The broken mosaic of truth
1 month ago
Friday, November 03, 2006
I AM MAN!! (a commercial)
I think they just started showing this ad in the UK.
I saw it for the first time the other day and thought it was hilarious.
Maybe it's because i am old enough to remember the Helen Reddy original("I am woman").
So, if you haven't seen it enjoy; and, have a nice weekend.
If you have, just move on to the next blog; and, have a nice weekend.
The Psychological Contract With The American Soldier
A gaijin blogger makes the following comments from the heart of the Empire of the Rising Sun :
The American soldier fights because he "has a job to do". He goes where Uncle Sam (his employer) tells him to go to "get the job done".
That's it.
It's an employment contract.
In exchange, the G.I gets a college education, a steady paycheck, lots of benefits, and a pension after 20 years in service.
Death is just an occupational hazard which his employer undertakes to minimize in the only way he can -- by maintaining overwhelming military superiority.
But, not even the mighty Uncle Sam holds all the cards in his hands, so occupational hazards can sometimes get a bit more annoying and a bit less acceptable.
Ah, well governments have been known to make secret agreements, you know. They are usually not in the habit of revealing all especially when it comes to foreign relations.
Well, what other country or fighting man has the same psychological contract ? Perhaps no other except maybe Britain.
Citizens of most nations in this world fight for more abstract concepts like honour .
Or if they are being less high-minded they fight for self-preservation.
Only Americans fight for the sake of "doing a job" like working in a factory or in an office.
And if you're doing a job you do what your employer tells you to do and go where your employer tells you to go - to Japan or Iraq or maybe even Iran.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, click HERE for an eminently balanced and fair review on the Kerry botched joke affair.
"Should Japan be attacked. No problem. Don't sweat it. We've plenty of American troops to send to their deaths for you. This is basically what Condoleezza Rice told Foreign Minister Aso today. It is important that the US renew and reaffirm its promise (treaty obligations) to defend Japan to America's last drop of blood while asking no commitment from Japan in return. I guess that is what the US government assumes young American men and women are raised for---to be killed fighting another country's war."
The American soldier fights because he "has a job to do". He goes where Uncle Sam (his employer) tells him to go to "get the job done".
That's it.
It's an employment contract.
In exchange, the G.I gets a college education, a steady paycheck, lots of benefits, and a pension after 20 years in service.
Death is just an occupational hazard which his employer undertakes to minimize in the only way he can -- by maintaining overwhelming military superiority.
But, not even the mighty Uncle Sam holds all the cards in his hands, so occupational hazards can sometimes get a bit more annoying and a bit less acceptable.
"We never even got a clear promise this time that Japan would not go nuclear. Uncle Sucker rides again."
Ah, well governments have been known to make secret agreements, you know. They are usually not in the habit of revealing all especially when it comes to foreign relations.
"(...) One can bet that few Japanese think that defending the US would be worth even one Japanese life, but again and again I talk to people (Japanese and American) who believe that America has some moral obligation to send its men and women to die for Japan. That would be interesting to explain to a mother in Iowa why her son died fighting for a country (Japan) in which many don't even believe their own troops should die for.Japan however, is a uniquely peaceful people and country (easy to say since the US has provided a military for Japan for 60 years)."
Well, what other country or fighting man has the same psychological contract ? Perhaps no other except maybe Britain.
Citizens of most nations in this world fight for more abstract concepts like honour .
Or if they are being less high-minded they fight for self-preservation.
Only Americans fight for the sake of "doing a job" like working in a factory or in an office.
And if you're doing a job you do what your employer tells you to do and go where your employer tells you to go - to Japan or Iraq or maybe even Iran.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, click HERE for an eminently balanced and fair review on the Kerry botched joke affair.
GOOG Buys U-Tube & This Is How They Announce It
Yeah, this is pretty old (Oct.9) news.
But, i just could not let it pass without featuring it on my blog for a number of reasons.
First reason and most salient of all is the stark contrast this announcement makes to the the usual and carefully PR massaged corporate announcements of this sort.
It just blows all those stuffed shirts right out of the water ! Over 2 million views of this clip only proves the point.
Second, this is a witness to the day when adhocracry rules over bureaucracy is coming ever closer.
And finally for a more real world business reason.
The entire film industry has in recent years been wringing its hands and groping for new distribution models. It has been asking itself questions like :
These are such important questions for the future of the film industry that figures like Steven Spielberg have gotten involved in the discussion.
Well, in my humble opinion, YouTube could be, in the not too distant future, the pipeline of choice for movie distribution -- whether to movie houses or direct to the customer. The Google acquisition just gives the concept that much added horsepower.
So go ahead and watch Chad & Steve (again) making their announcement and watch this space for further inroads into Hollywod by the Google behemoth.
This is one Godzilla feature you will want to put some money on. I have.
But, i just could not let it pass without featuring it on my blog for a number of reasons.
First reason and most salient of all is the stark contrast this announcement makes to the the usual and carefully PR massaged corporate announcements of this sort.
It just blows all those stuffed shirts right out of the water ! Over 2 million views of this clip only proves the point.
Second, this is a witness to the day when adhocracry rules over bureaucracy is coming ever closer.
And finally for a more real world business reason.
The entire film industry has in recent years been wringing its hands and groping for new distribution models. It has been asking itself questions like :
- Does the movie house have a future ?
- Which way is movie making technology heading ?
- Will all film eventually be distributed by DVD ? etc. etc. etc.
These are such important questions for the future of the film industry that figures like Steven Spielberg have gotten involved in the discussion.
Well, in my humble opinion, YouTube could be, in the not too distant future, the pipeline of choice for movie distribution -- whether to movie houses or direct to the customer. The Google acquisition just gives the concept that much added horsepower.
So go ahead and watch Chad & Steve (again) making their announcement and watch this space for further inroads into Hollywod by the Google behemoth.
This is one Godzilla feature you will want to put some money on. I have.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
P.W. Botha (1916-2006)
P.W. Botha claimed, in 1998, in a statement to the press after his appearance before a court on charges of ignoring a subpoena to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, that these were "attempts to humiliate me and, through me, my people".P.W. Botha evidently saw himself to be quintessiantially representative of the mainstream white South African.
But who is the white South African ?
The white South African, unlike his Teutonic counterpart from an earlier era in which claims to Master Race status were more easily entertained, is an entirely different kettle of cultural fish.
First of all, white South African society is one which has largely been untouched by the Enlightenment. That may be seen as a good thing in many ways and in many quarters. But, it also means the white South African has been untouched by the reality check features of some Enlightenment concepts like "Utilitarianism".
Second, the white South African appears ('appears' being very much the operative word here) to be the carrier of those traits to which his Teutonic counterparts of an earlier era may justly have laid claim -- of being at the cutting edge of Western or European civilisation.
As is so often the case, the reality can be very different from the perception for the white South African, after a 350 year existence in the Cape, has definitely "gone native".
He has been able to maintain a perception of cultural progressivity, of cutting edge civilisation and of material productivity only through the luxury of having at his own disposal a slave nation of black South Africans 5 times greater than his own population.
The white South African is stubborn.
It took the Berlin Olympic Games and World World II before world public opinion finally denounced eugenics and master race philosophies.
While happily the penny did finally drop, in the case of Mr.P.W. Botha and his apartheid regime, it was not to be for another 60 years and in a very very grudging manner as Mr.Botha's own personal and political record shows.
(Events in this world have a nasty habit of overtaking the dearth of wisdom found in it's rulers).
How do you greet the stubborn, behind-the-times white South African?
Perhaps with some pity and, if able, perhaps with some charity as well for Thabo Mbeki who lost a brother and a son to Botha's secret police said the following of him in a statement soon after Botha's sudden passing :
"It stands to his credit that when he realized the futility of fighting against what was right and inevitable, he, in his own way, realized that South Africans had no alternative but to reach out to one another".
Monday, October 30, 2006
Difference between Fate & God's Providence
What is fate? Fate is this – Whatever is, must be. But there is a difference between that and Providence. Providence says, Whatever God ordains, must be; but the wisdom of God never ordains anything without a purpose. Everything in this world is working for some great end. Fate does not say that. . . . There is all the difference between fate and Providence that there is between a man with good eyes and a blind man.
Source : A Sermon(No. 3114)Published on Thursday, October 15th, 1908.Delivered by C. H. SPURGEON,At New Park Street Chapel, Southwark.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Practice that Makes Perfect
1. Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of getting much better at it.
2. As you do the task, focus on what's happening and why you're doing it the way you are.
3. After the task, get feedback on your performance from multiple sources. Make changes in your behaviour as necessary.
4. Continually build mental models of your situation -- your industry, your company, your career. Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
5. Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional practice does not work.
Source : Fortune magazine, October 30,2006 page 36
2. As you do the task, focus on what's happening and why you're doing it the way you are.
3. After the task, get feedback on your performance from multiple sources. Make changes in your behaviour as necessary.
4. Continually build mental models of your situation -- your industry, your company, your career. Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
5. Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional practice does not work.
Source : Fortune magazine, October 30,2006 page 36
Sunday, October 22, 2006
" Celal is a nice person who . . . "
I was surfing the net aimlessly last night and happened to read bios of CNN correspondents. You know the kind where one speaks of oneself in the 3rd person.
I had never done that before and since I'm in the CV mode I thought I would try my hand at it. Here is the end product. Have a read and let me know what your think:
I had never done that before and since I'm in the CV mode I thought I would try my hand at it. Here is the end product. Have a read and let me know what your think:
Celal began his high school career at Robert College in Istanbul and completed it as a PSAT NMSQT National Merit Finalist at Evansville Day School.
He enrolled at Cornell University as a pre-med student but transferred to the engineering department at Northwestern University the following year.
While at Northwestern, becoming a Christian caused a major upheaval in Celal’s family relationships as well as a major upheaval in his education from which he has never and probably never will fully recover.
He received a B.Sc. degree in Accountancy from Ball State University and remained to complete an MBA in 1982.
After a brief role as accountant in Houston Texas he returned to Turkey and worked as a cost accountant at Ford of Turkey and then in the planning and budgeting department at Interbank.
Desiring a finance managership at an American multinational company, he joined United Parcel Service to assume the role of finance and accounting manager at the planned operations in Istanbul. His career with UPS ended in London England by way of redundancy in 1999.
Not possessing UK qualifications in accountancy, Celal was able to secure a position as finance officer at Oak Hill College, an evangelical Anglican theological college.
He again faces redundancy and is now seeking another post in accountancy or perhaps one that combines his wide spiritual, philosophical, cultural, international business interests and experience.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
"The Mystery of Providence" by John Flavel
(p.27) [Christ is] a head to the Church by way of union and special influence (John17:2). He is "the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe"(1 Thim 4:10). The Church is His special care and charge. He rules the world for it's good, as a head consulting the welfare of the body.
(p.32) If the concerns of God's people are not governed by a special Providence, how is it that the most apt and powerful means employed to destroy them are rendered ineffectual, while weak, contemptible means employed for their defence and comfort are crowned with success?
(p.33) "Though I make a full end of all nations, yet will I not make a full end of thee (Jeremiah 30:11) and "No weapon formed against thee shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17)
(p.185) How may a Christian discover the will of God and his own duty under dark and doubtful providences?
(p.187) ... the most signal demonstrations of Providence are not to be accepted against a Scripture rule. No smiles or successes of Providence may in this encourage us to proceed ; and on the other side, no forwns or discouragements of Providence should discourage us in the way of our duty , howerver many we should encounter therein.
(p.188) "Paul by the direction of the Spirit was engaged to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). After a clear revelation of the mind of God to him in that matter, how many difficult and discouraging providences befell his way ! The disciples at Tyre said to him 'through the Spirit' though in that they followed their own spirits, 'that he should not go to Jerusalem' (Acts 21:4). Then at Caesarea he met Agabus, a prophet, who told him what should befall him when he came there (Acts 21:10,11) but all this will not dissuade him. And after all this, how passionately do the brethren beseech him to decline that journey (verses 12,13) ! Yet knowing his rule and resolving to be faithful to it, he puts by all proceeds in his journey.
(p.189) "Providences, as they follow promises and prayer are evidences of God's faithfulness in their accomplishment.
(p.189) " Also providences give us loud calls to those duties which the command lays upon us and tell us when we are actually and presently under the obligation of the commands as to the performance of them" (...) "The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it"(Micah 6:9)
(p.190) "How may a Christian be supported in waiting upon God, while Providence delays the performance of the mercies to him for which he has long prayed and waited ?" (...) "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry"(Habakkuk 2:3) God appoints the time; when that appointed time has come the expected mercies will not fail. But in the meantime, "though it tarry", says the prophet, "wait for it, for it will not tarry". Tarry and not tarry, how shall this be reconciled ? The meaning is it may tarry much beyond your expectation, but not a moment beyond God's appointment.
(p.196) "Are not those mercies you expect from God worth waiting for ? If not, it is your folly to be troubled for the lack of them. If they are, why do not continue waiting ? Is it not all that God expects from you for the mercies He bestows upon you, that you wait upon Him for them ? You know you have not deserved the least of them at His hands. You expect them, not as a recompense, but as a free favour; and if so, then the least you can do is to wait upon His pleasure for them. Consider how many promises are made in the Word to waiting souls.
(p.197) One Scripture declares "Blessed are all they that wait for him" (Psalm 30:18). Another tells us that none that wait for him shall be ashamed (Psalm 25:3), that is, they shall not be finally disappointed, but at last be made partakers of their hopes. A third Scripture tells us "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength"(Isaiah 40:31), a promise you had need make much use of in such a fainting time...This impatience and infidelity of yours, expressed in your weariness to wait any longer, is a great evil in itself. Very probably it is that evil which obstructs the way of your expected mercies. You might have your mercies sooner if your spirits were quieter and more submissive. And so much for the second case.
(p.209) How may our hearts be established and kept steady under calamitous and adverse providences ? (...) There was a time when Job could call nothing in this world his own but trouble. He could not say, My estate, my honour, my health, my children, for all these were gone; yet then he could say "My Redeemer"(19:25). Well then there is no cause to sink while interest in Christ remains sure to us.
(p.32) If the concerns of God's people are not governed by a special Providence, how is it that the most apt and powerful means employed to destroy them are rendered ineffectual, while weak, contemptible means employed for their defence and comfort are crowned with success?
(p.33) "Though I make a full end of all nations, yet will I not make a full end of thee (Jeremiah 30:11) and "No weapon formed against thee shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17)
(p.185) How may a Christian discover the will of God and his own duty under dark and doubtful providences?
(p.187) ... the most signal demonstrations of Providence are not to be accepted against a Scripture rule. No smiles or successes of Providence may in this encourage us to proceed ; and on the other side, no forwns or discouragements of Providence should discourage us in the way of our duty , howerver many we should encounter therein.
(p.188) "Paul by the direction of the Spirit was engaged to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). After a clear revelation of the mind of God to him in that matter, how many difficult and discouraging providences befell his way ! The disciples at Tyre said to him 'through the Spirit' though in that they followed their own spirits, 'that he should not go to Jerusalem' (Acts 21:4). Then at Caesarea he met Agabus, a prophet, who told him what should befall him when he came there (Acts 21:10,11) but all this will not dissuade him. And after all this, how passionately do the brethren beseech him to decline that journey (verses 12,13) ! Yet knowing his rule and resolving to be faithful to it, he puts by all proceeds in his journey.
(p.189) "Providences, as they follow promises and prayer are evidences of God's faithfulness in their accomplishment.
(p.189) " Also providences give us loud calls to those duties which the command lays upon us and tell us when we are actually and presently under the obligation of the commands as to the performance of them" (...) "The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it"(Micah 6:9)
(p.190) "How may a Christian be supported in waiting upon God, while Providence delays the performance of the mercies to him for which he has long prayed and waited ?" (...) "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry"(Habakkuk 2:3) God appoints the time; when that appointed time has come the expected mercies will not fail. But in the meantime, "though it tarry", says the prophet, "wait for it, for it will not tarry". Tarry and not tarry, how shall this be reconciled ? The meaning is it may tarry much beyond your expectation, but not a moment beyond God's appointment.
(p.196) "Are not those mercies you expect from God worth waiting for ? If not, it is your folly to be troubled for the lack of them. If they are, why do not continue waiting ? Is it not all that God expects from you for the mercies He bestows upon you, that you wait upon Him for them ? You know you have not deserved the least of them at His hands. You expect them, not as a recompense, but as a free favour; and if so, then the least you can do is to wait upon His pleasure for them. Consider how many promises are made in the Word to waiting souls.
(p.197) One Scripture declares "Blessed are all they that wait for him" (Psalm 30:18). Another tells us that none that wait for him shall be ashamed (Psalm 25:3), that is, they shall not be finally disappointed, but at last be made partakers of their hopes. A third Scripture tells us "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength"(Isaiah 40:31), a promise you had need make much use of in such a fainting time...This impatience and infidelity of yours, expressed in your weariness to wait any longer, is a great evil in itself. Very probably it is that evil which obstructs the way of your expected mercies. You might have your mercies sooner if your spirits were quieter and more submissive. And so much for the second case.
(p.209) How may our hearts be established and kept steady under calamitous and adverse providences ? (...) There was a time when Job could call nothing in this world his own but trouble. He could not say, My estate, my honour, my health, my children, for all these were gone; yet then he could say "My Redeemer"(19:25). Well then there is no cause to sink while interest in Christ remains sure to us.
Psalm 25 - Knowing God's Ways
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
"Jackie Mason, a Jew for Jesus!?"
Apparently, Jews for Jesus have published a tract by this name which has attracted a $2 million lawsuit from Mr.Mason himself.
When you get past the slightly misleading title, the tract nowhere makes the claim that Jackie Mason is a follower of Jesus.
I don't know how effective it ultimately is and if God does use this method, but I confess that I am partial (and so is Jews for Jesus) to "shake'em up, in yer face" evangelism.
Yet I do wonder about the ethics of this particular project.
When you get past the slightly misleading title, the tract nowhere makes the claim that Jackie Mason is a follower of Jesus.
I don't know how effective it ultimately is and if God does use this method, but I confess that I am partial (and so is Jews for Jesus) to "shake'em up, in yer face" evangelism.
Yet I do wonder about the ethics of this particular project.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Sultanate of Oman on How Islam Spread
click HERE .
And just in case they decide to take the page down, here is the relevent portion :
"After God empowered Muslims to enter Mecca, Islam became the prevailing power and was spread by use of fear. This was particularly evident in the tribe of Quraysh, who had responded to the Prophet Muhammad’s new message of Islam with unrelenting persecution, eventually putting its resources in the service of the ever growing new religion. The Prophet then saw it preferable to contact neighbouring kings and rulers, including the two kings of Oman, Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, through peaceful means. History books tell us that the prophet had sent messages to the people of Oman, including a letter carried by military escort from Amr Inn Al Aas to Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, in which he wrote: ‘In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate, from Muhammad bin Abdullah to Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, peace be on those who choose the right path. Embrace Islam, and you shall be safe. I am God’s messenger to all humanity, here to alert all those alive that non believers are condemned. If you submit to Islam, you will remain kings, but if you abstain, your rule will be removed and my horses will enter your arena to prove my prophecy’. "
H/T Little Green Footballs
And just in case they decide to take the page down, here is the relevent portion :
"After God empowered Muslims to enter Mecca, Islam became the prevailing power and was spread by use of fear. This was particularly evident in the tribe of Quraysh, who had responded to the Prophet Muhammad’s new message of Islam with unrelenting persecution, eventually putting its resources in the service of the ever growing new religion. The Prophet then saw it preferable to contact neighbouring kings and rulers, including the two kings of Oman, Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, through peaceful means. History books tell us that the prophet had sent messages to the people of Oman, including a letter carried by military escort from Amr Inn Al Aas to Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, in which he wrote: ‘In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate, from Muhammad bin Abdullah to Jaiffar and Abd, sons of Al Julanda, peace be on those who choose the right path. Embrace Islam, and you shall be safe. I am God’s messenger to all humanity, here to alert all those alive that non believers are condemned. If you submit to Islam, you will remain kings, but if you abstain, your rule will be removed and my horses will enter your arena to prove my prophecy’. "
H/T Little Green Footballs
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Reflections on the Papal controversy
The movie put out by Mel Gibson two and a half year ago stimulated a lot of interfaith heat. And now, we have another interfaith controversy with the Pope himself at it’s epicentre.
When it comes to Jesus and/or Christianity we seem to be going from one fitful controversy to another – a bit like the proverbial birth pangs.
The earlier cartoon controversy and now this present one suggests to me that the person of Muhammad and what Muslims have made of him might be the greatest barrier to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me explain why.
First, I find it highly significant that Muhammad has inserted himself directly into the Muslim creed which goes as follows: "There is no God but Allah and **Muhammad is his messenger**".
Second, the evidence from the Koran and the Hadith with respect to (among other things) the change in the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca and with respect to Allah's permission for Muhammad to have unlimited number of wives as against four for all other believers clearly indicates that Allah is very much a respecter of this person and even bends his own divine will to accommodate Muhammad's whims and wishes.
Therefore, wherever Islam becomes dominant via political, economic or military means it is not difficult to understand how the person of Muhammad then comes to function as an absolute show stopper on the preaching of the Gospel of the Son of God (Mark 1:1).
N.T. Wright has stated on a number of occasions in his writings that the gospel which the Apostle Paul preached was “Jesus is Lord and not Caesar”. Isn’t that partly or even greatly why early Christians suffered so much under Rome?
Similarly, the message that needs to go out now is “Jesus is Lord and not Muhammad”. What the Pope did was clumsily and indirectly hint at the second part of this message without addressing the first:”Jesus is indeed Lord”. We need both clauses.
We need both clauses but this is becoming ever more difficult to express.
In fact i had blogged about this very point back when the cartoon controversy was upon us.
In our day we have the force of secularism in the West which is allied with political correctness. Misguided notions of tolerance are having a stifling effect on the preaching of Christ.
Will it be a force as strong as Islam in this regard?
Probably not.
Yet, despite areas of incompatibility it is still possible that Western secularism and Islam will find in this, the stifling of Christian preaching, their common ground and become united in more vigorous enmity against Christianity.
Have we not all heard the saying : "Politics makes strange bedfellows" ? It is true. The danger is real but I hope this does not happen.
UPDATE : Get Religion assures us that the English translation of the German utterances of the Pope should have been rendered as "bad and inhumane" as opposed to "evil and inhuman" which casts a slightly different shadow.
When it comes to Jesus and/or Christianity we seem to be going from one fitful controversy to another – a bit like the proverbial birth pangs.
The earlier cartoon controversy and now this present one suggests to me that the person of Muhammad and what Muslims have made of him might be the greatest barrier to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me explain why.
First, I find it highly significant that Muhammad has inserted himself directly into the Muslim creed which goes as follows: "There is no God but Allah and **Muhammad is his messenger**".
Second, the evidence from the Koran and the Hadith with respect to (among other things) the change in the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca and with respect to Allah's permission for Muhammad to have unlimited number of wives as against four for all other believers clearly indicates that Allah is very much a respecter of this person and even bends his own divine will to accommodate Muhammad's whims and wishes.
Therefore, wherever Islam becomes dominant via political, economic or military means it is not difficult to understand how the person of Muhammad then comes to function as an absolute show stopper on the preaching of the Gospel of the Son of God (Mark 1:1).
N.T. Wright has stated on a number of occasions in his writings that the gospel which the Apostle Paul preached was “Jesus is Lord and not Caesar”. Isn’t that partly or even greatly why early Christians suffered so much under Rome?
Similarly, the message that needs to go out now is “Jesus is Lord and not Muhammad”. What the Pope did was clumsily and indirectly hint at the second part of this message without addressing the first:”Jesus is indeed Lord”. We need both clauses.
We need both clauses but this is becoming ever more difficult to express.
In fact i had blogged about this very point back when the cartoon controversy was upon us.
In our day we have the force of secularism in the West which is allied with political correctness. Misguided notions of tolerance are having a stifling effect on the preaching of Christ.
Will it be a force as strong as Islam in this regard?
Probably not.
Yet, despite areas of incompatibility it is still possible that Western secularism and Islam will find in this, the stifling of Christian preaching, their common ground and become united in more vigorous enmity against Christianity.
Have we not all heard the saying : "Politics makes strange bedfellows" ? It is true. The danger is real but I hope this does not happen.
UPDATE : Get Religion assures us that the English translation of the German utterances of the Pope should have been rendered as "bad and inhumane" as opposed to "evil and inhuman" which casts a slightly different shadow.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Quote of the Day
"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence,"says Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Philippians 4:5
"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near"
A few days ago I prayed to the Lord to help me understand this verse:
Why should our gentleness be "evident to all”? And what is the connection between this and with the immediately following phrase “the Lord is near”?
Last night, I was watching and my wife was half-watching a dramatisation on BBC about some folk who happened to be have been in the Twin Towers during the attack. At one point there spoke a fireman (Capt. Jay Jonas - he tells his story on YouTube as well) who with a colleague had been helping a lady come down the stairway.
First, he revealed that he happened upon this lady just as she had been having difficulty walking down the stairs because of injury or smoke inhalation. This was just after the other building had collapsed. So the fireman knew he needed to get out of this one in a hurry. But when he was asked why he didn’t just pass her by and that nobody would know he said “I would know”.
So here is a man with a conscience.
Then he said that as they were slowly making their way down and as the stress levels grew and grew, he started speaking softer and softer. He said he consciously trained himself to do this because he said that at times like these you don’t want to add to the tension by screaming down at people – hence ”let your gentleness be evident to all”.
But what is the connection with “the Lord is near”?
Well, it may or may not be like when it was with the Twin Towers on September 11 but it is the testimony of the New Testament that the second coming of the Lord is going to be accompanied by very stressful times indeed referred to as “times of tribulation”. So it seems that, like this firemen, our comportment during times of “tribulation” must of one of “gentleness”. It may not be an automatic kind of gentleness but one which is maintained with conscious effort like the effort this fireman put into speaking softer and softer as the tension grew and grew.
But why gentleness?
I suppose one reason might be to help those around us who are also waiting for the coming of the Lord to endure the “tribulations”.
It’s also a fruit of the Spirit and a character trait of the Lord Jesus himself which was especially evident in his earthly ministry.
And I suppose we should be more like him generally but especially as we wait to greet His coming again.
Here is how William Hendriksen in his commentary on this verse puts it:
“ The idea seems to be : since Christ’s coming is near, when all the promises made to God’s people will become realities, believers, in spite of being persecuted, can certainly afford to be mild and charitable in their relation to others”.
By the way, this fireman, the lady and the other fireman who was helping the first carry the woman all came out of the building AFTER it had collapsed around them.
Maybe this true story is a good model of how Christians are to go through and finally emerge out of “tribulation”.
A few days ago I prayed to the Lord to help me understand this verse:
Why should our gentleness be "evident to all”? And what is the connection between this and with the immediately following phrase “the Lord is near”?
Last night, I was watching and my wife was half-watching a dramatisation on BBC about some folk who happened to be have been in the Twin Towers during the attack. At one point there spoke a fireman (Capt. Jay Jonas - he tells his story on YouTube as well) who with a colleague had been helping a lady come down the stairway.
First, he revealed that he happened upon this lady just as she had been having difficulty walking down the stairs because of injury or smoke inhalation. This was just after the other building had collapsed. So the fireman knew he needed to get out of this one in a hurry. But when he was asked why he didn’t just pass her by and that nobody would know he said “I would know”.
So here is a man with a conscience.
Then he said that as they were slowly making their way down and as the stress levels grew and grew, he started speaking softer and softer. He said he consciously trained himself to do this because he said that at times like these you don’t want to add to the tension by screaming down at people – hence ”let your gentleness be evident to all”.
But what is the connection with “the Lord is near”?
Well, it may or may not be like when it was with the Twin Towers on September 11 but it is the testimony of the New Testament that the second coming of the Lord is going to be accompanied by very stressful times indeed referred to as “times of tribulation”. So it seems that, like this firemen, our comportment during times of “tribulation” must of one of “gentleness”. It may not be an automatic kind of gentleness but one which is maintained with conscious effort like the effort this fireman put into speaking softer and softer as the tension grew and grew.
But why gentleness?
I suppose one reason might be to help those around us who are also waiting for the coming of the Lord to endure the “tribulations”.
It’s also a fruit of the Spirit and a character trait of the Lord Jesus himself which was especially evident in his earthly ministry.
And I suppose we should be more like him generally but especially as we wait to greet His coming again.
Here is how William Hendriksen in his commentary on this verse puts it:
“ The idea seems to be : since Christ’s coming is near, when all the promises made to God’s people will become realities, believers, in spite of being persecuted, can certainly afford to be mild and charitable in their relation to others”.
By the way, this fireman, the lady and the other fireman who was helping the first carry the woman all came out of the building AFTER it had collapsed around them.
Maybe this true story is a good model of how Christians are to go through and finally emerge out of “tribulation”.
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism
"We affirm that Palestinians are one people, both Muslim and Christian. We reject all attempts to subvert and fragment their unity."
This is a rather odd statement for the heads of Christian Churches to make. It's not a Christian statement but a patently nationalistic one that opposes any seperate discussions of rights for Christian Arabs ; essentially the heads of the top four Christian churches in Israel just signed away their own parishioners who are being persecuted by the Arab Muslim authorities. It's not a statement being made by the heads of Christian Churches but by prominent Arabs who prioritize Arab nationalism over Christianity.
Source : Sultan Knish
This is a rather odd statement for the heads of Christian Churches to make. It's not a Christian statement but a patently nationalistic one that opposes any seperate discussions of rights for Christian Arabs ; essentially the heads of the top four Christian churches in Israel just signed away their own parishioners who are being persecuted by the Arab Muslim authorities. It's not a statement being made by the heads of Christian Churches but by prominent Arabs who prioritize Arab nationalism over Christianity.
Source : Sultan Knish
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Did Israel give Lebanon full and fair warning of attacks ?
I keep a stack of old newsprint beside my bed to use to catch my whiskers when I trim my beard.
The other day, as I was tearing off the top few pages of newsprint for this purpose, I casually looked down and the article caught my eye. It happened to be the June 2nd edition of the Jewish Chronicle. The news report was written by Joseph Millis, Foreign Editor of the paper. It's on page 9 . As I quote from that article bear in mind that the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon did not happen until July 12th:
The other day, as I was tearing off the top few pages of newsprint for this purpose, I casually looked down and the article caught my eye. It happened to be the June 2nd edition of the Jewish Chronicle. The news report was written by Joseph Millis, Foreign Editor of the paper. It's on page 9 . As I quote from that article bear in mind that the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon did not happen until July 12th:
"Israel this week warned Lebanon that the country would pay a "heavy price" if it allowed Hezbollah to continue to operate from the south of the country. The warning-- issued by a top military commander -- came after Israel responded with air strikes to a Katyusha rocket attack across the border on Sunday. (...) One of the rockets hit an Israeli Air Force installation on Mount Meiron, near Safed. "We hope the message from our response [on Sunday] was understood correctly by the other side", Brigadier-General Gal Hirsch, the commander of the Galilee division, told reporters on Monday. (....) The fighting ended on Sunday afternoon after the Lebanese government requested via the UN a cease-fire with Israel. On Monday, senior officers revealed that prior to the Lebanese cease-fire request, Israel had threatened to bomb additional parts of Lebanon, including Beirut, and not just the southern part of the country controlled by Hezbollah. "We told them that we would expand our firing to other parts of the country", one senior officer told the Jerusalem Post. "they understood very well what we meant". Last Wednesday - the [sixth] anniversary [of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon] - the pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud praised Hezbollah, saying it should "stay[ in place] until a just and comprehensive peace is achieved in the region". However, Lebanese Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze groups were less enthusiastic about Hezbollah "Firing rockets from South Lebanon is a violation of Lebanese sovereignty," the anti-Syrian March 14 Forces executive committee said in a statement. "There is a serious security vacuum in the area due to the lack of the government's control." [The group's] leaders include include Sa'ad Hariri, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
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