As I read the accounts of Christian martyrdom I can hear the voice of many; “It can't happen here? It can't happen today?” Such naive optimism should be carved deeply upon the gravestones of all who believe it. Martyrdom is a fact of life in many 'third world' and Muslim countries. One brief visit to ‘The Voice of the Martyrs’ website will make this plain. "But that is the case in those lands....we are democratic and enjoy personal freedoms." This should form the second line on the tombstone. We are truly ‘out of touch’ if we believe that 2 Timothy 3:12 ( Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.) ceases to be in effect once the Statue of Liberty is in sight. Other Democracies, Finland, Denmark and Norway, have, in place, laws that would make it a criminal offense to make “public statements that threaten or express disrespect for an ethnic group or similar group regarding their race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation." True, the United States sill protects freedom of speech, but can America, a land in which the right to commit grievous sin, such as abortion and homosexual practices, is guaranteed by law, be far behind? Isolationism is no longer an option. Diane Francis, writing for the Financial Post, says this;
"Transparency and globalization of information are so pervasive that isolationism is no longer an option. The world’s economies, stock markets, currencies and politics are so enmeshed now that even the Americans are starting to realize that there are others in the world who may not vote in their elections directly but who can do things that can effect outcomes."
Truly, economy dictates everything and it will be so in the future. Indeed, the Book of Revelation, whatever your view of it's timetable, deals with economic issues over and over (e.g. Revelation 13:17; 18:11,12). If the U.S. faces a choice between a secure economy and personal rights and freedoms it will be so easy to sacrifice those rights and freedoms. More to the point, if Americans have to choose between the religious freedoms of a few 'bothersome' people and their own material opulence it will be a 'no-brainer'. And who would qualify as bothersome? God (Bible) believing, God loving, truth preaching, uncompromising Christians. Sound fantastic? Note the words of Tal Brooke, in his book The Emerging Reality of a New World Order;
The politically correct intelligentsia has already "judged the gospel of Christ to be sexist, racist, anti-semitic, patriarchal, chauvinistic and homophobic." (p. 21) He says also; The "New World Order has no patience with any non-inclusive belief system." (p. 17)
This last statement is especially interesting in light of the rise of 'fundamentalist' Islam and their blood-thirsty campaign of terror. Truly this form of Islam is non-inclusive. Islam believes in, and has ever believed in, conversion or death and conversion at the point of the sword. If you are not a Muslim you are an infidel, and if an infidel an enemy of Allah, and if an enemy of Allah a 'pig' for the slaughter.
This type of attitude has made the world strictly unsafe for humanity. And, for that insecure humanity, it is easy to make a connection between non-inclusive Islam and 'exclusive' Christianity. In fact, people are ever pointing out the similarities between Islam's sword and the Papal sword of the Crusades. The fact that Papal 'christianity' is not Christianity is 'of no consequence' to unspiritual people. All they know for certain is that non-inclusive religion, by virtue of it's non-inclusivism, is a threat to the world at large. Any such threat, real or perceived, must be dealt with severely, especially if the economy is threatened by it. How should we proceed; even as the Western World now deals with terrorism, through open warfare, arrest, illegal and prolonged detention, torture, etc.? No? What is to prevent this modus operandi from becoming policy for all non-inclusive faiths? What is to prevent the label of pariah being applied to 'intolerant' Christians just as it is to intolerant Muslims? In brief, what is to prevent the darkened minds of fallen men proceeding blindly against anything that would disturb their serenity or security? Democratic freedom? This should form the third line on the tombstone; “He trusted (unwisely) in Democracy!”
Read more articles by Charles Carter or search for articles on the same topic or others.
