The papers greeted me today with the headline of "400 children and adults held hostage". The smaller headline read "Russia under seige by terrorists". Inside- female suicide bombers, french journalists held hostage, napalese riot, etc.
Now, I'm kinda at a loss... how should I, as a Christian, respond? Naturally, I'm appalled by the violence. But also, I'm sad that these people probably didn't have the chance to hear the gospel...
And in my own backyard, many friends have yet to hear the gospel as well... (we're in the life-threatening danger of falling onto mrt tracklines and moral degredation-- people are 'oohing' & 'ahhing' over an "arty-farty" film involving a grandmother's affair with a younger man *sheesh*)
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See, therein you have quite a problem. In my opinion it starts from the fact that no one is really prepared to recognise the cultural differences, but expects that everyone else should be "like me".
It goes very much further than religion. Again in my opinion the more that people (with the best intentions in the world) concentrate upon "their religion" being the solution to problems of poverty, of violence, of terrorism the greater those problems will become. Why should this be? Simply because taking Christianity into a Muslim country will be as futile in solving "problems" as taking Islam to a Christian country. Trying to solve the civil war in Nepal (a principally Bhuddist country) by pursuading everyone there to take up any other religion would be ridiculous.
The solutions have to be found in the culture and the religion of those involved. It will not be found by proselytising another religion.
I respect your regrets and your feelings.
Rant over
Hi Probligo,
I really appreciate your comments and thank you for them :) Firstly, think you have mistaken the negative nature of this blog entry to be something I regret. Rather, it is not of that nature. On the contrary, the problems of the world only accentuate my resolve that there is need of haste when in comes to sharing the gospel.
You're right. The world will not find any solution to its problems in religion. And in fact, the problems in this world will continue to rise and manifest themselves in even more violent and immoral ways. And all this is because of man's efforts in trying to "better" a fallen world by looking towards cognition, science and the "beyond" (the X-files & those sorts). All this however, is still contained within the mental, limited framework of man's knowledge; as well as the lies of the Prince of this World.
No, the solution lies not in these walls of humanity. The solution lies not in man seeking out an answer. The solution has already come. Will we as man accept that solution? And if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that the gospel is that solution.
What is the gospel? I'll address it soon in my future blogs :)
Once again, thanks for the comments Probligo. I would really love to correspond more and talk about this subject :) Take Care
Our Saturday paper featured a very moving photograph.
It was of a small hand, a child's hand, covered in dried blood and dirt. It was half open.
Lying on the palm was a small gold crucifix.
You said - *"But also, I'm sad that these people probably didn't have the chance to hear the gospel..."*
My original post was made with the thought in mind that those killed in this atrocity - there is no other name for it - were probably Christian, had probably "read the Gospel". That thought has been borne out.
The sadness, the regret in my post, was that man has always used religion to hide the real reasons for war, for killing, for atrocities like this behind a wall of social and political acceptability.
Remember the Crusades? They would not be the first religious wars. Remember the story of David and Goliath? Of the wars against the Persians? They would not be the first religious wars.
Remember "the war against terror" and Iraq2? That started as a "crusade". GWB used the word only once, (immediately after 9/11) but I am convinced that in his mind that is how he saw the beginning and the primary justification of the war against terror and subsequently Iraq2 - as a "religious crusade".
I do not have an answer. Unlike you, I would prefer to find a *humane* solution rather than one imposed by "my God" on "their god". Unlike you, I take personal responsibility for my treatment of other humans. I do not look to external forces to justify what acts I might do - irrespective of the provocation or the justification.
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