9/11/01- Remembering America's New Day of Infamy

September 11, 2001… a day that will forever be burned into the memory of everyone old enough to have understood what happened that day. It stands out in history as one of those days that shook the world and everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news; like Pearl Harbor day, the day John F. Kennedy was shot, or the day the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up. Many eyes were awakened that day. Many began to ask, who these people are that are attacking us, and why do they hate us so much? Radical Islamic terrorism had previously been just a news blurb about something that happened “over there,” but it was now brought to America’s shores in a big way. America’s security policies were changed in a hurry in an effort to keep us safe from another such attack. It didn’t take long, though, for some start complaining about civil liberty violations and profiling. While I would agree that some of the policy changes may have gone too far, it’s ridiculous to be pulling aside 85 year-old grandmothers or 2 year-old toddlers for “enhanced screening” while allowing obviously young Muslim males, which ALL 19 highjackers were, to pass through to avoid any appearance of profiling or Islamaphobia. Americans flocked to churches in droves right after the attacks. Many feared the end of the world was beginning. Just being in the church building is not what God wants. He wants to have a personal, loving relationship with you through His Son Jesus. Sadly, for some it is easier to believe that Nostradamus predicted the fall of the Twin Towers than it is for them to believe the hundreds of prophecies Jesus fulfilled to show He is the Son of God. It’s now 10 years gone. The churches aren’t packed anymore. It’s not politically correct to question anything about Islam. Standing for Christ can end your career. I am afraid that political correctness is going to allow radical Islam to infiltrate America and slowly creep into our justice system in the form of Sharia Law, begin indoctrinating our children in school about the Great Satan America, and eventually overcome Christianity as the predominant faith in America. It is already happening in Europe, though the politically correct want to deny it. A phobia is a fear of something, so in that sense, I guess I would be Islamaphobic. Islamic terrorists have been telling us and showing us for many years that they were coming here; it just took them a while to make it across the ocean. How long have we seen them in mass demonstrations chanting “death to America” and burning the American Flag or the US President in effigy? Did we think maybe they were just “going through a phase” and they’ll get over it? America, we woke up that fateful day 10 years ago… don’t go back to sleep! Pray for the safety of America, the peace of Jerusalem, and for the salvation of those without Christ, including, but not limited to, the Muslims.

PRAYER:  Father God, I thank you so much for protecting us from another attack for the last 10 years. Thank you, God, so much for the firefighters and policemen who risked their lives, some losing it, to rescue and help others on that day. Thank you so much, Lord, for our troops who are serving to protect our nation and the world from the evil that has been brought forth by these terrorists, and for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, or those who have returned home maimed, in the service of their country. May you richly bless them all and their families. I pray, Lord, that those without Christ of whatever religion, or none at all, will be touched and their hearts convicted by Your Word, that they will seek a relationship with you through Christ, and repent of their evil ways. Convict me as well when I fall short and miss the mark. Here the cries of your people, Lord, and forgive our sins, heal our land, and guide our leaders in the paths of Your righteousness. God, bless America. Amen.

Here is a list of some of the major Islamic terrorist attacks against Americans over the years leading up to 9/11. It is certainly not all of them, but certainly enough to get the point across that we’ve had plenty of warning for quite a while.

• 1970 - The first mass aircraft hijackings occurred in 1970, the so-called Dawson's Field hijackings, when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine seized control of two American planes and one Swiss airliner, all bound from Europe to the United States, to punish the United States for supporting Israel. The Pan Am, TWA and Swissair planes were blown up on the ground in Jordan and Egypt.

• 1979 - United States Embassy in Pakistan attacked by mob mistakenly blaming the US for radical Islamic faction hostage crisis in Mecca.

• 1979 - Nov. 4, Tehran, Iran: Iranian radical students seized the U.S. embassy, taking 66 hostages. 14 were later released. The remaining 52 were freed after 444 days on the day of President Reagan's inauguration.

• 1983 - Bombing at United States Embassy in Beirut, April 18, 1983. 63 people, including 17 Americans, are killed.

• 1983 - Beirut barracks bombing, October 23, 1983. 305 people, including 241 US servicemen, are killed by 2 suicide bombers.

• 1984 - Twenty-two people were killed (two of them American) and seventy were wounded when a van loaded with four hundred pounds of explosives exploded in front of the U.S. Embassy annex in Awkar, Lebanon. Islamic Jihad (code name of Hezbollah) claimed responsibility for the bombing in a call to the media.

• 1985 - TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver is killed by Hezbollah.

• 1985 - Achille Lauro hijacking, wheel-chair bound American killed by Palestinian militants.

• 1986 - On April 6, a Berlin discotheque bombing killed a Turkish woman and 2 US servicemen and injured 230 people, including more than 50 American servicemen.

• 1988 - Pan Am Flight 103, outbound from London for New York with 259 people aboard, was destroyed by a bomb on December 21, 1988 while over Lockerbie, Scotland. All aboard the aircraft were killed as were eleven persons on the ground.

• 1993 - World Trade Center bombing, February 26: 6 killed, 1,042 injured.

• 1995 - Killing of two US Diplomats in Pakistan, March 8.

• 1996 - Khobar Towers bombing: 19 American servicemen killed.

• 1998 - US embassy bombings: U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 214 killed (including 12 Americans); U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 11 killed.

• 2000 - USS Cole attacked, 17 U.S. Navy sailors killed, 39 sailors injured.

Attacking Christians - OK, Burning Bibles - OK, Burning Korans - NO WAY!!!

By now everyone has heard of the cancelled plans of pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida to burn Korans on September 11th. If you haven't heard about it, then I would have to ask, "what rock have you been hiding under?" The pastor of a tiny church of maybe 50 members sparked a worldwide outcry over his protest of Islam because it was deemed offensive to Muslims. As a Christian I would have to say, as I wrote about previously in my blog, that he was going about things the wrong way and surely was not showing the love of Jesus. All of the uproar over this begs the question, though, "why does there seem to be such a huge double standard when if comes to offending a religion?"

All around the world, mostly in majority Muslim countries, Christians are attacked, beaten, hacked to death, burned alive, and have their homes and churches burned to the ground on a daily basis simply because of their faith. Often times these events don't make the mainstream news, but occasionally they do. But, let anybody even just say something anti-Islam and the news media is all over it.

The same kind of double standard is seen in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel is continually heavily criticized simply for defending themselves. How long are they supposed to let Hamas fire rockets into Israel and kill Israeli citizens without doing anything about it? What if it were a Mexican drug cartel firing rockets into Houston or San Antonio? How long would the American people stand for it if our government did nothing about it? Historically, every time Israel has made concessions to the Palestinians for a peace agreement, usually by giving up land, it doesn't last long. It's never enough for the Palestinians. They always want more. Hamas, the PLO, Hezbollah, Iran, and others will not be satisfied with anything short of the complete and total destruction of Israel, and have stated so on numerous occasions. There will not be peace in Israel until Jesus comes to establish His reign on earth.

It was recently reported on Fox News that a Christian worshipper was stabbed in the stomach as he was going to prayers in the field at his church. His pastor was then beaten in the head with a board as she tried to give him assistance. They are praying in the field because the local "extremist" group, the Islamic Defenders Front, convinced authorities to shut down and board up their church. The group is trying to get Sharia law enforced in their area and other parts of Indonesia. They are also known to attack transvestites, destroy bars, and attack anyone else they deem to be "blasphemous." The group's members that commit these crimes are hardly ever questioned by police, let alone even punished for their crimes.

There have been numerous other reports of Christians being attacked, usually by Muslims, such as in Iraq in July of 2009 when there were 7 Iraqi churches bombed within 48 hours. Or how about Bartilla, Iraq, where Muslims attacked the Christian town on Christmas morning of all times! They even started a shootout at St. Mary Church, wounding 4 Christian worshippers. Then there is the case in Ethiopia recently where a prominent church leader was attacked by two Muslim men with a wood club to the head and was beaten and kicked in the chest and stomach. We hear about roadside bombings and suicided bombers in crowded markets from the mainstream media, but all too often we don't hear about this kind of stuff. If they do report on it, it's certainly not front page news. A very good source for Christian persecution news that you won't usually find in the mainstream media is The Voice of the Martyrs.

How about looking a little closer to home? In Dearborn, Michigan, home of the largest mosque in America, four Christians were arrested outside the Dearborn Arab International Festival simply for handing out copies of the Gospel of John which were printed in Arabic and English. They videotaped their activity prior to the arrest which shows no indication of the "disorderly conduct" with which they were charged. They were simply exercising their Constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom speech and religion. Apparently the Constitution doesn't apply in Dearborn. It makes me wonder though, is Sharia law beginning to be enforced in Dearborn? If so, where does it stop?

Our President and Commander in Chief, Barack Obama, was very much against the plans of pastor Terry Jones to burn the Korans, and I certainly agree with the President in this regard. However, our same Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, who are sworn to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," (I took that oath myself) is not allowing our troops to freely exercise their own right of freedom of religion, one of the very rights they are sworn to protect! Christian military chaplains are being told they cannot pray "in Jesus' name," and being disciplined for doing so. Our military has chaplains from all major world faiths, so they are supposed to represent their particular faith, and this is restricting them, even punishing them, for not only following their faith, but simply doing their job!

In yet another example of the political correctness that has crept into our military, to the detriment of combat readiness, I might add, the US Army in Afghanistan confiscated and ordered the burning of bibles sent to a US Soldier that were printed in the local Pashto and Dari languages! YES! The Army ordered the bibles to be burned in the trash because they were afraid they would be given to local residents! I wonder, though, if they were Korans printed in English, would they have still been burned with the trash at the end of the day as base regulations required? Where is the outrage? Why were there no world leaders, movie stars, or major religious leaders speaking out against this? There were certainly no Christians protesting in the streets. Could it be that the sociopolitical establishment is literally afraid to admit the truth that Islam is not the religion of peace they want us to believe, for fear of being marked for death as Salmon Rushdie was when he published Satanic Verses?

There was even a case of bible burning in Canton, North Carolina, but this time by Christians at their church. HUH? You read that right! Pastor Marc Grizzard and his congregation at Amazing Grace Baptist Church decided to celebrate Halloween 2009 by burning bibles that weren't the King James Version! (GASP!) They also burned some books, music, and other things that Mr. Grizzard determined to be of satanic influence. This time, however, Christians did respond. A group of about 20 people, mainly seminary students, showed up to protest. Were they rioting in the streets? Were they setting fires? Were they chanting "death to the bible burners?" No. They were peacefully holding signs with positive, timeless truths from the bible that exposed the error of the ways of Mr. Grizzard and his congregants he was leading astray. After the church had finished their "ceremony," the protesters formed a football team-like huddle and prayed. They petitioned God for forgiveness for the bible burners, just as Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" as He was being crucified. They also gave the glory to God and thanked Him for their opportunity to express the truth of God's love in a Christian way in opposition to distorted message being presented that cold, rainy Halloween night.

It's been a full week now since Terry Jones cancelled his plans to burn Korans. Undetered, however, thousands and thousands of Muslims are still holding angry protests in Iran. Why is it that Muslims get so incensed over someone even saying they're going to burn a Koran, or anything else anti-Islam for that matter, but you don't even hear a peep out of Christians when bibles are burned? The media attention is pretty lopsided, too. Well, the thing is, Christians don't worship a book. They worship the Author of the book. Burning a bible does not destroy the truth of God's word. All it does is burn some paper. The Word of God, by the way, is not the bible. Now that you've gone back and read that sentence again to be sure you read it right, here's why I said that. The Word of God is Jesus. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." - John 1:1. Burning a book doesn't change that. Do the Muslims worship a book, the Koran? Do they worship the author of the Koran, Mohammed? Either way it's not God.

Yes, there is a glaring double standard in the world. No, it's not right. Even so, as Christians, we know that we were told these times were coming. The world is turning farther and farther away from God. It certainly seems to be becoming "as in the days of Noah." What is good is being called evil, and what is evil is being called good. Even when the whole world is against us, we still have a calling to be the light of Christ to this dying world. We must continue to pray for those who persecute us and not return an evil for an evil. So yeah, it's OK, bring it on. For those in Christ, to die is gain. Jesus Himself was rejected and killed. Who are we to expect to have it any better than the Master?

The Burning Question in Florida

By: Carl Holland

Carl’s Words of Inspiration

There has been much debate and media coverage over the Gainesville, Florida pastor, Terry Jones, who plans to burn copies of the Quran (or Koran) on 9/11. The overwhelming opinion seems to be that he is in the wrong, and that this action does nothing but show hatred. I would agree with that, but let’s see what God has to say.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, l
ove your enemies, bless those who curse you,

do good to those who hate you,

and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good,

and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?

Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only,

what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
– Matthew 5:43-48

These are red letters in my Bible. Jesus Himself said to “love your enemies.” Somehow I don’t think burning Qurans is showing love to your enemies. Yes, Muslims can be considered “enemies” because the Quran does teach that non-Muslims should be converted or killed (Quran Sura 009.005). There is, however, an exception for Jews and Christians, whom the Quran calls “People of the Book.” They can pay a poll tax to the Muslim authorities (Quran Sura 009.029) and be allowed to continue to practice their faith. Regardless of their view toward Christians, we are still to treat them with love, even to the point of death. In Acts 7:60 we see Stephen, the first Christian martyr, call out to God saying, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” as he was being stoned to death. Jesus Himself, as he hung on the cross being murdered, called out, “forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they do.” Considering the words Jesus left us with, and the example he set for us, what gives any of us the right to say we have a better way to deal with our “enemies?”

When people think of book burning, the first thing many think of is Nazi Germany in the 1930s, but it has a long, sordid history elsewhere too, including the United States of America. On May 10, 1933, Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, gave a rousing speech to university students inflaming anti-Semitism and calling for all literature with “un-German” ideas to be burned in a massive bonfire. Of course, we know, this was just a stepping stone leading down the path to World War Two and the Holocaust, which many Muslim leaders, such as Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have denied ever even happened.

Long before that, the Catholic Church had a history of censuring books by burning beginning in the Middle Ages. Initially the censorship was intended to remove writings containing doctrinal errors and those of superstitious works. The Church began maintaining the Index of Prohibited Books which catalogued works which were reviewed and found to be “unfit.” With the invention of the printing press came the widespread dissemination of books on any subject imaginable. Books deemed to be contrary to Catholic doctrine, containing immoral material, or even reprints of the Bible itself began to be rounded up and burned. This, in part, helped lead to the Protestant Reformation. The Church finally ceased publication of the Index in 1966 under Pope Paul VI.

In the US in 1866, Anthony Comstock began an organization called the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. In 1873 he convinced Congress to pass the Act of the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use, commonly known as the Comstock Act. He was made a Special Agent of the Post Office by an act of Congress which gave him the power to arrest distributors of material he deemed to be lewd or immoral. He claimed to have burned 160 tons of obscene material and arrested around 3600 distributors of said material. More recently in the US, in 2003 pastors T. D. Turner Sr. and T. D. Turner Jr. burned a Harry Potter book outside their church. The younger Turner even admitted to not having read the book, but that he could tell by its cover that it promoted sorcery. The crowd of around 50 spectators was so inflamed (pardon the pun) that they also burned a Book of Mormon and even a Bible that, Heaven forbid, was not the King James Version!

Even more memorably in recent history because of its widespread news coverage was the 1988 publication of Salmon Rushdie’s Satanic Verses. After its release Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Rushdie calling for his execution. The book itself was not directly critical of Islam or Mohammed. The portions which caused such uproar were concerning dreams a fictional character who was suffering some form of psychosis was having. Muslim groups in Britain held protests and book burning events. Then there was the February 2006 publication of a cartoon caricature of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban that sparked protests, violence, and death threats by Muslims worldwide. It seems that anything critical of or offensive to Islam is met with violence.

The top NATO commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, has stated, "Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult." Images of the church members burning Qurans will be used to fuel anti-American sentiment and to incite violence against Americans, very similar to what was done with the photos of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib detention center a few years ago. Florida Governor Charlie Crist chimed in on the issue with, "In addition to being offensive, the Gainesville protest puts at risk those brave Americans who are fighting abroad for the freedoms and values that we believe in as Americans." Mr. Jones’ plan to burn the Quran has received so much attention that protests are already beginning over it. Muslim cleric Mohammad Mukhtar, a candidate for the Afghan parliament stated, "It is the duty of Muslims to react." He went on to say, “When their holy book Quran gets burned in public, then there is nothing left. If this happens, I think the first and most important reaction will be that wherever Americans are seen, they will be killed. No matter where they will be in the world they will be killed." If Mr. Jones goes through with his plans to burn the Quran, reprisals are certain to come against American troops in the Middle East, which quite simply makes it an act of sedition, or perhaps even treason.

Mr. Jones, I must ask, just what do you hope to accomplish by doing this? Do you want to make yourself a target like what happened to Salmon Rushdie? Do you have a death wish to die as a “martyr?” That is a very real possibility. Or is it your intent to gain some sort of notoriety and bring attention to your church, good or bad, like some sort of free advertising? At the very least, you are casting a bad light on Christianity, much like people who bomb abortion clinics “in the name of Jesus.” How many people will you drive away from Christ by misrepresenting Him and reinforcing the mistaken impression that Christians are a bunch of “narrow-minded, bigoted, hypocrites” rather than pointing them to Him by reflecting His character? Though you are well within your constitutional rights to conduct your Quran burning, after all, we can legally burn the American flag as “free speech,” there are a few passages of scripture I think you’ve overlooked.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful;

all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Let no one seek his own, but each one

the other’s well-being. – 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.

Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks
or to the church of God,

just as I also please all men in all things,
not seeking my own profit,

but the profit of many,
that they may be saved. – 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

We give no offense in anything,
that our ministry may not be blamed.

But in all things we commend ourselves
as ministers of God. – 2 Corinthians 6:3-4

Though I may agree with you that Islam is a false religion, I believe your method of delivering that message is severely flawed. I do not see the love of Jesus anywhere in what you plan to do. Is there anything at all that can possibly be called helpful or edifying in any of this? It certainly does seem to give a lot of offense. I urge you, sir, to reconsider your plans and honestly ask yourself, “am I serving myself, or Christ?” Are you prepared to have the blood of innocent Americans on your hands? You have been quoted as saying, “We are not convinced that backing down is the right thing.” Don’t let your own selfish pride or ambition get in the way of doing the right thing.

Three U.S. Christian Aid Workers Killed in Pakistan, source

Three U.S. Christian Aid Workers Killed in Pakistan, source

Why is it stories like this so often don't make the main stream media? This takes "biting the hand that feeds you" to a whole new level. Let a Christian do something really bad and they jump all over it. We hear of things like this once in a while and think it happens once in a blue moon and it's always "over there." Well, it happens all too often all around the world, like every day, and guess what? It's coming to America before long.