Jul 21
Book It
By Jim Fletcher
I’ll report on this in-depth at a later time, but this
week, I’d like to highlight a few things I saw at the International
Christian Retail Show in Orlando.
This is the big, annual Christian booksellers’ convention, better known as
CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). More than likely, these are the
folks you see operating a Christian bookstore in your area.
From the perspective of pro Israel Christians, the
convention was a mixed-bag. In fact, I had the great pleasure of seeing my
good friend Terry James. Terry has some exciting things on his plate,
including a new book that will be out from Harvest House soon,
The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy?
Terry and I reminisced about how popular prophecy books were 15 or 20 years
ago. Today, they are few and far between on the convention floor.
In fact, CBA is continuing its move to a more
pluralistic community. I spoke to a representative from a New York publishing house — secular — and he
matter-of-factly explained that they publish some Christian authors….and
authors who follow other religions.
“Emergent” was the buzz on the floor.
Publisher-after-publisher is releasing titles from authors in the Emergent
community, as it’s known. Authors like Brian McLaren and Tony Jones are
pumping books into a market willing to receive them. Among their unorthodox
views is a disturbing trend toward bashing the study of eschatology. At
least, eschatology that is at odds with McLaren’s pluralistic view. He and
his friends don’t like dispensationalism. RaptureReady and Lighthouse Trails
are two websites that have archived articles detailing Emergent’s dislike of
Bible prophecy.
Of course, McLaren comes across as a sweet guy. His
stock author photo smiles at us serenely, as if McLaren has found the kind
of truth that brings true spiritual contentment. In point of fact, McLaren
and other Emergent speakers reject the belief that there is any such thing
as ultimate truth. For them, everything is open to discussion and dissection
over a specialty coffee at Starbucks. Everything except dispensationalism
and Christian Zionism. Then, they barely conceal their contempt for “Bible
literalists.”
I want to be clear about something: CBA publishers
sometimes publish books they believe to be necessary for the spiritual
well-being of Christians. And they often publish books because they bring in
cash.
Cash.
In other words, the latest trend, the latest feel-good
teaching is the priority.
William Paul Young, author of the runaway bestseller,
The Shack, attended and spoke to
convention attendees at a breakfast on Wednesday morning. You might be aware
of Young and his book: the novel, which details a man’s search for emotional
healing after the brutal murder of his daughter, has generated controversy
due to its odd depiction of the Trinity (for example, “God” is a large black
woman; Oprah Winfrey and Queen Latifah are rumored to be in the lead for the
inevitable film role).
Young didn’t reveal much about his theology during a
discussion format. Instead, he talked about his own narrative, something
vastly popular today. No longer do religious speakers present theology and
doctrine to audiences. That’s considered hopelessly outdated.
Instead, one’s own life journey is all the rage. And
Young’s poignant story of suffering sexual abuse as a child moved the
audience to collective tears. Nothing else mattered, not the questionable
elements in the book or Young’s ties to liberal thinkers. The real bottom
line is the bottom line. Christian stores are struggling against the giant
retailers, who can offer deep discounts for books. Therefore, whatever
nominally Christian book which sells big is treated like royalty.
When Young finished speaking, he left the stage and was
embraced warmly by CBA President Bill Anderson. Several attendees rose and
applauded.
Meanwhile, the old standards are marginalized and even
treated with some embarrassment. I’m talking about authors promoting a love
for the Bible and the God of the Bible. And, God forbid, the Jews of modern Israel.
If Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo and the folks at
Christianity Today believe we all need to “think carefully” about the
“damage” dispensationalism is doing to the world today, then by golly,
publishers will follow suit.
Several pro Israel/Bible prophecy ministries that used
to show at ICRS no longer attend. That’s sad. However, I understand. To
spend perhaps $10,000 for a booth and travel to ICRS makes little sense when
your staffers watch disinterested attendees pass by, on their way to a
publishing house display that endeavors only to make people feel good about
themselves.
I was grateful to a handful of publishers who still
defend the faith once delivered to the saints. Folks like Harvest House and
Strang Communications. Both are strongly pro Israel. New Leaf Publishing Group
has several fine titles. Interestingly, all three of these houses are still
privately owned. That’s the key. They aren’t “beholden” to a
corporate/investor climate that demands pluralism.
An Israeli publisher attended, shoved in the back of
the room and almost invisible to the crowd. This would be the extent of what
I would call promotion of pro
Israel
books. Publishers will say that they are simply providing the books in
demand by the buying public.
I don’t believe that. It’s the opposite. The public
will buy what’s put in front of them and the plain truth is, publishers are
contributing to the dumbing-down of
America. They subtly, cleverly blame
customers, claiming that it’s the customers who want gooey, fluffy
giftbooks. The other claim — that woman are the primary bookstore customers
and want “women’s books” — is sexist. Are woman not smart enough, even
eager, to read about Israel and Bible prophecy?
Of course, the answer is, “Of course.”
The Christian book industry doesn’t understand this
market. These publishers also don’t care. They are following the pied piper
of Emergent.
The solution for us is to buy Terry James’ books.
Support Lighthouse Trails Publishing, and Harvest House, and Strang, and
NLPG. Tell everyone you know about them. Spread the message far and wide.
The goal? Ultimately, that when you exit the stage one day and stand in
front of the Only One that matters, He will warmly embrace you. Then you
will hear the cheering and clapping of the angels and the saints.
Jul 14
The Jews
By Jim Fletcher
I like Jews. I like them a lot. More than that, I
believe that God put a love for the Jewish people in my heart.
I just wanted to be upfront about my stance on the
People the world obsesses over.
Sir Martin Gilbert said last year, “People don’t like
Jews.” The British historian was not giving an opinion; he was stating a
fact. I think he is correct. He was giving us a reason for some of the
bizarre policies from the international community. You know, ways in which
power-brokers the world over turn truth on its head: placing terror states
like Syria on the U.N. Security Council; silence over
Palestinian barbarism, while condemning Israel’s insistence on survival.
Things like that.
I think Jew-hatred is a supernatural sickness. It
infects otherwise healthy individuals. It is my opinion that a majority of
people, if polled, would indicate either an indifference or hostility toward
the Jews. It has always been this way, which is one of the most remarkable
validations of the Bible, by the way.
For some reason, late in his life, Benzion Netanyahu
has become a friend of mine. Whenever I’m in Israel, I like visiting with him.
Now 97, the patriarch of a great Israeli family is sharp, engaging, and very
wise. I’m sure he wonders why an evangelical from the American Midwest calls
him.
And yet Benzion is a prime example of everything that
is good about the Jews. He is fiercely nationalistic. He is discerning when
it comes to human nature. He is principled. He has his detractors, because,
as Charles Spurgeon once said, darkness hates the light.
Benzion guided his three sons to achieve great things
in life. One, Yoni, became a legendary combat hero. Another, Iddo, is one of
the most gifted writers I’ve ever known; he also finds time to be a
physician! Of course, the third son, Bibi, was prime minister and the most
eloquent spokesman for the Jewish state in the world today.
All three sons served in Israel’s elite commando unit,
Sayeret Matkal. They are Zionists.
Thank God.
At a time when international opinion of Israel is
hardening into something “not good,” there are people like the Netanyahu
family that stand their ground. They see the world for what it is. People
like that keep the rest of us alive.
Beyond that, there is the ethereal quality.
Benzion told me once about being a boy playing on the
sand dunes of Tel Aviv. This was around 1920, when the city was still young.
On Israel’s coast,
today Tel Aviv is a bustling metropolis. “Then, there were only a few small
buildings and the sun burned all day,” Benzion said. A stone’s throw from
the beach (in the vicinity of Independence Hall), this section for me is a
metaphor for Israel’s
modern ascension. It is the sun shining on Israel’s rebirth, a miracle without
peer in world history.
Today’s Jewish state is new, the brightest of
lighthouses showing us the way. For in it, one can plainly see the guiding
hand of the Lord of History. No puny man can thwart Him. Hezbollah from
outside seeks to kill Israel. Hamas
does the same from within. There are reports now that the Palestinian
Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas will “reconcile” with the killers from Hamas. No
surprise there; they are vultures-of-a-feather.
The recent terror event in Jerusalem, in which a Palestinian worker drove
his bulldozer through a street of panicked people, is indicative of the
madness of the Arabs. The scene unfolded near the city’s central bus
station, where a friend of mine maintains an office. God told us in Genesis
that Ishmael would be a wild donkey of a man, and that no man could reason
with him. Terror plots are snuffed-out on a daily basis by the Israelis, and
unfortunately, some succeed. Daily. People are obsessed with killing Jews.
“People don’t like Jews.” None of this makes sense, unless the Bible is
true.
The international community cannot summon-up the moral
courage to scream about the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. American
diplomats fume about Jewish reluctance to give away everything for a paper
peace. Israeli society is divided to some degree, not able to make up its
mind whether peace initiatives are good or bad.
And yet.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God said that He is always
watching, and that Jerusalem’s
walls are ever before Him. God does not forget even one captured soldier. He
also gave ample warning to the nations, long ago, not to do anything that
would endanger the Jews. Finally, even in that fractured society, Israel today
speaks with one voice, literally. A century ago, the scholar Eliazar
Ben-Yehuda began to resurrect the ancient Hebrew language. Right at this
moment, Israelis gathered from dozens and dozens of countries…speak Hebrew. Again, this is unparalleled in human history, this
restoration of an ancient people.
It isn’t that the world doesn’t recognize these things.
It’s that the world rejects them.
Fundamentally, humans understand that there is a God who made everything. In
fact, He predicted our rebellion. He provided and provides constant proof
that He exists. But the international community continues its mad march to
oblivion and doom.
Once, the Jews were few in their ancient land. The land
itself was bleak. But on cue, the Jews came back. They ran and laughed and
shouted on the sandy shore of the Mediterranean.
The world hates them. The world tries to ignore them.
Scholars call them a coincidence, an accident of history. Their enemies plot
against them.
But — thanks be to God —
they are here.
Jul 7
Between Barak
and a Hard Place
By Jim Fletcher
Danny Yatom, the Labor politician/military figure,
resigned from the Knesset last week in
Israel. He cited a compelling reason: an
inability to actually get anything positive done for the country. When was
the last time you heard a politician give up his or her perks and power…out
of conviction?
Yatom is the former Mossad chief and a soldier. In
fact, in his departure from government, he said that he had only been able
to really aid his country when he was a young commando in Sayeret Matkal.
Yatom’s exit leaves his old friend, Ehud Barak, without another key
ally.
Barak of course is the former prime minister, having
ousted Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999. Barak didn’t last long, giving way to
Ariel Sharon. Barak’s chief moment in the sun came when he bantered and
giggled with the gargoyle, Yasser Arafat, at the Clinton-led
Camp David
talks in 2000. Barak made far-reaching concessions, including a handover of
the
Temple Mount to the Palestinians.
You might remember that Arafat turned it all down.
At least the mass-murderer stuck to his own
convictions. Arafat had no intention of building a state. He was what he had
always been: a terrorist bent on the destruction of the Jews. In effect, he
telegraphed those desires to Barak, Clinton, CNN, and the whole wide world.
In fact, Clinton, safely out of the
White House, admitted later that Arafat had torpedoed the talks. Clinton might be yellow,
but he understands what’s going
on.
Ehud Barak thirsts to be prime minister again. Why?
Ego.
As I enter my cynical middle-aged years, it seems to me
that very few politicians have the public’s interests at heart. Barak would
like to be the one to lead
Israel
to real peace; we’ve discussed this before in the context of Bible prophecy.
Isaiah knew a little about the intentions of Israel’s future leaders and he
predicted none of them would get the job done.
Barak currently serves as Israel’s defense minister, in the
Ehud Olmert government.
Israel’s political environment is nothing
if not fascinating. Sitting cabinet ministers can openly oppose the prime
minister and further their own political interests. The question is, what
would Barak bring to the table for Israel? A paper
peace with their arch enemies?
Thirty two summers ago, Barak and others were involved
in planning the famous Entebbe
hostage rescue. The assault force then was led by a man who had no political
pretensions: Jonathan Netanyahu. The Sayeret Matkal leader, brother of the
future prime minister, simply picked up his weapon, boarded a plane, and led
the shockingly successful raid. Barak was in the planning stages and
initially was supposed to go along, but he was dropped from the operation,
thus freeing Netanyahu to succeed with his men.
For those of you who don’t know — or wondered —
Barak is not religious. Few of Israel’s leaders
today are religious. Thus, they see things as the world sees them: man can
fix himself.
We know better.
Israel’s enemies are becoming more
emboldened with each passing week. The cabinet decision to release 1,000
terrorists to Hezbollah, in exchange for what is assumed to be the bodies of
two Israeli soldiers, is a problem. Hamas will now likely up their demands
for the release of Gilad Shalit, now held for two years by the barbarians in
Gaza.
It’s too bad Barak doesn’t draw from his former
experiences, when he was a brave battlefield commander defeating the
terrorists. In 1973, he took part in the operation, “Spring of Youth,” in
which Golda Meir dispatched Sayeret Matkal to
Lebanon, where they eliminated the killers
of Israeli athletes at the ’72 Munich Olympics. In
Beirut, Barak posed as a Lebanese woman strolling
with her beau. The “lady” and her beau moments later burst into an apartment
building and brought Israeli justice.
Barak also took part in storming the Sabena airliner at Lod
Airport
— an operation led by Benjamin Netanyahu during the same period of time.
I recently watched video of one of the participants in
the Entebbe operation. A young
women in the audience rose to ask him why they had done it — why those young
commandos had risked everything in such a daring and dangerous operation.
“We did it for the same reason David fought Goliath —
the people were in danger,” said the man.
Wow. Joshua’s heart beats in the chests of Israel’s
fighting men and women. That will keep them until their Redeemer appears.
Danny Yatom killed his own political career. Jonathan
Netanyahu literally died at Entebbe.
They had a higher purpose. Perhaps Ehud Barak will
rediscover his.
Jun 30
The Storm Before
the Calm
By Jim Fletcher
We can look at it one of two ways: the rotten nature of
our society and larger world is something to be feared, or accepted. Maybe
I’m weird, but I like where we are. It shows me that God is in control and
he’s “working His plan.”
I just returned from a week in Ecuador. I kept looking for an angel
wielding a sword, guarding the entrance to the garden. Amazingly beautiful,
Ecuador
is a South American country with enviable natural resources. An enormously
rich gold mine was just located. Gas hovers just over a dollar a gallon,
sure to drop after a refinery is repaired. They import no food, since
everything from beef to vegetables and fruits grow massive in the soil-rich
countryside.
I mention this because there are good reasons to long
for such a place. The
U.S.
is moving closer to sanctioning gay marriage. Abortion proponents have
cleverly diverted our attention to global warming. After all, if you’re
talking incessantly about preserving ecosystems, you don’t have to talk
about the barbarism inherent in abortion. Emergent church leaders are
birthing Something Wicked This Way Comes in the Christian community.
We are where we are.
All this seems relevant to me because they illustrate
the twin terrors of our time: societal degradation, and hatred of Israel.
What is all this if not confirmation of Scripture?
Almost 4,000 years ago, in the wilderness, God told the
Israelites exactly what would happen to them. In detail. Deuteronomy and
Numbers aren’t boring books in the Old Testament; they are alive with
supernatural prediction.
Man is always looking for ways to see into his future.
There are reports from time to time of paranormal investigation. We try to
find ways to see into the future.
All the while, the Bible has already done that for us.
Paul predicted, through the Holy Spirit, that society
would plunge into darkness in the last days. The prophets predicted that Israel would be
pushed to the brink.
Sadly,
Israel’s current prime minister is so weak,
he’s become embarrassing. Clinging to power after a bungled war in
Lebanon
and unseemly corruption charges, he vows to stay in office.
Perhaps the most ominous sign for
Israel
is Iran.
Not only is the Islamic state close to having nukes, but it’s been made
clear to the Jewish state that if it chooses to go it alone and strike
Iran’s nuclear facilities, there will be various responses, all bad. Oil at
$200 a barrel is threatened, and that represents perhaps the worst threat of
all: economic.
My friend (and yours) Avi Lipkin recounted several
years ago a dinner meeting he had with
Texas
oilmen. They told their Israeli guest point-blank that they were tired of
fighting wars on Israel’s
behalf. They hinted darkly that
Israel
would find herself alone if oil supplies were threatened again, as they were
in 1973.
Ominous.
A personal aside: several years ago, I did myself a
favor and internalized the concept of Abraham being a “sojourner” in this
world. He described himself as essentially just passing through, that this
world was not his real home.
Until I absorbed that, I had hunkered down and thought
that life was really about clinging to the past, to things I knew were sure.
Life has taught me that very little is sure, and that
we can’t rely on people or things. We can only rely on God. And God has
provided us abundant evidence of what our future is. It is not longing for
an earthly Eden. It is not “taking
back America.”
It is not hoping that someone can bring peace to the
Middle East.
This life is really about preparation for the next
life. The permanent life. Abraham is there.
I hope you will be, too.
Jun 23
Very Naughty Figs
By Jim Fletcher
“One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first
ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten,
they were so bad.” Jeremiah 24:2
If
any verse perfectly describes the Palestinians, this one is it. Very naughty
figs, indeed. As the prophet said, there are good and bad in the land of Israel,
and nothing symbolizes this more than the terror groups operating against
the Jewish state.
Hamas,
Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade (sigh), etc., all
exist to make sure Israel does not.
Imagine
this: you live in north Dallas, and your
neighborhood is being infiltrated by bad people from
Plano (nothing against
Plano; it’s a lovely suburb). Either these bad people
(figs?) directly confront your family, or they fire rockets or other weapons
at your neighborhood.
This
is the equivalent of what the Israelis face daily. Terrorists there don’t
strike from a faraway country. They are a couple blocks over. As the
Psalmist said, Jerusalem is compact — buildings are right on
top of the other. Just steps from, say, the Garden Tomb, one can find
posters of the shaheeds — the
“martyrs” — on buildings lining the street. A knife flashes on a busy
street. Shooters hide behind rocks alongside highways. I’ve even heard that
a grenade was tossed onto the Western Wall Plaza, a few years ago.
The
threat from radical Islam is quite different from that of other totalitarian
regimes, especially in the last century. This is for one simple reason: they
don’t blink. They don’t stop. I don’t think they’ll ever stop.
I believe that the human mind cannot handle too much stress; this
is elementary. It follows that even though Western leaders and security
agencies understand very well what we’re up against, they will at the end of
the day advocate negotiations, cultural understanding, and blaming the
victim (Israel), rather
than face up to the real problem. This must be a major explanation for
policies that seem to appease Islam.
I have no doubt that our troops in Iraq would have no qualms about
striking terrorists in a mosque, but political considerations prevent them
from doing so. The result is an enemy that rightly sees a weakness and
exploits it by placing women and children in harm’s way, as a shield. Israel has dealt
with this for a very long time.
And these naughty figs have more than Jews in their
sights. About 3,500 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which is now
controlled by Hamas. That terrorist group has recently targeted churches,
schools (including the
American International School),
libraries, and cafes. According to the Intelligence and
Terrorism
Information
Center
in Israel,
bombs were detonated near a school run by nuns.
Notice this. Not only does Hamas target innocents —
they are also targeting American
and Western groups. This should be proof to our leaders that it’s only a
matter of time before they extend their reach. Supporting Israel is not only a moral
imperative, it is an existential one, as well. Simply put, if they kill
“them,” they’ll also kill us.
This is lost on both the liberal and “moderate”
elements in our society. Danger lurks, but the victim is blamed, thus
becoming the villain!
One can see the signs, especially traveling in Israel.
Once, on a trip to the south to see
Masada, I noticed that two security guards sitting under the
shade of a canopy were each wearing pistols. The weapons weren’t meant to
protect against unruly sixth-graders. Guns in
Israel
are seen in malls, restaurants, all public places. I’ve even seen them in
churches (King of Kings fellowship in
Jerusalem) and weddings, for heaven’s sake!
Drive anywhere in the country and you’ll see bus riders waiting
behind concrete barriers. Barriers with bullet holes in them. Or, try being
at the scene of a bus bombing, with dead children hanging out the shattered
sides of the bus. Sorry for the graphic description, but perhaps it’s time
for graphic descriptions.
The Barbarians are always at the gates.
By contrast, notice how often Israel sends foreign aid and
advisors when a natural disaster occurs anywhere in the world. Notice how
much Israeli technology improves the quality of life for people everywhere.
Notice the myriad ways in which Israelis demonstrate the value of human
life.
In April, Hamas’s television network (satellite, Al-Aksa
Television), ran a segment called “Brilliant Children,” in which a child
stabs American President George Bush. This to avenge the “crimes” against Iraq, Lebanon,
and Gaza.
Instead of an international outcry against such
insanity, in various power centers (politics, even entertainment),
appeasement is the order of the day. There is lip-service paid to being
vigilant against, for example, Palestinian incitement in school textbooks,
but nothing is ever done. The Arabs know that public rebukes mean nothing.
Instead, we hear
Israel
rebuked for taking steps to erect a security barrier. The barrier has saved
many, many lives. The truth is, if it has saved only one life, it’s been
worth it. Yet the international community condemns Israel for “cutting off the
Palestinians.”
Who cares? We shouldn’t care about the inconvenience
of the Palestinians, so long as even a single Jewish life is saved. The
international community (biblically, “the nations”) should stand
shoulder-to-shoulder against the barbarism in the Palestinian territories.
This past spring, even a terrorist, Ramadan Abdallah Shalah, head of
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, admitted that terror bombers are prevented from
entering Israel, because of the security
barrier.
But what will a possible Barack Obama Administration
do? I predict that at some point, his State Department would howl long and
loud about Israel’s security measures, and press for easement of
checkpoints, such as those advocated by the hugely disappointing Condi Rice.
Although it’s a simplistic argument, it’s obvious to
me that there are people in the Holy Land
who are good. And there are people who are very, very bad. It doesn’t take a
Rhodes Scholar to figure out which is which.
Fig-ure
it out.
Jun 16
Very Tony Diplomacy
By Jim Fletcher
After careful consideration, I’ve come to the
conclusion that Tony Blair is a good guy. The former British prime minister
recently converted to his wife’s faith, Catholicism. This after a lifetime
(of course) in the Anglican Church.
Evidently, while a student at Oxford in the 1970s, Blair had a conversion
experience. I take him at his word.
Since stepping down last year, after a decade leading Great Britain, Blair has not stopped his
diplomatic activities, particularly as they regard the
Middle East. Like all international diplomats, he advocates for
a Palestinian state.
On a layover in
London
a few years ago, I walked around the city. Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey…all
impressive places. Yet the thing that caught my eye was a statue of Winston
Churchill. The English “bulldog” struck a defiant pose, as he did in life,
much to the eternal chagrin of dictators in Europe.
Sadly, a group of anti-war protestors, awash in
appeasement, stood next to Churchill’s image. They shouted long and loud
about the evil George Bush and his foray into innocent Iraq. They held banners decrying all
war. I looked closely at Churchill’s bronze face to see if tears were
rolling down his cheeks.
Devastated in the 19th century by Darwinian
philosophy and the clergy’s own “emergent” movement — valiantly opposed by
no less than Charles Spurgeon — England today reflects that slippery slope
away from the authority of scripture. Church attendance is in single digits
and many old churches are being converted into mosques.
In a word, the British have no discernment left. They
are pacifists to such a degree that they drive from office a man (Blair) who
actually understands the threat from Islam, even if he isn’t always so
public about it. Any British premier gets deluxe intelligence reports every
day, and Blair well understood the viciousness of radical Islam.
Yet his approach today is instructive for those of us
who struggle to understand our world. There is definitely a direct link
between the trashing of the Bible in Europe,
and the lack of resolve in confronting Islam today. For if one does not
believe in evil, or original sin, then one can wrongly conclude that bad
people aren’t really bad; they’re just misunderstood.
America’s war leaders a couple generations
ago knew how to win: kill as many Nazis as possible. Truman knew the
Japanese military wouldn’t stop unless it was devastated. William Sherman
understood in 1864 that the Confederacy would regroup into a guerrilla force
for years unless the South was brought to its knees.
None of these men liked war. None of them enjoyed
seeing people die. Franklin Roosevelt didn’t. Ike didn’t. Sherman and Grant
didn’t. But they figured out that Western civilization was at risk. That is,
a much worse scenario was on the horizon if they didn’t stop wars that were
forced on them.
Today’s leaders generally tend to feel that man is
basically good. Evidently, Jimmy Carter believes this (unless the subject is
the Jews). It is not a stretch to say that people who have either been
taught that the Old Testament is myth, or simply weren’t taught anything
about it, will not believe in original sin. They do not believe any such
events took place. Therefore, man is in position to shape himself and his
fellow man.
This is a false view of history. It is also a very
dangerous world view. If one believes Palestinian leaders can be reasoned
with, one is deluding oneself. If one believes “back-channel” talks with
Hamas can lead to something positive, one is deluded. Hamas is infected with
evil and thrives on the weakness of its perceived enemies.
This is the problem with Tony Blair. His Christianity —
I think — focuses on social justice issues. In other words, it is a form of
“liberal” Christianity. It is a problem of discernment.
His forays into Palestinian politics were recently
featured in Time magazine. Blair visited
Bethlehem, stayed in a hotel there, and met with
leaders. He apparently sincerely believes that a Palestinian state and the
supposed economic prosperity will usher in peace. Interestingly, the actor
Omar Sharif recently spat on that view, that democracy can take hold in the
Middle East. He even went so far as to say that, at age 76, he
consults the local tribal chief to mediate disputes. Omar Sharif essentially
lives in the twelfth century! As does the larger Arab world.
Yet for all the evidence to the contrary, Blair, Barack
Obama, and others continue to insist that negotiations will bear fruit in
the Arab world.
This is very much a clash of Western and Eastern
civilizations, my friends. We can only hope that John McCain has a semblance
of discernment. It is certain his opponent does not.
There is a lot at stake.