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When words fail, by Steve Beard (Good News) Is there a link between bin Laden and persecution of Christians?, by Mark Ellis (Religion Today) Terrorism,
justice and loving our enemies Duke Divinity
School debates terrorism, United
Methodist leaders reject military response to terrorism, On
the brink of war, It’s
not about religion, A time for
peacemaking or a time for war? Lessons
in the midst of tragedy, Hope
for a nation, How
one pastor walked his congregation through tough questions, Thundering
judgment in times of crisis, Why
does God allow suffering?, Making
sense of evil, Tragic events
cause hunger for God, Christians
in Pakistan keep the faith in face of turmoil, Don't
call me secular,
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"It was an afternoon I will not soon forget. I am grateful that
I was able to join a group of fellow citizens and members of our diverse
religious communities, for an extraordinary discussion with the president
of the United States." "I have been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy
and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer
totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that
God is sovereign, and he is a God of love and mercy and compassion in
the midst of suffering. The Bible says God is not the author of evil.
It speaks of evil as a 'mystery.' In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it talks about
the mystery of iniquity. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said, 'The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand
it?' He asked that question, 'Who can understand it?' And that is one
reason we each need God in our lives." "In the midst of suffering, we need to hold on to our hope. This
life is always a mixture of battle and blessing, and in times of battle,
we need to remember that the battles do not last forever, and often blessing
is just around the corner. Whether it is or not, we can be sure that one
day we will go to be with the Lord forever. Meanwhile, we need to keep
our eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:2), knowing that he is more than able
to sympathize with us because He has suffered more than we ever will.
When we see others suffering, we are called to show compassion. In the
face of great suffering, attempts to rationalize can be counterproductive.
Usually, the most positive thing that we can do is to put an arm around
the person and "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15)." "For Osama bin Laden, what is at stake is the future of Islam. He and his followers and the Taliban of Afghanistan…believe that America is a threat to their faith. We have got to understand this! As Americans we do not have the sense of history to make sense of what is going on. But in many ways, bin Laden is interpreting the political events of the last half of the 20th century through the lens of the Crusades. "For bin Laden, a form of the Crusades is still going on: the most Christian nation on the face of the earth helps Israel maintain control of the Holy Land. Our troops are now stationed on Saudi soil. We have had operations going on in a host of other Muslim countries, including the Sudan, Egypt and Kuwait, with regular Air Force flights and bombings on Iraq. For bin Laden and for his followers, this is a war to prevent Islam from being destroyed by America! Unless we understand this mindset, and address it, there will be others who will be willing to die to preserve Islam from American Crusaders. "If these extremists believe that America represents Christianity and
the Crusades, how do we help them see Christ and the way we wish he had
been portrayed in the Crusades? Is it possible to act in such a way that
all would-be terrorists see the truth of who we are and the greatness
of our national character so that they are shamed by what they have done—so
that they are cut to the heart? How do we demonstrate the superiority
of our ideas and our way of life?" "…we will magnify the mercy of God by praying for our enemies to
be saved and reconciled to God. At the personal level we will be willing
to suffer for their everlasting good, and we will give them food and drink.
We will put away malicious hatred and private vengeance. But at the public
level we will also magnify the justice of God by praying and working for
justice to be done on the earth, if necessary through wise and measured
force from God-ordained authority.
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THEOLOGICAL
ISSUES