Legalized Persecution

Last Friday, the U.N. Human Rights Council passed its first-ever resolution on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, the supporters of the resolution giving credit to the Obama administration’s push for gay rights at home and abroad.

Upon reading about the “gay rights” ruling, I wondered if the U. N. had ever endorsed a similar resolution to protect the rights of persecuted Christians. To my surprise, the U.N. has actually done the opposite. In 2009, they passed the Defamation of Religions Resolution which sanctions punishment of anyone who blasphemes or criticizes a country’s national religion. Many times in the last year, I have read stories of Christian converts in Muslim countries who were killed for committing blasphemy against Islam—simply by virtue of their confession of faith in Christ alone.

Even after the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime, still more than half of Iraq’s Christian population has been forced to flee their homes due to violence against Christians. And in Afghanistan, where Islam is the only recognized religion, Christian converts are still being killed by family members, who by law, must defend the family’s reputation against blasphemy by one of its members. Jesus spoke of a time when “brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.” (Mark 13:12). Fratricide and patricide now appear to be under the legal protection of the U.N.

Moderate Muslims or Moderate Christians

A Pakistani Christian woman Asia Noreen was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging—the first woman ever sentenced to death under Pakistan's sharia blasphemy laws. She denied that Muhammad was a prophet. Even if she wins her appeal and is released from prison, a Pakistani Imam has issued a Fatwa against her—anyone killing her will be paid $6,000.

Salmaan Taseer, the Governor of Punjab and an outspoken critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, spoke in defense of Asia Noreen. After declaring that she should be pardoned, he was assassinated by his body guard. Then Pakistan's Minister of Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the Pakistani Cabinet, was assassinated two months later because of his vocal opposition to the blasphemy laws.

Author Nonie Darwish who wrote “Now They Call me Infidel” and “Why I Renounced Jihad” says “the term “moderate Muslim” was created in the West. In the Muslim world there is nothing called moderate or radical Muslims or moderate or radical mosques. You are either a Muslim or not. What the West terms as Moderate Muslims are really just those who do not take their religion very seriously and do not follow Sharia Law.” In other words, they are Muslim in name only, probably not unlike a “moderate” Christian—one who doesn’t take the Bible or relationship with Jesus too seriously.  "Moderate" Muslims or "moderate" Christians: both are oxymorons!

Can You Trust Hollywood’s Movie Ratings?

Twenty minutes into watching a 1979, PG-rated movie from Netflix, we pushed the eject button, placed the DVD in the return envelope, and sent it back. Rather naively, as it turns out, we assumed such an “old” PG-rated picture would be inoffensive. But it had enough profanity and sex to make a nun blush.

Curious about the movie industry’s rating system, I ‘googled’ around and discovered something called the Hays Code, an old regulation that banned blasphemy and profanity in movie scripts. Obviously the ban is no longer in effect.

In my view, most 21st century believers are rather indifferent about movies that contain blasphemy (using Jesus or God’s name as a profanity—in addition to other previously banned vulgarities). What changed? When did these profanities become acceptable? I think there has been a slow boil, e.g. the proverbial frog in the kettle of warm water, where the Saints have been euthanized to what-should-be-considered indecency and vulgarity. Have we forgotten that “obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes” are banned by God’s word? (Eph. 5:4, NLT).

More importantly, we are living in the middle of ideological warfare in which Satan seeks to dominate our thinking. These are not just ‘bad’ words; they are wrong ways of thinking—inconsistent with God’s character & holiness. How many Christians have been duped by Satan, unaware they are being absorbed into a secular pagan worldview—by, of all things, something called entertainment?