Revisiting Islamism and What Christians Ought to Do
There has been a spate of national articles recently on a fresh determination to haul in these Islamic terrorists and their non-belligerents with the left and elites being a whole lot quieter.
The Guardians Sara Khan article 'Stop fretting over religious sensitivities. We must push hard against Islamists' and pull no punches.
Then The Australian ran a very telling story on the world wide jihad movement making the links and Australia is indeed linked.
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The Australian Weekend ran an article by former Muslims Sami Shah and Ishma Alvi both intelligent professional people giving their backgrounds and reasons for moving on giving both practical and psychological aspects.
The History Channel ran a two hour feature on the Hell of living under ISIS giving chapter and verse with footage and interviews of the real horror but likewise goes through history - and finds the same policies time and time again. Kill those who even do the very slightest thing to bring everyone under fear. The program showed ISIS killing a villager who was caught 'smoking a cigarette'.
The message was clear. It would be no different in Australia if such a horrific situation take-over took place by stealth or politic.
Then Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke vehemently two weeks back in Parliament against the scourge of the Islamist terrorist threat. This was followed by another young man being retained at the international airport heading to Syria.
There is a recognition that we're in a battle. This is a battle for our lives. This is a battle for survival as we know it. This is the real thing. It's right now!
Biblical accounts
There are various responses by Christians, both theologians and the social sciences, and these range from legitimate self-defence, understanding of what a Just War might look like, preventative measures, government responsibilities, and to the far left, total pacifist ideology even if it leads to death of themselves and their families.
There are proof bible texts for all of those positions. What we're left with is gelling the ideologies with the realities on the ground. Oh, not reality!
The newly released film 'Churchill' opening scenes is of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill heartfully wanting to do all in his power 'not to see' another massacre as D-Day is about to dawn. Nazism was an ideological evil that required the heavy hand of annihilation, as in a Just War – and such actions are costly in millions of lives.
What's gone wrong
As Sara Khan points out, the softly softly approach that giving in to an ever increasing number of demands has failed miserably, as all that has done is to provide aid and comfort to the enemy of our society.
Strong laws must be enforced at all levels including the protection of law enforcement officers when they have to deal with such incidents. If they need to shoot to protect 'themselves and the public', the judiciary must be part of this package.
There will always be a section of the Muslim community who will be law abiding and fellow travellers with our society for mutual benefit for their standard of living and that for their children – a good education, career opportunities, safe streets and orderly protective borders.
As has been pointed out, this hard working community has had, sadly, little effect on those who hold a different view about life, ideology and outcome. The problem is that the Koran explicitly condones the killing of infidels - and - it is this view that holds sway under threat of your own life and well-being. Read Sara Khan.
Christian response
A Canadian mayor has told the local Muslim community, their school canteens will stock pork and such non-Hallel products. Some USA States legislature's have removed Sharia Law courts.
Now we read that a senior Palestinian official whose life was saved in an Israeli hospital returned to donate a 'recovery wing' to that hospital.
The best outcomes are to befriend Muslims and through every avenue available bring them to a place where the saving Grace of Jesus Christ touches their hearts. We're witnessing this around the Arab world where thousands of former Muslims have become believers in Jesus.
Dreams have an astonishing impact upon eastern thinking peoples, whereas for westerners a dream is a result of too much hot chocolate the night before. Many a former Muslim and jihadist through a dream has witnessed Jesus speaking to them as if they were the most important person in this whole wide world. They become followers of Jesus lock stock and barrel.
Bring on those dreams! And our prayer and friendship. And a strong politic unrelenting in protecting our families.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at
http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
This article is courtesy of Press Service International and originally appeared on Christian Today Australia.
