From the New York Times, Feb.5, 2013:
Late last August, a 40-year-old cleric named Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber
stood up to deliver a speech denouncing Al Qaeda in a village mosque in far
eastern Yemen. It was a brave gesture by a father of seven who commanded great
respect in the community, and it did not go unnoticed. Two days later, three
members of Al Qaeda came to the mosque in the tiny village of Khashamir after 9
p.m., saying they merely wanted to talk. Mr. Jaber agreed to meet them,
bringing his cousin Waleed Abdullah, a police officer, for protection.
As the five men stood arguing by a cluster of palm trees, a volley of
remotely operated American missiles shot down from the night sky and incinerated
them all, along with a camel that was tied up nearby. (SOURCE)
This is just one example of what the United States is involved in as it
pertains to drone bombing attacks. This cleric is the sort of Muslim that
should be applauded because he publicly decries Al Qaeda but he was “incinerated”
along with his cousin by an American drone guided by a man sitting in an air conditioned
room with a joy stick.. And this is the action of a “Christian” nation? Is it
any wonder why Muslims hate the Jesus of our faith? Is it because so many have
made Jesus a conservative America wearing battle fatigues and armed to the
teeth?
Pin the bomb on the terrorist has become somewhat of a video game, and it
seems liberal and conservative politicians have common ground in this. But we
as believers should be horrified. And where are the Christian voices that are
still active in politics? Where are the demonstrative voices blaring down from
evangelical pulpits? We decry people who strap bombs on their person but we support people who watch a screen while sipping coffee and kill people? Which of those two scenarios depicts the braver person?
But even more penetrating is this question: How can a follower of Jesus Christ support and pledge allegiance to an earthly entity which murders unborn babies and innocent people around the world? The answer is that you can only pledge your allegiance to America if you sin against Christ. The western church is little more than an American religious organization
But even more penetrating is this question: How can a follower of Jesus Christ support and pledge allegiance to an earthly entity which murders unborn babies and innocent people around the world? The answer is that you can only pledge your allegiance to America if you sin against Christ. The western church is little more than an American religious organization
Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus has left the building.
The sickest thing is the men who fly these drones from the safety of their computers refer to the aftermath as "bug splatter".
ReplyDeleteAmerica is Empire and all empire is anti-Christ.
His kingdom come.
It's a terrible conundrum:
ReplyDeleteI'm a committed follower of Jesus living in America, paying taxes. If I pay taxes I am in collusion with horrors such as this (among others going on here in this country.) In obedience to Jesus I will continue to "render to Caesar."
But I live out the paradox, asking God's forgiveness and mourning my part in this. Lord, have mercy on us all.
Our Father in heaven, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
I agree the fact that we are using drones is shocking. It is unChristian but so many have rationalized and justified it's use. IMO I see a day in which these same drones will be used to cull undesirables- Christians, the mentally ill, disabled, prisoners, geriatrics, etc. Why not? They are undesirables taking up resources for an already burdened planet. But the mission will be accomplished w/a smile in an air-conditioned room. -Noel
ReplyDeleteP.S. please don't be offended. I was merely trying to state the nonchalance govt has in "keeping us safe."
I highly recommend this Psalm, Psalm 46 to those reading this blog thread today.
ReplyDeleteThis may come as a shock to you but I see nothing wrong with this new advanced technology when conducting or prosecuting war!
What you may exclaim in disgust?
Well hear me out then decide if you are just in being disgusted with me?
First let's quote one verse from this Psalm as recommended reading to put things into a proper understanding:
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. (Psalms 46:9 ESV)
The question we must ask is "who" is "He" in that verse?
Next we need to come to grips with that!
Third we need to understand that this verse does invite or is a proponent of the sorts of war atrocities under consideration in this blog thread.
Consider that there is a "Biblical" place for war and consider the verse in how God through "Godliness" intends on bringing wars to their end?
How is it done? Well if man would use this drone technology to accomplish the end results as that verse envisions it to be done those precision guide missiles would only strike other instruments of war and not the innocent bystander or the man and his cousin as the article reveals!
Truth be told the only remedy God has for us in this eschatological age as Royal Priests, both genders is Prayer and Preaching the Word until our mission complete. Not until Christ in us finishes what His authority requires wars and rumors of wars will not cease:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 ESV)
Exactly - all of it. Amen!
ReplyDeleteWhat makes American unborn babies more sacred than unborn Muslem babies? The church demands it's government to stop supporting the killing of unborn babies, YET that same church makes no sound ------ when any kind of military attack, whether drones or units, accidentally hit innocents on foreign soil, as collateral damage.
We know, as christians, that we live in a world where each government has a military for self-defense. We must live with that. But, the church seems to have an ulterior motive and shows it's hypocrisy when it points it's finger at a political party's pro-choice platform. It's the party that they hate. I don't believe for a second that they are all that concerned about the unborn. If they really cared for the unborn, they'd quit their jobs, and join a christian organization, like in Haiti, for instance, or in their own country, in their own backyard, that promotes abstinence and a godly lifestyle, which would prevent unwanted pregnancies. Or they would live as an example of a godly woman, a stayer at home, keeping her own children, living with less, yet giving them the best of herself, rather than pawn them off on a paid caretaker.
If the church members don't have one ounce of guilt or shame when they vote for a party that places it's interest in protecting oil fields, at the expense of friendly fire of innocent pregnant foreign mothers and the unborn, then they disgrace the name of Jesus. If the church only has the fire in their belly to plead the cause for their own unborn, what kind of gospel do they represent?
On another topic, there has been "crickets" from the church on the half-time SuperBowl entertainment display. Sexually explicit images aren't just for those who have to show adult ID or pay anymore, it's free on cable and ministers can take Sunday night off while their congregants enjoy the spectacle.
If we aren't living in the day of Sodom and Gomorrhea, or the days of Lot, I hate to see what that day will really be like.
Women's christian groups love to talk a great talk about those who choose life. Yet these same women would support a government that gives them free reign to use a weapon to shoot a robber between the eyes. They mock and bully those who haven't found salvation. Yet these same women support their entitled freedom at the expense of poor villagers who get caught in the crossfire in Afghanistan. These women rarely mention the few incidents where US soldiers become PTSD and shoot innocents in a rampage. But, for these christian women, it isn't on their turf and it doesn't count, because they believe they are exceptional, exceptional citizens of the earth, and exceptional women of the Kingdom of God.
Sorry for the rant. I'm working on my 'be angry and sin not' verse to change my attitude. It's not really anger, but disappointment and disillusionment that I'm expressing here. But, with Christ all things are possible. I pray we'll all overcome by the blood of the Lamb!!
Michael - The Old Testament must bow to the final revelation of the New Testament. There are many things and methods God used in the Old Covenant which are mysteries but which have been abolshed through the blood of the New Covenant. How can we preach to EVERY creature if we kill them?
ReplyDeleteViolence is not the way of Jesus. You have heard BUT I SAY unto you is the present authority. wars and rumors of wars will continue, however they are of the kingdom of darkness and not the kingdom of light which commands us to love our enemies.
This new revelation of God through Jesus is not just a teaking of the OT, it is a brand new and exclusive kingdom which far outweighs anything revealed in the Old Covenant. The kingdom of Christ has no common subset with the kingdom of evil.
But thank you for your thoughts.
Millions of unborn babies are slaughtered for money on this very soil, but would we drop a bomb on the abortion clinic or the doctor’s home? Why not? Because the fallen system picks and chooses its list of who deserves death. And yet the drone strikes are meant to preserve a system of freedom which allows those babies to be murdered. How can that be God’s way unless God is an American.
ReplyDeleteNo, we must see things with completely different hearts. Always.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteMaybe poor sentence construction on my part?
Reconsider what I said? Read carefully that verse and in it you see nothing about striking a human. With the satellite technology and surveillance drones we can see where all above ground instruments of war are. According to the verse you use weapons to destroy weapons. That was my point.
Michael - I believe I understand. But my next post might make my psoition painfully clear.
ReplyDelete