Thursday, January 25, 2007

'Oh Some Uh'... Thoughts

Most times I reserve my opinion on War and Terrorism simply becase this has been 'laden' down with so much east west propoganda. I wanted to share a few thoughts to consider...

***I do not understand Arabic naming conventions so forgive me if I get them convoluted.
****I do not want in anyway to propogate any thought or fear that would suggest Osama represents Islam and its true tenets. I am not an Islamic Scholar but would invite a meaningful conversation with any who would teach me some more on Islam.

"The difference between jihad in Islam and extremism is like the earth and the sky "
Sheikh Tantawi




It is time to revisit some common assumptions about Osama Bib Laden and Islam.

Osama Bin Laden will forever be known as the poster boy for terrorism and Islamic radical fundamentalism. I will in no way ever suggest that what was done on Sept 11 what or is being done by terrorists is justifyable but I think what we think of their motivation is needs to be challenged. Are these things being propogated by world views that have allowed their rhetoric and semantics to control their policy and perspectives.
Many people who want vindication for what has happened have classified Bin Laden as an evil christian hating, child brainwashing leader carrying out a war against the infidel of the west [interesting that we think the West is the beacon of Christianity]. Some even think there is a close parallel between Islam's holy war against the West and George Bush's holy war against Islamic terrorism.
This view of the war is founded, however, on a superficial understanding of Bin Laden's rhetoric declaring a religious war of civilizations.
Bin Laden does speak of the world as being divided into a "region of faith" and a "region of infidelity."
QUESTION - Could this 'infidelity' simply be a statement/question that is made by many towards christians? 'What you claim and What you live are two different things and that is intolerable'?
Osama at times defines the clash as one between Muslims and the "crusaders."But the context of Bin Laden's arguments clearly shows that he is not speaking of a religious war between Islam and Christianity.
In the same infamous videotaped remarks in which he talks about these conflicts, he praises Christianity. In one statement, he observes that Islam respects the prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam "without distinguishing among them."
According to Islam, Judaism and Christianity are incomplete but genuine revelations. As monotheists, Jews and Christians have historically been entitled to Muslim respect and even protection.
In every Islamic empire, from the Umayyad to the Abbasid to the Ottoman, Jews and Christians were permitted to practice their religion, and in no Muslim regime has it ever been considered legitimate to systematically kill them.
But Sheikh Sayyed Muhammad Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, recently argued the traditional view that "Islam has never been and will never be at war with Christianity."

For bin Laden to declare war against Christianity would divide even the radical Muslim camp.

The influential radical Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has said that Muslims "believe in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Our Islamic faith is not complete without them."Islamic radicals such as bin Laden make their case against America and the West not on the grounds that these cultures are Christian, but on the grounds that they have abandoned true Christianity".

In his May 2006 letter to President Bush, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faulted America not for being Christian, but for being intolerably hypocritical. These statements are a reminder that oftimes this is classed as 'persecution' but MAYBE should be classed as a reality check!!! People do not respond to a title of christianity that we so many times hold tightly to.

When bin Laden calls America a crusader state, he means that America is on a vicious international campaign to impose its system of White Middle class, imperialistic meltingpot 'Completely labeled as Xian but not' values on Muslims.
QUESTION - Since when did the white middle class have the corner on Chrsitianity?

In this way, Bin Laden argues that America is hell-bent on destroying the Muslim religion. The rallying cry of Islamic radicalism is that "Islam is under attack." In a 1998 declaration, Bin Laden called on Muslims to "launch attacks against the armies of the American devils" and to kill Americans, whom he identified as the "helpers of Satan."

Maybe there is some truth to that if chrsitians are not showing the real message of the Kingdom but another they are hypocrites and anti-christian and 'helpers of satan.'

QUESTION - If missionaries today who are engaging people in Islam set aside the term Christian - for the sake that it has been identified with a political policy and a western worldview and focused on allowing the essense of Christ come out of them, would there be a concern about proteting their lives and a fear of being a martyr? Yes there is concern and the need to be careful on how to engage nations with the Gospel BUT ...

QUESTION - Do we need to dig our heels into the ground and say We are Christian and stand against Islamic fundamental radicals.

QUESTION - If an Islamic radical had a gun to my head and asked if I was Christian What would I say? Do I answer the way that makes me a martyr? [as that seems to be almost our own passage to sainthood] or do I answer the way that disposes the paradigm of western middle class religious elitism as Xian?

In the words of Jack Bauer - "I am not afraid to die, I just don't want to die senselessly"

Sunday, January 14, 2007


One of the Church's largest dilemna's for the 21st century is not the learning of new ideas but its need to jettison and unlearn many of the processes that the last 500 years has established.

Thoughts on this matter.

1) It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)
2) An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)
True /False. Agree Disagree???

Friday, January 05, 2007

In defense of What?


One of the ongoing frustrations for me in my experience is that fact that many times people live such compartmentailized lives that their faith does not trickle down into the everyday elements of life. Sam Harris [Letter to a Christian Nation] says this is one of the largest proofs of the small mindedness and falsities of Religon. A person can call themselves a Christian and have no care for the environment or carry a restricted weapon. etc etc etc. No sense of holistic world view. This I think is a valid argument to not believe.
Many times people defend what they think is Christianity but thay are only defending a twisted and cultural perspective of belief. My life goal is to value a Biblical worldview and to let that be expressed through every element of life. I am sure many people would agree with this statement, but when this belief really gets down to the nitty gritty elements of life there is often a major disconnect.




  1. A Biblical worldview means embracing people where they are at in life and not always reverting to a thumping, right wing, homophobic, utopian and polished, smile all the time approach.
  2. A Biblical world view is messy and and uncomfortable at times ... it stretches your experience of God ... of people and your own belief systems where you find yourself saying "Have I watered down my faith?"
  3. A biblical worldview is the approach that begins to draw life out of people that leads them to say things like... "This Jesus thing is intriguing and I think He is fucking awesome" or sitting beside a porn star on a flight, listening to their story and acknowledging that God is present and at work in their world.
  4. A Biblical worldview does not seem to worry so much about defending a cultural standpoint sorting out the right and wrongs but simply discovering the spaces where God is working and going along for the ride and at times co-partnering with Him to see something happen.
  5. A Biblical Worldview is about 'the a biotic narrative ' There is a unique power in story. Stories have the ability to shape and change the way people view things. One short story can bring meaning and context to most situations. Stories go beyond debate and lead towards possibility; they can shut down conflict and bring intrigue. When people begin to tell stories they come alive, their eyes sparkle and they attract the attention of others. Each person’s story becomes a part of another person’s story and as this happens people realize their stories are a part of a much bigger story – God’s. Where are the 'living stories' unfolding around you that you have not taken the time to hear? Unexpected people, unexpected power, unexpected revelation.
  6. The Biblical Worldview is more about the living than the dead.
  7. A Biblical worldview has nothing to do with having a position statement or a dogma on any particular opinion.
  8. A Biblical worldview demand that we care for our environment and speak up for those that cannot speak up for themselves. Whether oppressed by economics or other.
  9. A Biblical Worldview lives in tense greyscale. Jer Postal
  10. A biblical worldview would incorporate prayer in everything, the little and the large- the possible and impossible Steve O
  11. A Biblical worldview means I believe God is always teaching me at all times through everything and everyone I'm in contact with [Slighty edited to change the word Christian to Biblical] Paul M
  12. A Biblical worldview is the discipline to love (even when hated), to serve (even when exploited), and to give (even of what little you have). d'mack

So in reading this please take a moment to add your own to this list... Just start your comment with a #