Conversion in Arabia

It seems that we can not go a day with out hearing of another terror attack by some Muslim or group of Muslims against innocent civilians (be they pagan, Christian, Jew, or Muslim) somewhere in the world. Our politicians insist that Islam is a peaceful religion that has been "hijacked" by violent radicals.

I hate to differ with brilliant men like George Bush and Barak Obama, who both parrot the "Islam is a peaceful religion" mantra, but I have to. Islam was birthed in murder, beheadings, genocide, slavery, robbery from the beginning. It's founder, Muhammad was a war lord who led his followers in attacks on caravans to plunder the wealth of others. He also lead them in battle to conquer thse that disagreed with his new religion.

I have to conclude that our modern terrorists are as peace loving as their founder Muhammad. Muhammad thought nothing of slaughtering all the men (between 600 and 900 men) who were part of the Banu Qurayzah, a Jewish tribe that lived at Medina and he did not kill but enslaved the women and children of the tribe.

Muhammad did not shrink from leading raids against the caravan of his own tribe (the Quraysh) and killing his kinsmen, when they did not convert and follow him. Muhammad's typical way to deal with the pagan "unbeliever" was to give him an option -- convert, be a Muslim and follow me or die. This form of evangelism proved to be a successful form of evangelism in Arabia and in many other parts of the world.

Islam started as a violent religion. I agree most Muslims are not violent, but Jihad and killing the enemies of Allah are not new, modern distortions of Islam invented by Osama bin Laden. These things are core beliefs that have been a part of Islam since Muhammad and a handful of his followers moved out of Mecca and settled in Medina in 622 AD.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

Civil Government and Me

I know from Scripture that the civil authorities are ordained of God to do good by suppression of evil (i.e. crimes). As a Christian I am to pay due respect to those in authority. This does not mean that I have trust those who rule over us, which is good, because I distrust both major political parties in this country and believe most elected officials (Dem or Rep) are moral midgets.

In the U.S. both political parties are corrupt. They are both more concerned with gaining and holding on to political power than they are in governing justly and honestly. Both parties rail against budget deficits, when they are out of power. Both parties ignore budget deficits when they are in the ascendancy.

Republicans need theologically conservative Christians to vote for them when at the ballot box, but most elected Republicans seem to loath evangelical Protestants, conservative Roman Catholics and other cultural conservatives after elections are over.

Politicians are, for the most part, parasites in the body politic. We Christians need to be concerned with promoting Christ Kingdom and being good citizens in what ever land we live in. We must "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" but we must never believe that Caesar is on our side. Caesar is, at best a VERY fickle friend to the people of God and at worst he is a vicious enemy, but he has no power but that which is granted/allowed him by Christ.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

A little Something to Say

I am quickly approaching my 50^th birthday. I know many people that hate having their 30^th, 40^th or 50^th birthdays. I assume this is because they fear or dread growing older. Our own mortality is made all the more clear when we go from 39 to 40 or from 49 to 50.

I have never had a fear of starting the next decade. When (if) I turn fifty in three months it will mean that I am still alive and kicking. It will mean that I did not die at 49 years of age, just as I did not die at 39 or 38. I would like to live a long healthy life (doesn’t everyone) but I know that someday I will die. It is a strange thing to think about. All I have ever known is living and yet I know that at 50 years of age the odds are pretty good that I have lived well over half of my life. This is true even if I live to be a very old man.

I love life. I love this gift that God has given me. I exist because God made it so. I did not have to have a life; I could have very easily never come into being at all. Every breath I take, even the ones filled with pain and sorrow are gifts from God. I live a comfortable, middleclass American life. In this status, I am for better off, with creature comforts than the large majority of people in the world today and if we look at history, I live better than 99.99999 percent of all the people ever born.

I am blessed beyond measure and it is a gift that I do not deserve and could not have earned. I could have been born on a dirt floor in a jungle or slum. But I was not. All that I have is a gift. If I die today I will have lived a remarkably charmed and blessed life.

Of course I hope to live another several decades, but if I don’t I have nothing to complain about. I have been, until now most blessed of God and He has seen fit to bring me into a relationship with Himself through His son, Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel.

Coram Deo,

Kenith