Beside the Point

Having just asserted that things are moving toward religious syncretism, comes this speech by Barack Obama in Berlin yesterday. Here is the relevant portion...

The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand [my emphasis]. These now are the walls we must tear down.

Remember, the action is not liberal/conservative or even moral/libertine. It's spiritual.

Indeed, if the walls don't soon come down between committed Christians, we will be easy fodder for the universalist agenda.

United we stand.

Divided we keep looking like total saps, or something like that.

This Sunday I plan to deal with the companion issues of finding God's direction and living in personal peace.

So much discussion centers around outward peace rather than inward. I believe the latter produces the former, not the other way around.

This video highlights the effects of personal peace through Christ in a very troubled part of the world, an Arab leading Jews in worshipping Jesus in Israel.

For a few months I've been promising to post something on what I believe the present spiritual zeitgeist (spirit of the age) to be, and where I believe things are headed.

In the meantime, I've posted a few preface posts (1, 2 and 3), which was probably virtually impossible for loyal readers to guess where I might go with all this. I've decided not to make this a series of postings, but try to keep it as short as possible.

I hope I don't lose too many here, but let me briefly cite a popular understanding of historic progress from Georg Hegel (though he used it only once, and attributed the idea to Immanuel Kant). The idea is this--that history develops with a thesis, then a reaction (an antithesis), and then a synthesis (the combining of the best of the previous two ideas).

I have found it fascinating that many Christians have spent so much energy defending conservative Christianity against scientism/scientific naturalism/secular humanism/whatever you want to all it. Yes, since the Renaissance/Enlightenment, Christianity has had to field significant challenges grounded in the scientific method, most notably Darwinism.

Yet, Christianity has only continued to grow around the world (mostly in the Global South), growing faster in the last 25 years than in the 1900 years before.

So, here it is...

Assertion #1: Science cannot and will not do away with religion/spirituality. If that were possible, Voltaire would have seen the death of Christianity in his day. Notwithstanding recent challenges from Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett, I believe we are witnessing the last gasp of atheism. (Unfortunately, I misplaced a link to an excellent article on the virtual impossibility of our inbred spiritual bent being destroyed.) The vast majority of Americans believe in God, and I don't think that's going to change much at all in our lifetime.

Assertion #2: However, the scientific challenge has certainly weakened the surety of Christianity's intellectual claims. The continuing challenges to Christianity from evolutionary cosmology, etc., has certainly brought about a weakening effect. Two centuries ago, it was Jefferson, Franklin and Paine who had their significant doubts. Today, it is most of the academic world in the West. In the popular media, the attacks are relentless, whether it be the 'Jesus Tomb,' the 'Gospel of Judas,' or the most recent, the 'Resurrection Scroll.'

Assertion #3: There is a broad consensus that the root of strife in the world is religious in nature. I would say there is certainly spiritual conflict, but then I have a modified dualistic world view, based on the Scriptures. Just this past week, Saudi King Abdullah led a conference on world religions, to combat extremism, and promote tolerance. I have not yet heard of any evangelical Christian representatives that went, although I understand Jesse Jackson was invited to represent, to some degree, American Christians.

Assertion #4: We will see more attempts to bring about religious syncretism, which will incorporate a large part of all existing religions. It will be a new 'myth,' that, for Christians will include Jesus, but not quite the unique, virgin born, atoning death and resurrection Jesus we all know and love. It probably won't be that far off from a 'DaVinci Code Jesus'. Those who reject the new myth will be seen as intolerant extremists. Hey, we saw recently that 70% of Americans believe that there are multiple religious options for achieving eternal life.

Assertion #5: Expect an increasing amount of persecution for those of us who hold to the exclusive truth claims of Jesus. This will appear to be a necessity and will be supported by the majority of people, both in the U.S. and around the world. In fact, it will be seen as an extension of the e pluribus unim that defines America. I'm speculating here, but much of this may come as evangelicals may be linked to failed political policies and will begin to be treated like the Jews in 1930s Germany, who were blamed in Germany for the loss of WWI.

Is this anything new? No, it's essentially the spirit of Freemasonry, which largely defines the spirit of America. Most American Christians are just woefully uninformed. In Freemasonry, you see Christian/Jewish syncretism at the lower levels, and then Islamic syncretism is introduced at the Shriner level (with large buildings called 'mosques' and fezzes as headwear). I think that's about where we are. Most evangelicals buy into the Judeo-Christian thing; it will take a little while to buy into the syncretism of the three monotheistic faiths (note this elite organization), but I think we will see this in our lifetime.

So, in the West since Constantine, establishment Christianity has been the thesis, scientific naturalism has been the antithesis, but universalism will emerge as the synthesis. It's not the antithesis that is the primary danger, it is the emerging synthesis.

I haven't gone to see the new Batman movie, Dark Knight. I don't know if I will.

Please be advised that it is violent and spiritually dark (rated only PG-13). The violence is a 7 out of 10 on kids-in-mind.com. Here is a review from a Christian perspective on Focus on the Family's "Plugged Online" site.

For those who go, I'd be interested in your feedback. Were you shaken? Was the Batman decision to lie and otherwise compromise his values in order to defeat unmitigated evil a metaphor for our time?

What are your thoughts? Feel free to post here.

Update 7/22: Here is an NPR interview where Christopher Bale (who played Batman) talks about wrestling with thoughts of "great violence."

War and the demonic have always gone together. How can pentecostals not see that?

Here is yet another sad story.

Not bad on passion and delivery; needs to work on content.

I rarely forcefully push an opinion about which I feel passionately. Yes, I share unsolicited views with other leaders, but if I am not being heard, I tend not to take it to the next level or hold other leaders' feet to the fire. Why? I don't want to be divisive nor do I want to treat other leaders differently than I would want to be treated. Also, biblical prophets never tried to organize movements for needed change. They spoke, usually were ignored and sometimes were killed to shut them up.

This posting is one case-in-point. I wrestled with whether to post this or not. I'm not on a crusade and so few resonate with me that this won't be much more than one person's observation shared with a few readers, hopefully to influence a few folks.

Take a look at this picture (the June 29, 2008 issue) and, if you are familiar with Today's Pentecostal Evangel (you'll need to draw on something in the picture you may not be able to see here). tell me what is oxymoronic about this cover featuring Chuck Norris. I don't know that anyone will see what I saw (there's actually three things, but one stands out more than the other two in my mind), but I thought I'd like to run this by you and see.

Winner gets a free CD of me giving announcements on Sunday morning.:)

Okay, this is not my first eBay-related posting, but this is a first: a pastor put himself and his family on eBay earlier this month.

If you are a lay leader of a congregation, well, it's too late to bid. Though the top bid went to nearly $3400, the undisclosed reserve was not met.

Makes you wonder how much the pastor thought he was worth...

I found this quote recently on David Rogers' blog. It is from the well-known Reformed preaching, Ray Ortland. As a believer that the Lord wants greater visible Christian unity, I especially appreciate the last paragraph. Here is the original post.

(Substitute your brand of Christianity for the word "Reformed.")

My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone.

Here is a wonderful video and report from Christian Broadcasting Network regarding the explosive growth of Messianic believers in Israel, nearly tripling in the past ten years.

I would like to do this on a more frequent basis, if you'all can help me. I'd like to post links to encouraging miracle reports from around the world.

Here's one such report from El Salvador from respected missionaries, Don and Terri Triplett.

Someone recently sent me the contents below. I think this gives the best overview of the influence of Islam around the world of anything I've seen.

I trust that no one ever confuses my unwillingness to kill Muslims for the sake of "freedom" with my take on Islam. I am no fan of Islam, and believe that the trend of its growth needs to be reversed by the power of God, not the power of man.

*****************
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.

Islamisation begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious rights.

When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious rights, some of the other components tend to creep in as well. Here's how it works.

As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part being regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:

Ø United States - Muslim 0.6%
Ø Australia - Muslim 1.5%
Ø Canada - Muslim 1.9%
Ø China - Muslim 1.8%
Ø Italy - Muslim 1.5%
Ø Norway - Muslim 1.8%

At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:

Ø Denmark - Muslim 2%
Ø Germany - Muslim 3.7%
Ø United Kingdom - Muslim 2.7%
Ø Spain - Muslim 4%
Ø Thailand - Muslim 4.6%

From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in:

Ø France - Muslim 8%
Ø Philippines - Muslim 5%
Ø Sweden - Muslim 5%
Ø Switzerland - Muslim 4.3%
Ø The Netherlands - Muslim 5.5%
Ø Trinidad & Tobago - Muslim 5.8%

At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.

When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam, with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:

Ø Guyana - Muslim 10%
Ø India - Muslim 13.4%
Ø Israel - Muslim 16%
Ø Kenya - Muslim 10%
Ø Russia - Muslim 15%

After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in Ethiopia - Muslim 32.8%

At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:

Ø Bosnia - Muslim 40%
Ø Chad - Muslim 53.1%
Ø Lebanon - Muslim 59.7%
From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in:

Ø Albania - Muslim 70%
Ø Malaysia - Muslim 60.4%
Ø Qatar - Muslim 77.5%
Ø Sudan - Muslim 70%

After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:

Bangladesh - Muslim 83%
Ø Egypt - Muslim 90%
Ø Gaza - Muslim 98.7%
Ø Indonesia - Muslim 86.1%
Ø Iran - Muslim 98%
Ø Iraq - Muslim 97%
Ø Jordan - Muslim 92%
Ø Morocco - Muslim 98.7%
Ø Pakistan - Muslim 97%
Ø Palestine - Muslim 99%
Ø Syria - Muslim 90%
Ø Tajikistan - Muslim 90%
Ø Turkey - Muslim 99.8%
Ø United Arab Emirates - Muslim 96%

100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Matrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:

Ø Afghanistan - Muslim 100%
Ø Saudi Arabia - Muslim 100%
Ø Somalia - Muslim 100%
Ø Yemen - Muslim 100%

Once again, I think, my long-standing assertion that we can choose the culture war or the spiritual battle for people's souls is proven by this story about McDonald's supporting homosexual activism.

The Bible talks about "lying signs and wonders" in the endtimes, done by the power of the enemy. Here is one translation of 2Th 2:9 (TCN) For at the coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude.

Yesterday, I received an email about a remarkable magician with the stage name, Criss Angel. What is above is one of his "acts," supposedly levitating from one building to another.

He says all he does is an illusion. I'm not so sure, in fact I've said this publically, I believe "the ultimate illusion of magic is that it is allegedly all illusion."

What do you think? Is this just a crane/helicopter with actors and actresses hired to act amazed, or is this for real?

I've also said, "Egyptian magic was not all about card tricks." I believe this is irrefutably true whether you believe the Biblical accounts (of Egyptian magicians) or not.