A gay male alleges that Ted Haggard (the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs) paid him for homosexual intercourse and illegal drugs. Haggard, along with many evangelicals and political pundits on the right and the left, wonder whether the allegations were politically timed to hurt republicans and the conservative movement in these last days before the November 7 elections take place. One member of Haggard’s congregation in Colorado wonders whether these allegations might not be persecution against the pastor. As hopelessly naïve as that thought might seem in light of Haggard’s admission that he did buy methamphetamines from the guy—and did pay the male “escort” to come to his hotel room and give him a massage—still, this man has responded rightly. Christians ought to approach these situations in biblical categories (even if for a time we look naive).

Persecution is a biblical category and offers a useful framework for shaping Christian responses to situations like this one. Consider the teaching of Christ recorded in Matthew 5:11: Blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The man whose response to the crisis was “People are always saying things against Pastor Ted” is on a biblical course for proper first responses to allegations against his pastor. He ought to think this way about his pastor. Jesus clearly taught that Christians should expect persecution and slander against them when they live by and proclaim rightly God’s Word. Jesus said over and over things like, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” Or, “If they hate me, they will hate you also.” Peter told the church not to be surprised as though some strange thing were happening to them whenever the fires of persecution fell upon them. And Paul said that everyone who lives a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

Persecution, as is made clear by the Matthew 5:11 passage quoted above, is not merely about being thrown into a fire by Muslims in Sudan or having swordsmen cut your throat in Iraq. Persecution is very much related to those things, but, as the Bible pictures it, persecution is also about slander and false accusations being made against Christians, especially against those who take a stand for the sake of righteousness. Ted Haggard has been viewed as an outspoken proponent of the biblical view of marriage against an increasing barrage of insistence that marriage be re-defined for homosexuals, bi-sexuals, transgendered, polyamorous, polymorphous, and polygamist (have we left anyone out?) groups of people. If one takes a stand against such wordly, flesh-driven ideas, he can expect to face persecution. The reason persecution is to be expected is that righteousness rightly displayed always offends unrighteousness (the darkness hates the light). That offense is, at its deepest levels, the seed from which persecution sprouts. The man in Haggard’s church who responded to these allegations by realizing that his pastor is often slandered recognizes (either consciously or not) that persecution is to be expected against those practicing and preaching Christian righteousness. Thus, we find Jesus counting as blessed those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness (Matthew 5:10). Expecting pastors to be persecuted and slandered on account of Christ is a thoroughly biblical notion. Good for the man (the only man?) who responded biblically! This man was not naïve about his pastor when he responded the way he did. He was thinking about his pastor biblically.

Of course, the Bible has still more to say. In considering a situation like this one, Matthew 5:10-11 proves helpful in another way. In the Matthew passage, Jesus promises kingdom blessings to those persecuted for the sake of righteousness (v. 10) or on account of Jesus (v. 11). The promise is not for those practicing unrighteousness, being obnoxious, or acting in arrogance. The investigation by Haggard’s church can proceed on the grounds of whether these slanderous remarks are, in fact, slanderous, or whether they are factual. If they are slanderous, then one can look for Christ and for His righteousness to be on display in Haggard’s speech and actions. And Haggard can delight in kingdom blessings as promised by Christ. But, if the remarks are true, then Haggard is not being persecuted. In fact, there would be no persecution here at all. There can be no persecution—in the true Christian sense of the word—if there is no righteousness and no Christ in the picture. So far in this “Evangeli-gate” saga, unrighteousness is ascending victoriously. Illegal drugs and massages by gay escorts reflect more unrighteousness than righteousness. The suffering appears to be—at this early point—caused not by persecution, but by pernicious sin. Time will, of course, tell.  Haggard's church has the duty to find out.

In the meantime, a very sad reality for all evangelicals is how the one man responding in biblical categories is summarily dismissed as a buffoon for so naively supporting his pastor, while, supposedly, those with real savvy can plainly see that it was political aspirations which provoked the November release of such accusations. Sadly, I wonder whether we evangelicals aren’t all more comfortable in political categories than biblical ones. Peter speaks directly to our situation when he says, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God” (1 Peter 4:14-17). May the Lord grant us to suffer for His name’s sake, not for political or pernicious ends.

 Like most of you, my wife and I wanted to name our children in a meaningful way. We went to a book titled Beyond Jennifer and Jason and researched names to see what they meant. We also used our knowledge of the Bible so that we could give our children Christian names. In the end, we gave each child a biblical name (to connect him with our rich Christian heritage) and a family name (to identify him as part of our family history). In America, we take such liberty for granted.

In Azerbaijan, the freedom of naming your child cannot be taken for granted. According to Compass Direct News, Novruz Eyvazov has been trying to get a birth certificate for his son since the child was born June 21^st. The problem is that Azerbaijan is 96% Muslim. Christian names are not allowed, or at least not condoned. The government is suspicious that Christians are treasonous against the nation because they will not yield to Islam. Thus, they will not recognize Christian names.

In Iran, the situation is worse. When Issa Motamedi Moidehi attempted to register his son’s birth with the authorities, he was arrested on false charges of drug trafficking. He was told at the time of his arrest that he must renounce Christianity or face years of jail time and even execution. Execution might be in order because of Islamic law that says anyone who leaves Islam for another religion is guilty of a capital offense. Issa, for attempting to register his child with a Christian name, is now in prison in Iran.

In America, because our nation was built explicitly on a Christian foundation, we can take for granted little pleasures like choosing what to name our children. This little freedom—and a million others like it—is not available in many non-Christian countries, whether those non-Christian countries are religious in nature (following Islam or Hinduism, etc), or whether those nations are non-religious (socialism, communism, etc). The gospel of Jesus Christ and the God of the Bible offer the clearest teachings on man’s freedom and responsibilities. When we abandon this Christian heritage, we will find ourselves asking government authorities to give us names for our children.

To read more about Issa’s case, visit http://www.prisoneralert.com/pprofiles/vp_prisoner_166_profile.html, where you can even write him an encouraging letter in his own language. If you want to read more about Novruz’ case, visit http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&lang=en&length=long&idelement=4553 , where you can also see a picture of his little baby boy. If you want your children to have the freedom to name your grandchildren, you might get more serious about Christianity and about the moral fabric of our culture.

Apparently, America is too religious. According to an article which appeared September 14^th in The Economist, a recent poll for the German Marshall Fund revealed that 57% of Europeans believe America's leadership in world affairs is undesirable. Our leadership is undesirable for 2 reasons: The War on Terror and God. God apparently is a problem for many Europeans.

The article quotes Dominique Moïsi, a special adviser at the French Institute for International Relations, as saying, "The combination of religion and nationalism in America is frightening. We feel betrayed by God and by nationalism, which is why we are building the European Union as a barrier to religious warfare."  Well, considering the recent rioting by Muslims in France, the train bombing in Spain, and the latest foiled terrorist plot which disclosed attack plans of citizens living in the heart of England, I'd say the great EU barrier against religion is off to a remarkable start. This barrier against religious warfare is about as effective as a spider web would be at stopping a bowling ball.

The truth is—like it or not—there is a religious war being waged in Europe and America, and George Bush didn’t start it. Neither did the Pope.  Muslims, in the name of Allah, declared war on the U.S. in 1996. Bush is simply taking these people (whatever one wishes to call them) at their word. Doesn't it make you want to scream to hear that religion and nationalism in America is frightening? Is it not frightening that there are people who are willing to put bomb making materials in their baby’s bottle so that they can blow themselves up while murdering as many Europeans and Americans as possible? Is it not frightening that there are people who want to behead you simply because you are not Muslim (or not Muslim enough)? Honestly, aren’t indiscriminate bombings and beheadings really more frightening than Bush hosting a prayer breakfast?

For my part, I do not at all think America is too religious (European opinion aside). On the contrary, how I wish that we all might fall on our faces before the Lord Jesus Christ and beg for mercy and beg for discernment and plead for peace! For now, however, peace is not our option. Neither we in America nor those in Europe need worry about the Pope launching a new Crusade. Neither the Pope nor President Bush has the power to launch a Crusade. But neither one of them needs to begin a religious war. A religious war has already been launched against them—and against us all—by Muslims. Their reason for launching the war is not because we are too religious; it’s not even because we are not religious enough (though this is actually the claim being made by Muslims who watch MTV). No, the reason the war has been waged against us is that we are not Muslim enough. What ought Bush do? What does one do when war is declared against him because he is not Muslim?

 

Why sober truth? The short answer is for full joy. We live in a "giddy" culture that is glad to pretend it is happy, but never truly is (compare the incidence of depression with the rise in affluence). The best happiness that worldly amusements offer us is the happiness of winning $10 in a round of Bingo. It’s fine as far as it goes, but it just doesn’t go very far.

The happiness promised by credit car purchases and new cars is, at best, fleeting—and followed by further trouble. Just as credit cards come with high interest and cars come with future expenses for gas and tires and maintenance, so, too, the happy platitudes found in all the pretending world about us are sure to be followed by further trouble.

Sober truth is about learning to fix our minds on things as they truly are; it is about our minds learning to value things rightly so that whenever the promise of happiness is made we are capable of deciding whether the end result will be true happiness or further trouble.

We are commanded in Scripture to be “of sound judgment and sober spirit” (1 Peter 4:7), and we are promised through Christ abundant life and eternal joy. This blog is dedicated to bringing these ideas together in the real world, helping us attain such a sober-minded joy in a world that is bent on destroying it.

Join the conversation.

 

In our Wednesday night discussion, we spoke about the sad reality of father failures in our culture. Not all fathers fail, of course. Ultimately, we have the good news of a Heavenly Father who will never fail. Therefore, none of us needs to be fatherless in this life. Our Heavenly father also gives us earthly fathers to help us in this life. Rick Hoyt's father is one of the earthly fathers who has helped his son. If you have not heard the story of Mr. Hoyt, you need to hear it.  Rick Hoyt, though he is handicapped, knows something about love and unspeakable joy. You can read Congressman John Duncan’s tribute to Rick Hoyt's father at http://www.house.gov/duncan/2005/fs062305.htm .

If you know the story and want to see the video, then you may view the video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE . I have my long time friend Doug Harper to thank for alerting me to this story. Doug works with children who have special needs. Keep up the good work, Doug.  Blessings to you all in Christ.

  **[Update]** On the Indonesian Story Below.
Sadly, our three Christian brothers were executed at about 1:00 Thursday.  May the Lord grant their families strength and peace and hope.  Here is the announcement from the Jubilee Campaign, a Catholic group that works against persecution.

"Jubilee Campaign expresses our heartfelt condolences to the devastated families of Marianus, Fabianus, and Dominggus. During the detainment and the trial, the Christian community stood with these men and their families, and it is fitting that it continues to do so during their time of grief and bereavement. Please consider sending a letter of condolence to the families (see the example below). We are also accepting financial gifts to help the wives and children of these three men. All letters and checks can be mailed to the Jubilee Campaign, 9689-C Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22031. If you would prefer to make an online donation please go to Jubilee Campaign website  (Please send letters by September 29, 2006.)"

*Original Story*
From the Jubilee Campaign: 3 men are to be executed in Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia, once again, has failed to provide justice for its own citizens. Fabrianus Tibo, Domingus Da Silva, Marinus Riwu are to face the Indonesian firing squad at midnight Thursday Sept 21 2006 (12pm U.S. CT, Thurs).

These three gentlemen—Fabrianus Tibo, Domingus Da Silva, Marinus Riwu—are Christians who were arrested in May, 2000, and were accused of being the leaders of a Christian militia in a Muslim conflict in the Poso district of Indonesia. These three gentlemen were in a conflict zone at that time to rescue kids in the Catholic orphanage and evacuate them together with the nuns and the priests. They are scheduled to be executed by firing squad at noon (U.S. Central Time) on Thursday. Please pray for the Lord to help them.

In London, radical Muslim activists are calling for the execution of Pope Benedict XVI (B-16). In Morocco, the government, offended by the comments of B-16 a week ago, has said it will remove its ambassadors from the Vatican in protest. In the Palestinian territories, more than half a dozen churches have been bombed and fired upon, and Gaza hosted a protest drawing about 2,000 angry participants. In Iraq, Muslim terrorist groups are vowing revenge. Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor reports that “the Mujahidin Shura Council… said Bush was leading a ‘new crusade’ and, addressing the pope, said: "We will destroy the cross... then all that will be accepted will be conversion or [death]."

Angry Muslims around the world through their protests, threats, and burning effigies of the Pope are saying the remarks made by B-16 offended them and misrepresented Islam. Even moderate Muslims agree that the speech from the Pope was unfortunate, unwise, and ill-timed. We are hearing loudly and clearly voices from all over the world saying that the Pope should not have said what he said. We have heard this judgment from all vantage points. Yet, before we render our own verdict on the matter, we need to hear a couple of other voices, too, the voices of Leonella and Ali.

You probably have heard of Sister Leonella Sgorbati by now. Sister Leonella, 66, was an Italian nun who worked at a Children’s hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. Since 2002, she had been working to train nurses at the SOS Kindergarten Hospital. She finished work on Sunday and was walking to her home when 8 shots rang out. Three of the shots hit her in the back. She was taken to the hospital, where she died while undergoing treatment. Her bodyguard died in the attack along with her.

Suspicions are high that she was attacked in response to the Pope’s statements. Some at the scene have stated that the attack was motivated by anger over what the Pope said. Others are not so sure. Even the nuns from the order to which Sister Leonella belonged have said they know of no connection with the Pope’s statement. Many, because of the uncertainty still lingering over the motive of the killers, are hesitant to connect the dots between the Pope’s words and the assassins’ bullets.

Whether there is a direct link between the Pope’s statements and this murder or not, the incidents most certainly are connected. Here’s how: The Pope in his lecture invoked the writings of a Byzantine emperor from the 1300’s to make the point that dialog between Christians and Muslims must begin with the realization that there are two very different ways of reasoning at play between Muslims and Christians. Christians have an authoritative place for reason, believing that God—the author of reason—would not act in a way that is unreasonable. Because God does not contradict reason, God’s will can be embraced by even those outside the Christian faith on the basis of reason.

Muslims do not view God as operating this way, believing instead that God is free even of the constraints of reason and must be obeyed even if the matter is unreasonable. This fact makes the starting place of discussions with Muslims difficult. Yet, recognizing this distinction can help the conversation have a start. Pope B-16 used his lecture to invite an open and frank discussion of the differences between Islam and Christianity. He offered reason as a good starting place and argued that Muslims and Christians could agree that using killing and violence to spread their faiths would be unreasonable. This is, basically, what the Pope said. Many Muslims and others said, “This is offensive.”

Sister Leonella has now made quite a statement of her own. Has she not voiced agreement with the Pope through her death? Is it not unreasonable to kill a servant of mercy in Mogadishu in response to being offended by something the Pope said at a lecture in Germany? And what if her death proves not to be linked to B-16’s speech? Is it not, then, even more unreasonable for this servant to have been killed simply because she was not a Muslim?

Is she the picture of the “Western Devil” often portrayed by many a radical Muslim imam? When we hear the story of Leonella Sgorbati, we don’t exactly think of her as a villain, infidel, or dancing pig. Rather, she appears more like a humble servant glad to lay down her life for the good of children and for the glory of the Savior, who also died to serve others. It probably will not surprise you to know that Sister Leonella reportedly spent her last words on earth offering forgiveness to those who murdered her, even as Christ Himself prayed a prayer of forgiveness for others when He was in His last hour. Leonella, now dead, says much about the Christian faith. Muslims need to answer what her death says about Islam.

Add to Sister Leonella the voice of Ali Mustaf Maka`il, a 22-year-old college student and cloth merchant. Ali lived in Mogadishu, Somalia, too. Ali converted to Christianity almost a year ago and last week found himself in an ethical quandary. The crowd gathered around him was chanting verses from the Koran in commemoration of a lunar eclipse. Ali was not comfortable joining with the chants. His refusal to speak the verses offended some of the Muslims.  So, an offended soldier with the Union of Islamic Courts (a group which rules part of Somalia) shot Ali in the back and killed him. This happened September 7^th, before the Pope said what he said.

According to Barnabas Fund (a British group that tracks the persecution of Christians) Somalia has witnessed many such murders of Christians recently. Three Christians were reported killed in July as they were coming home from prayer meeting. Islamists were responsible. Last year, Osman Sheik Ahmed, a Christian evangelist, was killed by Islamic radicals in Somalia. The gospel he was speaking obviously offended some Muslims. Muslims—at least some among them—have a convincing way of letting people know when something has offended them.

Do the deaths of Leonella and Ali offend Muslims? What do the voices of Leonella and Ali say about the Muslim faith? If the murders of Leonella and Ali do not represent true Islam, then where is the outrage against such a misrepresentation of Islam? I have heard even moderate Muslims express anger at the Pope for quoting a 14^th Century emperor who supposedly misrepresents true Islam. The non-Muslim world is left to wonder why Danish cartoons and this centuries-old quote provoke riots and ire from Muslims around the world, and, yet, the murders of Leonella and Ali in the name of Islam stir no emotion at all? Don’t the murders of Leonella and Ali misrepresent Islam, too? Let’s listen to what the Muslims say.
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