Wow. Intriguing.

What do you think?

While I Was Away, The Pope Made News

Pope Benedict made the news last week by declaring publicly that the only way to salvation was through the Roman Catholic Church. I was away in Queens, with 44 other people, doing some urban missions stuff, so I was not able to comment. Forgive me my tardiness, for this is one of my favorite stories ever!

Why?

Because the Pope told what he believed to be true, nothing more, nothing less. Why is that a problem?

"It's insensitive to other denominations," say some and again. "It is offensive to all and rude to the Muslims," say others.

However, these critics reveal their over-sensitive, politically correct, historically ignorant point of view.

The Roman Catholic church believes it is the only way, and it always has. That shouldn't be news. The Eastern Orthodox denominations would disagree and have since 1100 A.D. (around there) when they decided that their pope was the true pope that went back to Peter and the Romans disagreed. Of course I disagree, as a reformed protestant. But, this is not news. It has been this way for centuries.

The Pope told the truth of what his church teaches. What's wrong with that? Palestinian and Arab leaders are constantly talking about how they need to push the Jews into the seas and murder all the infidels. We are VERY TOLERANT of such violent points of view. But let a Christian state what he believes and oh what a ruckus!

Do you want to know why the whole world gets more stirred up when Christians speak up than when Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, secularists, and others say what they believe? I know the answer. It is because Jesus Christ really is the Son of God. He really is the only way to heaven. And it just makes people mad who don't want to follow Him.

The opponents only confirm the truth. Jesus said that He came not to bring peace, but a sword (figuratively --He's not Mohammed!) --dividing people into two camps. There are those who are for Him, and then there are those who hate him. There is no middle ground.

Go, Pope, Go! I don't agree with you, but there is nothing wrong with telling the truth about what you believe.

What a Man Thinks in His Heart, So He Is

Car bombs in England are disturbing. What is more troubling is that recent arrests are pointing towards Muslims in the medical profession who were responsible. Actual doctors, in fact. What kind of ideology encourages medical doctors to plant car bombs? Think about that contradiction for a moment.

To save lives through medicine is seen as a good deed. As Westerners, we tend to think that doctors are on the side of all people in need. However, that is because we retain the framework of Christian worldview (even though we don't acknowledge it). In the history of man, the practice of medicine is not always so noble. It ebbs and flows in its morality.

In India, for example, many in the medical field do not treat the lower castes of society, believing that they're karma resigns them to a lower level of value. In America, to our shame, in decades past, some white physicians (not all, nor even most, of course) would refuse treatment to minorities.

But has anyone seen an ideology so vicious and so convoluted that the hands that heal are also the hands the blow up cars? (I know, some of you are thinking about abortion in America, and you have a point, however, very few doctors in America are performing abortions, thank God; the ones who do at least hide from their crime by rationalizing about feminism, the rights of women, et al. It doesn't justify their crime, but it at least it shows a desire to show at least a minimum respect for morality.).

This is not to say that all Muslim doctors blow up cars and people. But the fact that some do, and say they do it in the name of Allah raises issues. These are not renegade doctors. These are mainstream, respectable members of the medical community.

Islam is an ideology of conquest. It has been from the beginning. Islam holds the belief that infidels are unworthy of life and to be killed or conquered. This is not a twisting of their theology, it is in their holy books, taught by their Imams, and begun by their founder, Mohammed.

What a man believes about God truly matters.

Religion of Peace, Killing Again

In a small town, on the boarder of Pakistan, the Christians, about 500 strong, have been told by the Muslims that they must convert or die. Their deadline is this week. For details, click here.

This shouldn't surprise us. This is Islam. This is how the Muslims took the areas of land they control now. Their religion is their politics and their politics is ruthless and violent. Islam must be stopped. It is a scourge on the earth, bringing no good to anyone.

May these Christians be protected.