The death of James Foley in
Iraq/Syria reminds
us that immorality is perhaps not the "Gay Aggenda", but of religion
itself, the man centered effort to please the gods that they worship.
The killing of James Foley was brutal and evil. Foley a religious
liberal Roman Catholic met a nasty reality in the deserts of Syria that religion can be
very evil. In reality Faith can either be for good or evil.
The liberal Protestant Christian mantra that all
religions are the same and that all you need is love is the biggest
casualty as religious people of faith slaughters Christians in prime
time TV brutality executing people. Even Obama is forced to go back into
Iraq, into an unjust war which created the mess in the first place.
In the border regions of Syria
and Iraq, the pictures of Christian children being killed mercilessly in
a large scale targeted fashion by the religious zealots even bought the
Pope into agreeing to military action. In such a lawlessness environment
governed by different sectarian groups, it is surprising that Christians
did not armed themselves for self defence. The deaths may bring a shift
into more convervative minded Christianity.
Britain and Europe have become
less Christian and more secular ending up in the killer having a London
accent! Apparently there are thousands of radical religious activist
from Europe in this brutal religious group. There is needed a Christian
revival of God's Grace, Mercy, Salvation, and Love in Europe in the very
birth place of Protestanism.
The plain outcome of the failure
of Liberal Christianity in UK and Europe is the rise of the religious
zealots of faith who used the liberty and the space given in the liberal
environment to recruit like minded zealots who is blinded by religion
with no conscience of causing harm.
The online blog Patheos claims
that America is becoming more secular with the headline "The Coming
Secular Era" with its typical rant blaming the shrinking Roman Catholics
and Southern Baptists, and claiming "no growth" for the mega churches.
This they claimed has to do with driving out the liberals and clinging
to old world views.
They couldn't count as the RC is
definately not shrinking and the Charismatic Evangelicals are growing.
They are desperately generalising because the attendance of Protestant
Mainline liberal
churches has fallen vertically. They wanted to believe Bishop John
Spong's assertions that Christianity must change to be more liberal or
die. But they too have no solution.
Yet, we are reminded of John
Shore's incredible assertion of "the inevitability of the rise of
Progressive Christianity". Liberal Christianity has won in making the US
and the World a better place, with justice and equality for all eg Gay
marriages and the rights and dignity of the marginalised for health care
and welfare benefits. It just didn't stop the collapse of the mainline
liberal churches.
There is a Liberal President who
really cares for the stranger in our midst. It's just that this did not
translate to the growth of liberal Christianity even the race based
liberal theology of Rev Jeremiah Wright. Progressives didn't rise even
with a liberal President in the White House because it is not based on
numbers and growth but about freedom and causing no harm.
Ironically, the Liberals had
embraced all the "Progressive" stance that Patheos had required. Yet the
mainline Protestant churches which are Liberal to use the words in the
Patheos article "had dwindled to the shadows of their former self from
the dominant cultural power in the US". They don't grow because they
feel that Salvation is not necesarry. Perhaps the Evangelical churches
are "consolidating" from the mainline Protestants.
Yet, Progressive/Liberal
Christianity has not fallen. Their Protestant variety may have fallen,
but the Roman Catholics are extremely liberal although outwardly may
appear conservative in its hierachal structure. Many of the Catholic
friends have the same faith beliefs of Progressives.
The killing of James Foley by
quite possibly a radicalised religious Londoner of faith may be the end
of the Christian liberal political correctness and religious
inclusiveness in Europe and US. We can't blame the liberals! It is the
Evangelical Christians who had failed to preach the Gospel of God's
grace, love, and mercy when they become moral crusaders against gays.
There is definitely no religious
reciprocity in the Middle East where Christians are tortured for their
faith. This is seldom mentioned in liberal nor conservative churches
with the liberals repeating their mantra that religion is about love and
the conservative, their regular anti-gay rant. But who are the least of
our bethren but those who are persecuted because they are Christians.
The scenes of gross religious
violence against Christians in the Middle East is a reminder of how
Christianity has fallen. We have become too liberal and too conservative
at the same time personified by a self centredness. It's all about
ourselves - either about our humanity and love for others, or our moral
good works in following God's commandments and becoming moral gate
keepers. We have forgotten the world outside our comfort zone. True
Christianity is centered in Jesus Christ not our love for others or our
morality, but His Love and His righteousness.
The news of the Rev Dennis
Balcombe, the missionary and evangelist being arrested in China for
preaching the Gospel is a reminder of the spiritual battle for souls
against the devil. This is the real Crossover as compared to attempts
via pop music by City Harvest Church. There is no first class travel or
living in luxury here.
The death of James Foley marks
the start of the end of current ways of Protestant Liberal Christianity
and Protestant Conservative
Christianity. In the liberal RC Jesuit circles, even the Pope has agreed for armed action against the
radical religious groups. It may also start a realization that if the
Kingdom of God is not agressively expanded, the kingdoms of this world
will take over. Taking over the mountains of secular powers through
Dominism or influencing culture has not worked. Once we joined to the
world, we become the world.
Christianity is not expanded
by violence or compulsion nor the demands of religious compliance/good
works or having moral gate
keepers, but with a humble heart to admit that we are sinners needing
God's love, grace and mercy found in Christ's death and resurrection at
the Cross of Calvary. It is nothing of us, but all of Christ that He may
live in us making us the hands and feet of God to preach the Good News.
In Christianity, Salvation is not
found in the desert killing others whom we deemed as sinners so that we
can get to heaven by our good works. It is found when we fall from our
camel by the blinding light of the glory of God just as Saul became Paul
in the desert from Jerusalem to Damascus.
It is not what we do, even how
we love others, or how holy we are compared to gays that will save us.
It is all about Christ, His Holiness, His righteousness, His grace. We
are saved, if we belong to Jesus Christ, by faith in His completed works
at Calvary.
The Protestant liberals are falling, the religious hordes of
armed bandits are rising. The conservatives are indifferent blaming gays
for the end of the world. Yet, there is a rising armed response which
may turn the Western liberal/secular environment into more conservative
faith stance. The world may have just changed with the public execution
of James Foley.
The kingdom of darkness shall not prevail
over the Light of God in the Church born out of the risen Christ. For
the light of God's glory shall shine brighter in the midst of darkness.
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