Galatians 4:22-25 — For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
I need to make two very clear statements at the start of what will be a long piece. This is nothing to do with politics — and everything to do with evangelism. Secondly — this will be a very long piece …
What started me thinking is something a lady called Marie Harf — deputy spokesperson for the United States Department of State and a former spokesperson for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — said in an interview recently:
We’re killing a lot of them, and we’re going to keep killing more of them. So are the Egyptians, so are the Jordanians — they’re in this fight with us. But we cannot win this war by killing them. We cannot kill our way out of this war. We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it’s a lack of opportunity for jobs.
The statement brought a hail of (mainly right wing conservative) derision on M/s. Harf’s head. It really wasn’t fair. As she rightly said, later, she was only saying what many others had already said. The derision was unfair — but her statement reflects a tragic and wrong-headed delusion. The only thing that will persuade Muslims to live, in the long run, side-by-side with non-Muslims is to bring them into the Christian fold.
It would be as foolish to blame every Muslim for the actions of ISIS as it would be to blame every Christian for everything ever done in the name of Christianity — but it’s important to listen to those who have knowledge of the matter. Here’s one commentary:
Assertions, therefore, that Islamist terrorism has nothing to do with Islam are as nonsensical as claims that the Crusades had nothing to do with Christian beliefs about the sanctity of Jerusalem or that the exponential growth of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands are not rooted in the beliefs of certain fundamentalist Jewish groups about the God-given rights of Jews to live in their God-given homeland. Indeed, there is an explicitly religious civil war driven by terrorist groups such as ISIS, al Qaeda and Hezbollah unfolding in the Middle East in countries such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen that pits ultrafundamentalist Sunnis against ultrafundamentalist Shias. This war could well replicate the religious Thirty Years’ War that tore apart 17th century Europe in both viciousness and length. Already hundreds of thousands have died in these conflicts. — Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst.
The idea that religious fundamentalists of any kind “think like we do” is a dangerous “feel good” folly that has been embodied in institutions like the United Nations and its precursor, the League of Nations. I wanted to show what a masterpiece of wishful thinking the charter of the United Nations is. I was spoiled for choice in making my selection. In the end I chose Article 13:
The General Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of : a) promoting international cooperation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification; b) promoting international cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.
People aren’t like that! (Surprise!).
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8 KJVA)
Look. This is the way of it. Most of the people in the world are not Christians. Even some Christians don’t buy in to the idea that capitalism and democracy are the only way to run the world. They never will — but all of us can be redeemed from our natural wickedness. That’s as true for Muslims as it is for anyone else. When they become Christians the lust for the destruction of Jews and Christians will go — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
No Marie, we don’t all think the same. …