majority of christians didnt engage in slavery, even though slavery was ended because of the major contribution of christians, and even though the bible doesnt teach it but declares the death penalty for those who wouldve engaged in it, a lot of people see christianity as pro slavery/slave trade.

Even though a minority did wicked things in the name of christianity, people paint the entire religion in the same color.

I also sympathise because of the color of my skin.

A minority of people with my shade of brown act a certain way. Others then assume that we all act and think the same way - even though its completely illogical to think that way.

The peaceful muslim believes that they're in the same predicament.

That there are violent people claiming to be muslims carrying out horrific acts in the name of their religion - islam.

And even though the majority don't behave that way, more and more poeple are treating the peaceful ones like the violent ones.

I can sympathise with that a bit because i have been through it, and will continue to go through it.

There is a difference though.

For the christian issue, i can point to the bible that proves it doesnt teach the kidnapping and enslaving of people in both the old and new testaments.

There are even copies of the bible that go back to before america existed to prove that the text hasnt changed as well.

For the color issue, we are not the borg.

Each person is an individual with their own mind. Its completely illogical to say people who share the same skin color will behave alike.

Only a complete idiot would believe that.

The peaceful muslim though, doesnt have that kind of an out.

Islam was given through muhammed.

Muhammed is the best example of a muslim since he was the first one, and the prophet of islam.

The quran gives information about his life. Not in complete detail, but its there nonetheless, and muslims are commanded to follow and obey him.

Muhammed lived two different lives once he became a prophet.

The first was indeed peaceful.

Thats where the peaceful verses come from.

Thats where the 'you have your religion and i have mine' comes from.

In the beginning, he did preach tolerance, and people tolerated him in return. People weren't afraid of him or anything.

They simply didnt believe he was a prophet.

Then he changed. He was no longer peaceful and tolerant to those who weren't muslims. And for the rest of his life, the peaceful and tolerant muhammed is gone.

It waa no longer 'religion is without compulsion'. Now, it's submit or die. And there are plenty of people he conquered in that manner.

Some people identify it as the muhammed of mecca vs the muhammed of medina.

its this period where the violent verses and commands come in.

The peaceful muslims, who truly do want to live in peace, look to the peaceful prophet.

The violent ones, look to the violent prophet.

The peaceful ones are taught that islam is about peace.

The violent ones are taught that peace extends only to believers in allah, muhammed, and the last day.

Its not easy to convince a peaceful muslim that offensive violence even exists in islam.

All sorts of excuses will be used, even changing the promised virgins into raisins.

But when they stop making excuses they either do one of 3 things.

1. They leave islam.

2. They stay in islam but try to reform it by pointing out the verses and denouncing them.

Th most recent islamic figure to do this is the muslim leader in australia

3. They submit to the quran and commit violence

The thing is... the violence is not simply for the purpose of being violent. It isn't purposeless.

The violence is for the purpose of converting non-believers.

Those who see the attacks are basically being given a warning. Convert to islam or this will happen to you.

So, my sympathy for peaceful muslims only goes so far.

Where as I can point to the source of christian and fundamental logic and prove my case, the peaceful muslims have a problem if they do that.

The quran shows this transition from peaceful to violent.

It shows this transition from, the peole of the torah and gospel are on the same level as muslims and worship the same god, to the people of the torah and gospel are to be forced to convert to islam, made to pay the protection money, or killed.

I have had peaceful muslims laugh for me telling people to read the quran, which is odd in itself, and I've had peaceful muslims tell me there are absolutely no violent verses in the quran.

Which is absolute nonsense.

The bible, for example, is filled with violence.

Violence is described, done by God's people, and even done by God Himself in the bible.

The christian is not suppose to try to hide or deny this fact.

The muslim, however, tries to downplay the violence of their prophet.

This is where claims of taqiyya comes into play.

Taqiyya is an islamic teaching that it is ok to lie in order to further the cause of allah.

So there are a lot of people that will say that peaceful muslims aren't actually peaceful.

They are fully aware of the violence in their religion, and agree with it.

The only reason there is a peaceful muslims is to trick gullible and ignorant people into accepting islam as peaceful and thereby allowing islam to spread... not simply unhindered... but actually aided by sympathisers.

They point to not only muhammed's own actions, not only islamic history, but the present reality of the spread of islam in the west. Especially with islam alone receiving concessions and protections for their beliefs that no other religion receives.

The christian bakery court cases are prime examples of this.

So many people see all muslims in the same light. They all want sharia law to be implemented and will even lie to the public at large as to the real nature of islam so that islam can get big enough to dominate with little resistance.

Is that the truth though?

I don't think it is.

I do believe that there are muslims who do have that in mind, but i believe that there are a majority of muslims who truly believe that islam is actually peaceful.

I believe this because the vast majority of the muslims I've talked to are ignorant of what is actually in the quran.

So, just like there are numerous people who proclaim Christ who are ignorant about the scriptures as well as church history and come to all sorts of conclusions because of it... and just like there is a number of "black" people who also don't know their history and comes to all sorts of conclusions because of it... there are muslins who come to the conclusion that islam is peaceful because of what they don't know.

So, i can sympathise with muslims who are peaceful.

And i pray that God would open their eyes and draw them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus