So powerful is the light of unity ....

The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.......

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.

Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can ensure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure 289 the day star of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men’s eyes….

Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding….    Bahá’u’lláh

Ayyam-i-Ha a time of giving and hospitality

Baha'is in more than 200 countries and territories are celebrating a four-day festival involving hospitality, gift giving, charity and social gatherings.
The festival, which runs from the evening of 25 February until sunset on 1 March, serves as a spiritual preparation for a fast during the last month of the Baha'is calendar, which begins on March 2 and ends on March 20.
Celebrations of Ayyam-i-Ha, as the festival is called, are taking different forms in different locations. In Singapore, for example, Baha'is are observing Ayyam-i-Ha with a blood donation drive and a picnic for families in a beachside park.
In Hungary, Baha'is plan to celebrate the festival with a musical program and a costume party for children in the Hungarian Culture Foundation building in Budapest.
In Milford, New Hampshire, in the United States, the Baha'is have invited friends and neighbors to join them for devotions and then entertainment, which will include learning a local folk dance, watching jugglers, enjoying music, and gift-giving.
The Baha'i calendar was initiated by the Bab, the Forerunner of the Faith's Prophet-Founder, Baha'u'llah, who later confirmed it.
The calendar comprises 19 months of 19 days. The Ayyam-i-Ha festival falls on the four days (five in a leap year) needed to balance out the solar year of 365 days. The time of this festival is also known as "Intercalary Days".
Of this period Baha'u'llah writes: "It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name."
During the fast which follows, Baha'is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a reminder of the need for individuals to control their material desires.
It is seen as a time of meditation and prayer during which Baha'is refresh and reinvigorate themselves spiritually.
There are exemptions from the fast for the young and elderly, and for those who are pregnant, ill or who are engaging in heavy work.
The fasting period ends with the joyous Naw Ruz (New Year) festival, which begins at sunset on March 20.

O Land of Ta (Ṭihran)

Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Ta (Ṭihran), for God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favors unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight of God as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God, and the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His Revelation. Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee "the Day Spring of His light," inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee--a name through which the Day Star of Grace hath shed its splendor, through which both earth and heaven have been illumined. Ere long will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people.
Bahá’u’lláh 

A prayer for Bahais of Iran

O God, my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones turning their hearts to Thee, and holding fast onto the cord of Thy ordinances and laws. I beseech thee by the waves of the sea of Thine utterance, and by Him through whom Thou didst adorn the heavens of Thy might, to graciously protect them by the aid of Thy hosts.
O God! Thou beholdest Thy lovers in Írán in the clutches of hate and enmity. I beg of Thee, by Thy mercy which hath preceded the contingent world, to raise up from the earth those who will be moved to aid and protect them, and to preserve their rights and the restitution due to them by those who broke Thy Covenant and Testament, and perpetrated such acts as made the inmates of the cities of Thy justice and equity to lament. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
~ Bahá’u'lláh

Bahá’u’lláh's summons to the world's kings and Rulers.

“We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem Us a stirrer up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment. …

“That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled — what harm is there in this? …

“Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come. …

“Yet do We see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind. …

“These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family. 

“Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind. ”

Satirical and serious theological statements

1. On a British comedy T.V. program in 2004, Jonathan Ross stated that a Muslim extremist suicide bomber was expecting to be taken to heaven where he would be rewarded with 72 virgins. Instead he was given a 72 year old virgin.

Everlasting hell for radical Muslims?

Soccer dives to the piece from Platoon.
Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings

2. John Calvin in my view held to a concept of free will similar to my own, and he has influenced my theology. He wrote in 1543 in The Bondage and Liberation of the Will.

If freedom is opposed to coercion, I both acknowledge and consistently maintain that choice is free and I hold anyone who thinks otherwise to be a heretic. If, I say, it were called free in this sense of not being coerced nor forcibly moved by an external impulse, but moving of its own accord, I have no objection. Calvin (1543)(1996: 68).

Salvation is not done by force or coercion, but through the use of soft determinism/compatibilism as human beings are chosen, regenerated and changed to a belief in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

3. Thoughts

Honk if you love peace and quiet.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
Always try to be modest, and be proud of it!
Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Thoughts

4. From my MPhil, thoughts on Scripture

I realize the original Scriptural autographs are missing, and it is not my place here to discuss Greek manuscripts, but there is a consistency in manuscript evidence which can be found, and within the Scriptural message there is philosophical consistency.

MPhil

5. Eternal versus Everlasting

Eternal: To have no beginning and no ending.

Everlasting: To have a beginning and no ending.

Something which is eternal according to Simon Blackburn is not moving, and is beyond time, whereas something everlasting is running within time. Blackburn (1996: 126).

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the same Greek word can be defined in English as either eternal or everlasting. The Greek word aíwvios (aionios) is explained as meaning perpetual, used of past time or past and future as well, eternal, for ever, and everlasting. Strong (1986: 8). Strong provides only one word for eternal or everlasting from the New Testament.

6. Twelve Pack

I am so muscular, that I have a twelve pack. (satire and theology)

7. My friend Bobby Buff announces that he has retired from body-building (i.e. ignoring his friends). He participated in two local natural competitions.

Natural, not naturist.

The body-building world mourns... (satire and theology)

Questions 6 and 7 from this post in comments

8. How to build a religious empire with the use of cultic manipulation and false doctrine.

9. The joy of Russian scammer virtual 'love' from Yana. We had not met, and did not meet. She would send me scripted letters.

'hi My love.I did not receive your letter. I very strongly worry. Whether all at you is good. You were not ill. I suffer for you. I ask you calm of me, write to me the letter. Now it so is necessary for me your letter. I strongly love you also I wait from you for the letter. Always yours Yana.'

She also sent me this...or rather sent Mark this:

'mark.Today on April, 1 day of jokes and laughter.Today I would like to congratulate you on this holiday.Tell and you mark this holiday at you in the country and as you do it to me it would be very interesting to know.I hope to hear more detailed story about it in the following letter.'

Sorry, Yana, I will never give you cash for your written rehash.

10. Sceptic James Randi is not a Christian, but it is still interesting how he debunks Popoff.

Although these healing ministries appear fraudulent, they still preach some type of gospel message. Philippians mentions in 1:17-19 that some preach Christ out of selfish ambition, and not from pure motives, but Paul rejoices that Christ is still being proclaimed.

Jesus and the Apostles did not attempt to perform phony healings for selected people, but from Scriptural evidence were empowered by God. I believe that God can empower someone to perform a healing, but so often I think certain people want to make supernatural things happen and for this reason I think scepticism is healthy in regard to healing and miracles.



BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

STRONG, JAMES (1986) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.

ASL-I-KULLU’L-KHAYR (Words of Wisdom)

In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Most High

THE source of all good is trust in God, submission unto His command, and contentment with His holy will and pleasure.

The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.

The essence of religion is to testify unto that which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty Book.

The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained.

The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord.

True remembrance is to make mention of the Lord, the All-Praised, and forget aught else beside Him.

True reliance is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands is the destiny of all His servants.

The essence of detachment is for man to turn his face towards the courts of the Lord, to enter His Presence, behold His Countenance, and stand as witness before Him.

The essence of understanding is to testify to one’s poverty, and submit to the Will of the Lord, the Sovereign, the Gracious, the All-Powerful.

The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.

The essence of charity is for the servant to recount the blessings of his Lord, and to render thanks unto Him at all times and under all conditions.

The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.

The essence of true safety is to observe silence, to look at the end of things and to renounce the world.

The beginning of magnanimity is when man expendeth his wealth on himself, on his family and on the poor among his brethren in his Faith.

The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendour hath revealed.

The source of all evil is for man to turn away from his Lord and set his heart on things ungodly.

The most burning fire is to question the signs of God, to dispute idly that which He hath revealed, to deny Him and carry one’s self proudly before Him.

The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.

The essence of abasement is to pass out from under the shadow of the Merciful and seek the shelter of the Evil One.

The source of error is to disbelieve in the One true God, rely upon aught else but Him, and flee from His Decree.

True loss is for him whose days have been spent in utter ignorance of his self.

The essence of all that We have revealed for thee is Justice, is for man to free himself from idle fancy and imitation, discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork, and look into all things with a searching eye.

Thus have We instructed thee, manifested unto thee Words of Wisdom, that thou mayest be thankful unto the Lord, thy God, and glory therein amidst all peoples.

Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity.

Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face.

Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.

Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.

Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men.

Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.

Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.

Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive.

Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.

Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.

Flowers of One Garden

"Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty.

"How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof.

"In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest.

"Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men."

-- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,

View Manifestations As One Soul

“… If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean of divine unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first among them would be last and the last would be first.

“For they have all arisen to proclaim His Cause and have established the laws of divine wisdom. They are, one and all, the Manifestations of His Self, the Repositories of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His splendour, and the Daysprings of His light.

“Through them are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all things and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings. Through them are revealed the elements of glorification in the heavenly realities and the exponents of praise in the eternal essences.

“From them hath all creation proceeded and unto them shall return all that hath been mentioned.

“And since in their inmost Beings they are the same Luminaries and the self-same Mysteries, thou shouldst view their outward conditions in the same light, that thou mayest recognize them all as one Being, nay, find them united in their words, speech, and utterance.

“Wert thou to consider in this station the last of them to be the first, or conversely, thou wouldst indeed be speaking the truth, as hath been ordained by Him Who is the Wellspring of Divinity and the Source of Lordship: “Say: Call upon God or call upon the All-Merciful: by whichsoever name ye will, invoke him, for He hath most excellent names.”*

“For they are all the Manifestations of the name of God, the Dawning-Places of His attributes, the Repositories of His might, and the Focal Points of His sovereignty, whilst God—magnified be His might and glory—is in His Essence sanctified above all names and exalted beyond even the loftiest attributes.

“Consider likewise the evidences of divine omnipotence both in their Souls and in their human Temples, that thine heart may be assured and that thou mayest be of them that speed through the realms of His nearness. …”

Source: Bahá’u'lláh, “Gems of Divine Mysteries” (“Javáhiru’l-Asrár”)

Double feature: Briefly comparing Canada, USA and UK/Infra, Subla, Supra, (Dupra, Dubya)

Campo Del Moro, Madrid (photo from trekearth.com)

My future theology school?

1. A few comparisons

Religious and military attitudes make for interesting cultural discussion.

Religious




These sort of recent statistics are not surprising.

World military spending


Notice how Canada is more peaceful than America. At least according to the cited site.


Sure I would like to live in a more ideal world without the military. In that regard I can relate to my Mennonite friends (I attended a Mennonite Bible School for my BA). But, I am thankful that the military spending of the United States and the United Kingdom, for now anyway, contributes to my personal freedom to state my mind relatively freely on Blogger and Facebook.

2. Some philosophical theology from a guy that tries to do it.

Got Questions

Got questions.org summarizes their work using writings from incompatibilist Norman Geisler and compatibilist James White.

'Infralapsarianism puts God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed the creation of mankind, (2) God decreed mankind would be allowed to fall into sin through its own self-determination, (3) God decreed to save some of the fallen, and (4) God decreed to provide Jesus Christ as the Redeemer. Infralapsarianism focuses on God allowing the fall and providing salvation.

Sublapsarianism is very similar to infralapsarianism, putting God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed to create human beings, (2) God decreed to permit the fall, (3) God decreed to provide salvation sufficient to all, and (4) God decreed to choose some to receive this salvation. The only difference between infralapsarianism and sublapsarianism is whether God decreed to provide salvation through Jesus Christ and then decreed to choose some to be saved, or vice-versa.

Supralapsarianism puts God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed the election of some and the eternal condemnation of others, (2) God decreed to create those elected and eternally condemned, (3) God decreed to permit the fall, and (4) God decreed to provide salvation for the elect through Jesus Christ. Supralapsarianism focuses on God ordaining the fall, creating certain people for the sole purpose of being condemned, and then providing salvation for only those whom He had elected.'

Unlike the website, I would theologically lean more toward the concepts of supralapsarianism, BUT, I have serious problems with putting God's eternal decrees within time.

I stated in the comments of the Thoughts and Theology blog of Jeff Jenkins in links:

Yes in a timeless state, and not in any type of linear time where there would be the problem of vicious regress as in if God always had an eternal relationship in time past God would never arrive at the present. There is a similar problem faced by those that postulate that the universe and time is eternal and by those that reason there is a eternal regression of gods, as in a god causes a god and there is no first god, or a choice causes a choice with there never being a first choice and nature as cause.

God simply is and is simply relational.

God did not have to reason out in time in eternity what to do but simply knew as a relational infinite being.

I do not pretend to completely comprehend it but too many evangelicals fall into the trap of putting God in a vicious regress.

As well, when I read of God's decrees in Calvinism, one must be careful not to state that in eternity God decreed one thing in time before another. No, God willed all things as God in eternity, as he is, they did not take place in the mind of God in time, although he can will that they take place in time in our reality.




Anyone willing to take a class from me here while sitting on the grass?

I do support strong security measures in airports.

Now, my Mom can really relate to this one.

With our last trip to AZ (also via NV, UT) one pilot from Dallas in the cue just shook is head as the security people literally had to hold Mom up to perform the checks on her. He stated to me along the lines that it was ridiculous to put her through that procedure. Well stated.

True civilization

True civilization will unfurl its banner in the mid-most heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns – the shining exemplars of devotion and determination – shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace.

~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, ‘the Kingdom is God’s,’ may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.

~ Bahá’u’lláh

Some bizarre internet experiences since 2000

'Of course' theologically I have been told off online:

From my post: Rough Notes on the Incarnation, thekingpin68, Dec 2005.

An apparently rather angry gay activist type from California states in comments out of the blue:

'what an absolute perfect blog of spiritual self indulgence...
I have NEVER read so much INTELLECTUAL TWADDLE in my LIFE [ and i have beem around a LONG time.
whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are TRULY a legend in your own mind!!!!!!
thanks for sharing.'

I answered:

Please feel free to critique what I am saying on the blog. You have made assertions without arguing against anything that I said.

End quote.

I must state I am very glad he messaged me on my Blogger blog and not on a Christian dating site...

I do live in the Vancouver area, you know.



Some like to challenge me away from the blogs and my supporters by email.

Yea, that will help you...

Yes, I know I have much to learn.

I have been called a knee-jerk Christian for calling a practitioner of Eastern Religion with a guru, a person that follows an Eastern Religion. Yes, I was way off there.

A few people, including a LDS blogger have attempted to take me on concerning Biblical Christianity. I spent two hours on a nice academic reply to a letter which contained some personal attacks against me and the man simply avoided answering my research and evidence and changed the subject in the next email and goes on to more ad hominem attacks.

Apparently he had gone at Rick B. previously and even scrappin' Rick wanted to get away from this guy. Rick stated I should get rid of the guy and I heartily agreed.

The Charles Manson of blogging, perhaps? Helter Skelter.

Okay, I get it, you like Mormon theology and not Biblical theology, but so what? You cannot back it up.

Bye Bye, Mr. Church of Jesus Christ blocked on my ladder day Outlook Express application.

On Christian Cafe a few years ago while I was in Manchester a young woman told me that I should take the Alpha course because it taught that it was okay to have premarital sex. She figured a relationship was no good without it.

I stated that she needed to study her Bible more and that I doubted very much that the Alpha course taught what she was stating.

Is there a liberal Christian version called the Omega course?

I have since dumped Christian Cafe.

Okay, beware when someone via the Are You Interested? application on Facebook, does not want to be a Facebook friend and instead wants to be Yahoo Messenger chat buddies. Now, I saw this women's Facebook profile photos after we were Yahoo Messenger contacts. She claimed to be American but lived in the UK. Our Messenger discussions were pretty limited but she did not come across as an outright scammer at first. Once I saw her Facebook photos, she looked like a model, but the wrong type of model. Red flag.

So, I deleted her off of Yahoo Messenger. So, then once and awhile over the next few months she kept messaging me as she could still see my Yahoo profile but I could not see her. I do have the concept that I should be a good witness and so I chatted with her the other day when she messaged, and she told me that she was a Christian and looking for a Christian man, blah, blah, blah. It actually was not a bad chat. So after the chat, I went and dug up her Facebook profile and saw the 'iffy' photos and in reply to her sent a somewhat sarcastic email stating that as a theologian I was looking for a good Christian chat with her.

Well, the sarcasm was lost on her, (perhaps English is a second language?) and she sent me the photos by email with some additional topless ones. Now, I emailed her back and stated that it was inappropriate and wrong for Christians to be involved in such activity and that she did not have to be nude (partially nude) to interest in me when in fact, as she knew, I was looking for godly Christian women to meet as friends presently in my situation. I mentioned Matthew 5 to her concerning looking at a woman with lust and therefore having already committed adultery/sin. She stated that she had not sent the photos to interest me but sent them just because they were hers.

I was thinking...scammer. Well, she stated she is a serious Christian and would take my advice and pull revealing photos from her Facebook profile.

I just checked her profile and she has not changed her photos...shocking.

I have 'of course' been contacted for years by web cam divas and scammers from Eastern Europe, Russia and Africa and recently a tall blonde from Atlanta that really gave a good conservation for awhile claiming to be a devout Christian and then went into a bunch of scammer script about me being the one which continued in emails and Yahoo Messenger quips.

Now do they really think that with my education I am just going to go for some 'babe' that pretends to slobber all over me online. Come on!

Clue: An honest, intellectual discussion with an open mind is more attractive than a stunning photo.

Bye Bye, bimbo (or at least you are acting like one).

Additional:



In Germany It Is Better to Be a Muslim than a Baptist

I suppose this is a bit off topic, but in a sense is also bizarre. Baptist historical and sociological theologian Albert Mohler has previously on his radio show mentioned the persecution and plight of Baptists and Baptist homeschoolers in Germany. Thomas Landen in The Brussels Journal: The Voice of Conservatism in Europe mentions how the Baptists are persecuted in ways that Muslims are not.

I will be transparent here, I do have Reformed Baptist theological leanings and was educated at Canadian Baptist Seminary at Trinity Western University.

To quote some of the article:

In Germany It Is Better to Be a Muslim than a Baptist

'The Federal Republic of Germany is a democracy. It is no fun, however, to be a Baptist in Germany. For the past two decades, the German authorities have been clamping down on Baptists who want to raise their children in accordance with their own religious principles. In Germany, the state rather than the parents is considered to be primarily responsible for the well-being of children. Hence, the draconic measures taken against Baptists. When, however, it comes to meeting the demands of Muslim the German state is far more lenient.'

In my mind, Biblically from overall context parents have the mandate to guide children. The state is to be obeyed in the context of law and order (Romans 13).

The state is grossly overstepping its mandate in attempting to control the lives of children via the education process. This strikes me as cultural elitism and snobbery.

'In 1938, Germany outlawed homeschooling. The ban is one of the few bills introduced by Adolf Hitler that is still on the books in Germany today. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, hundreds of ethnic German families from Southern Russia and Kazakhstan emigrated to Germany. Many of them were Baptists who had been fiercely persecuted in the Soviet Union for their religious beliefs.'

Hmm, a totalitarian government outlaws homeschooling. I wonder what they were afraid of. Perhaps people that were actually educated enough to challenge what the state was teaching them?

'Following their arrival in the West, the Baptists soon became unhappy with what their children were learning in the secular German public schools.'

Perhaps they wanted their children not only to understand secular thinking but also a Christian worldview as well.

'They decided to homeschool their children. This move led to fierce repression by the German authorities who took the parents to court on charges of “Hochverrat und Volksverhetzung” (high treason and incitement of the people against the authorities). Some parents were imprisoned, some were robbed of their parental authority, some had their children taken away from them.'

High treason? No highly ridiculous.

'On 11 August, Germany’s Supreme Court ruled that “the religious conviction of a minority” is subordinated to “a contradictory tradition of a differently inclined majority,” even when the latter tradition is incompatible with the religious principles of the minority.'

That ruling really curbs religious rights.

'The Court stated that the right of religious freedom of the parents does not take precedence over article 7, par. 1 of the German Constitution which explicitly states that “The entire education system is under the supervision of the state.”'

'The relentlessness with which the German authorities consistently clamp down on Baptists who want to raise their children according to their own Christian beliefs, contrasts strongly with the leniency of the same authorities towards Muslims.'

'The difference in treatment of the so-called fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist Muslims by the German secular school authorities and courts gives rise to the suspicion that in contemporary Europe some religious minorities are “more equal” than others. While Christians are prosecuted and fined, Muslims are appeased.'

I am shocked. No, not really.

'The answer to this question is probably “No.” Baptists are a peaceful minority, who want to be left alone and live according to their own values without trying to impose these values on others. Muslim fundamentalists are aggressive and demand that everyone live according to their values. Saying “No” to Baptist demands is not a security risk for a school; saying “No” to Muslim demands is.'

Yes, pick on someone that will not likely beat you back.

'Meanwhile, despite the Baptists’ hatred of German schools, Baptist violence against German school authorities is a non-existing phenomenon. Perhaps this explains why Baptists are bullied, prosecuted and fined by the German authorities, while the same authorities grovel to Muslims with ludicrous demands such as burqini swimsuits.'

Seems to me although I am not a religious right supporter in general terms, that in Germany and in Europe at least, Christians should be politically united and state that Germany has gone too far on this issue.


Flexing those muscles