Language Propaganda

George Orwell's classic novel, 1984, predicted a world in which, among other things, language would become a means of the government to shape thinking--a propaganda tool. Thus, the very active military was controlled by the Ministry of Peace. The department that created dependence through economic shortages was called the Ministry of Plenty.

Orwell's idea was already being used in the Soviet Union at the time he wrote, and has since been adopted by all sorts of political causes. No one describes themselves as  pro-infanticide or pro-abortion, only "pro-choice." And if you support the recent Hobby Lobby decision, you are "against birth control," instead of objecting to one particularly gruesome and deadly (to the fetus) form of it. The way in which this decision has been framed in the media and by politicians who promote abortion has been so one-sided that most Americans have no idea what is really involved, nor of the ramifications of the recent executive order by the President to force all who have contractual relationship with the government to offer abortion coverage in their healthcare plans.

Those who wish to redefine for all the concept of marriage have embraced the term "marriage equality." However, "marriage" has had a universally understood meaning, and this "equality" asks to redefine something that all cultures and times have understood to be one thing, in favor of a new contemporary understanding. Marriage has always been between the two sexes, not the joining of two people of the same sex. This redefinition of a core human concept is breathtaking to say the least. And it is meant to imply that those who do not agree favor "inequality"--a near universally bad concept in our society, like slavery.

Let's assume, for sake of argument, that a group of people who loved the color red were angered and upset that their favorite color's name was associated with embarrassment (red-faced), crime (caught red-handed), and cultural backwardness (redneck). They decide that it is patently unfair that this is the case, whereas that other color, blue is favored by more people,and associated with being refined (blue blood), noble character (true blue) and great music (the blues). So they decide that blue should share its name with red. These folks start calling for "blue equality." No one color deserves to be thought of as special and deserving of higher status. No, we must call blue, blue; we must call red, blue; and any other color desirous of such recognition should be called "blue" for the sake of equality for all lovers of all colors.

Marriage is not just two people deciding to live together and share everything. Dating is not marriage. Roommates are not married. Cohabitation is not marriage. Marriage, as seen in creation's initial union of male and female, in the clear witness of Scripture, and the concurrent witness of history and culture throughout the world  is a man leaving father and mother, being joined to his wife, and the two becoming one flesh--a new "whole" that includes physical intimacy. The joining is a covenant, the breaking of which is most serious. Adultery has always been seen as "immoral," and while some societies have favored (or at least tolerated) polygamy, same sex unions have never been called "marriage." This kind of redefinition is like calling up, "down," or as in our example, calling red "blue." You can do it, but you rob the word of any meaning.

I suppose that we should not be surprised that people want to redefine reality. Those who follow their same sex inclinations, or embrace the choice of aborting infants have already decided that what the created world shows them, what historic taboos have reinforced, and what the Bible clearly teaches (at this point in agreement with all major world religions), is not enough to govern or overrule one's passions. "What I feel or desire deeply, powerfully, and passionately" trumps "what is true, historically demonstrable, and natural (in the purest sense of that term)." Having decided that one's passions equal one's identity (another spurious construct), and that one's passions thus become the standard of right, good, and true, the redefinition of historic concepts becomes a relatively minor step to take.

For society, this is one more downward step. No surprise in a fallen world where, for all of our talk of the "j curve" of information growth, we get more stupid and silly as sin takes deeper root. For Christians, it will be one more reason we will need grace and strength from God to speak truth that will generally become more inconvenient, unacceptable, and scarce. And our speaking must itself continue (perhaps for some, begin) to be gracious, even as those opposed to our message use ever more inflammatory descriptions of dangers of our views.

Why I Support Israel, Care About Palestinians, and Don't Trust the Media

The current Israeli military action to neutralize the ability of Hamas to launch rockets at Israel is the subject of news, comment, Facebook posts, demonstrations worldwide, and a rise of public anti-Semitism in Europe. Civilians are dying along with combatants. No one expects the current conflict to yield a permanent solution.

And many Christians who comment are guilty of sloppy thinking.

The following all make me crazy:

1. When Christians blindly assert that Israel's right to the Holy Land makes all of their actions "blessed" and worthy of Christian support. 
2. When Christians treat the conflict as a matter of equal actions and reactions and moral equivalence. They refer to "both sides" needing to step back and "negotiate" and act as if there are no "good guys" and "bad guys" in the situation.
3. When anyone accepts the mainstream media's reporting as accurate of the situation that is occurring.

Let me unpack my thoughts, and how I believe we ought to approach this matter.

1. Americans should see Israel as a strategic and natural ally. This is a solely political calculus. Of all the countries in the region, Israel is the only stable, western-style democracy that embraces western cultural values related to personal liberties, freedom of religion, free expression of opinions, and treatment of people based on a high view of human life. Israel is not perfect, but neither is the U.S. And only Israel has shown the ability to actually win a conflict in the region. If we have to choose up sides in the world, I want Israel on my team.

2. Christians may differ on eschatology, but they should not miss the truth that the Jewish people are God's "elect" people in one very specific sense. Romans 11 says this is the case because of the promises to the patriarchs. Further, while most Jewish people do not yet believe that Jesus is their messiah, there is coming a day when, as a people, they will do so as a demonstration of God's faithfulness to his promises. Only the most obtuse reading of Romans 11 would fail to grasp that ethnic Israel has a promised revival of faith that is coming. Therefore, to love the Jewish people, even in their unbelief, is to love a people that are loved as a people by God.

3. Christians should not see the current state of Israel as guaranteed a future until the return of Christ, or the government of Israel as always "doing the will of God." While I believe that Israel's current existence coincides with circumstances that will be present in the end times of Revelation, I cannot be positive that they may not be scattered again if the Lord Jesus delays his return for centuries. I believe that there will be a definable Jewish people in the land preceding the Lord's return. I think (but cannot be sure) that the current state may be the precursor to that future. That said, Israel is in the land in unbelief, not submissive to the will of God and in rebellion to his plan of salvation. And in such a state, Israel's government is capable of great evil, just as all human governments are.

4. Americans in general, and many Christians, seem not to understand the nature of the current conflict. Israel wants peace with Palestinians, and has provided land and other concessions as incentives. Hamas (which controls Gaza) wants Israel wiped out of existence, and will not negotiate peace--ever. And the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank wants Israel to surrender all lands conquered in the war of 1967; borders that would make Israel very difficult to defend. In both the PA and Gaza children are taught from texts that teach hatred for Jews. How does a nation live next door to a people that want it dead? As one commentator has said, "If the Palestinians laid down their arms, there would be peace between Israel and a Palestinian state. If the Israelis laid down their arms, there would be no Israel and only a Palestinian state."

5. Palestinians are not monolithic, and certainly are not all "evil." Not all of them support Hamas. Some actually favor peace with Israel. And there are Christian believers among them, even in Gaza. Churches there are housing refugees while being hated by their own government (Hamas). If you had grown up as a Christian Palestinian in Gaza, you might not have much reason to love Israel, even if you don't desire their destruction. We can and should care about the situation of our Christian family there. But that is not the same as supporting the cause of Hamas, or seeing it as "equivalent" to Israel's cause. Think of it this way. In World War 2, there were Christian Germans who may not have supported Hitler, but served their country in the armed forces. They were our brothers and sisters, and yet their fighting for their country did not mean American Christians should not fight against Germany in World War 2, or that we should somehow have seen the German cause as being just a different take on world affairs. Their policies and their invasions were evil. Hamas is evil, and their actions are evil. While Israel is not perfect, they have as much right to exist as any other nation (they at least were created by U.N. vote and not simply by rebellion as the U.S.A. was) and to defend themselves against attack. Hamas has declared that as long as they are alive they will fight to destroy Israel. They use civilians, schools, and hospitals as bases for their rockets and their tunnel systems. 

6. Press reports reflect all the errors mentioned above, and are meant to generate controversy, readership (or viewership) and revenue for their owners. Their general bias is against Israel, fearful of insulting Islam, and unwilling to appear as if the actions of a terrorist group (Hamas) might be worse than those of a state that has had to defend itself against rocket attacks launched from primary schools (Israel). And no one seems to report that Israel continues to take Gaza's civilian patients in need of emergency medical care, or continues to supply electricity, water, food, medical supplies to Gaza, and much of its water, even while Egypt does not. I have been in Israel many times when events have taken place that the are reported with breathless urgency by the media, as if they were huge and influential. I've actually seen "staged stonethrowing" where the media was invited to report on a Palestinian demonstration. The cameras rolled, some teenagers shouted and threw stones, the cameras stopped, and the teens left. Most people are unaware that about 75,000 tourists are moving all around Israel without incident or disturbance. 

In short, I love my Christian brothers and sisters in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza more than I care about any other individuals in this situation. I pray for their protection and for peace that would be to their benefit and the furtherance of the Gospel.

But I also recognize Israel's right to exist. I believe in the special place of Jewish people in God's election and purposes. I must acknowledge the evil that is embodied in Islamic teaching generally (from its corruption of Old Testament history and its denial of Jesus' full deity, to the concept of jihad and the intolerance it fosters throughout much of the world) and in the Hamas "brand" of Islam specifically.

Nazis would  not be appeased. Hamas will not be appeased. In a world where no government is perfect or righteous, there is nevertheless the right of governments and nations to act against evil that is directed at their own people. And so I hope that Israel prevails, Hamas is defeated, and out of that defeat a more humane and secular government might come. But looking at the region and the inability of Islam to foster such governments and cultures (quick, what Islamic country can you think of where women have equal rights with men and are not treated as property, where minorities live in relative peace and safety, where criticism of the government is freely allowed without repercussion, and violence is not considered an appropriate way to settle personal vendettas?), I have little hope of this.

Israel has perpetrated injustices in the past, and will do so in the future; as will other countries. For example, they have failed to protect Christians in their midst, and made it hard for Jewish believers in Jesus to become Israeli citizens, although they allow every other kind of Jew--agnostic, Buddhist, atheist, New Age--automatic citizenship. They should be criticized when they do injustice. This military action, however imbalanced it may appear (given Israel's military superiority), is not an injustice, but seeks to address an evil that needs to be stopped.

Inspiring, Intriguing, and Unnerving Links

I am an avid student and reader about many subjects, and one of the joys of the internet age is the availability of various stories, articles, and tools that allow me to learn, to be inspired, and sometimes to be challenged and made a bit uncomfortable, all through excellent stories and writing. Here are some links to some matters I have found interesting, and two programs/apps that have increased my opportunities to listen.

Inspiring Story...
Sixty Nine Days, by Hector Tobar appeared in The New Yorker magazine and is the true story of the Chilean miners who survived underground over two months after a massive cave in. The story was powerful at the time (2010), but having it told through the voices of the men involved is even more so. You will be impressed by the role Christian faith played, and how the experience revealed the positive and negative extremes of human reaction.

Middle East Mess Made Clearer...
This video by Dennis Prager is a concise look at the Middle East problem from an historic perspective. Prager simplifies, but not in a way that interferes with understanding. There are certainly wrongs done by Israel, as well as the Palestinians, but the political dilemma is pretty straight forward. View the following video and see.




Summer "reading" with New Audiobook resources...
This summer, Kathy and I have been enjoying our reading, and also enjoying audiobooks on our long car drives. What has made this even better has been learning of two programs available through our local library where we can borrow audiobooks, ebooks, and even movies and TV series if we want.

The first program is "hoopla," and it has apps and programs that allow you, in partnership with your local library, to "borrow" audiobooks, music, and videos. They have quite a wide variety, and you can stream or download.

The second is Overdrive, and it offers a large selection of ebooks and audiobooks, but limited numbers of copies of items, where hoopla has unlimited copies of what it offers. We have found some titles on one service that are not on the other. Overdrive requires you to sign up for an Adobe account when you begin service.

Both require you to have a library card number, and that your library be in partnership with the program.

Two great books on love and marriage...
Speaking of reading, I've read two great books related to love, and especially to love in God's economy. Paul Miller has become one of the authors I've greatly appreciated for his insights and applicational teaching. He has followed up a personal favorite of mine, A Praying Life, with a new book about God's love seen in the life story of Ruth in A Loving Life. This book challenged, convicted and encouraged me, and it will you, too.

The second is about love and marriage, by another of my favorite authors, Tim Keller. Along with his wife, Kathy, he has written The Meaning of Marriage, and it is one of the best surveys of material about on Christian marriage--for anyone from those who are considering marriage, to those who are fearful of it, to those who may be finding it much harder than they bargained for. You will benefit from reading this book, no matter your marital status.

Some thoughts on children crossing the U.S. Border
I have made no secret of my concern for immigration reform, and my desire to see a plan that takes care of the millions of undocumented people here as well as the problem of border security. The issue has blown up recently due to thousands of children who are crossing the southern border without parents or guardians from central America. What do we do? My friend, David Hegg, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, California, has offered a well-thought answer here.

Here's a review of a new book I may need to read pretty soon, but some of you better read now!
It's the newest book by J. I. Packer, and it sounds pretty inspiring. The book is titled Finishing Our Course with Joy: Guidance from God for Engaging with Our Aging. The review that tipped me off, and makes me think will be good is found at Desiring God's website here. Of course, J. I. Packer has been a favorite since his book, Knowing God, was used by God to change my way of thinking in my late teens. Packer, at the age of 88, insists that the Christian must not buy into the world's perspective on retirement--calling it "worldliness" and "folly." Read the review, and then you might decide to get the book!

Making sense of crazy days...
If you know me well, you know that I have strong opinions about political matters, leadership, and cultural morality (if I hear another person say "you cannot legislate morality" I may just call that person the dunce that they are--ANY law passed about human behavior is a legislating of morality!). I have watched national and international developments with amazement and, when I am not thinking rightly, dismay. But I am getting better at reminding myself that the ills and sins of this world are what we should expect, and God is using them for his purposes, even when I find them infuriating. May you have peace in your heart, even as our world has none.

Does The Bible Offer Theological Help on Immigration?

Last night, I showed the Evangelical Immigration Table's film, The Stranger, to just under 100 of our people as a "conversation starter" on the subject of immigration as a concern for Christians. I tried to keep the discussion away from politics, but that is hard given that it is such a politically tinged issue. The practical "take away" issues I hope we all understand are:

• Immigration is a complex issue going beyond people sneaking into the U.S. from our southern border.
• There are Christian brothers and sisters who are negatively affected by current immigration policies and practices.
• Current laws are not securing our borders, provide no real path for citizenship for those who would seek to come or stay legally, and may often contribute to significant harm to families as undocumented parents may be separated from children who are here legally or are citizens by birth.
• As the Church, ministry to people is more important than determining whether those people are in the U.S. legally or not. 

I appreciated questions asked, and also the frustration some expressed in that answers were not explicitly given. That is part of the challenge of thinking about tough issues--they are tough for a reason.

I have written previously about comprehensive immigration reform on this blog, and you can click on the link to read what I said in 2013. Such an approach tries to address border security, dealing with the up to 14 million here who are undocumented, and future immigration from other countries, all through the establishment of clear and consistent laws that will be enforced and followed by all levels of government. 

The film does not do much to lay out a robust theological framework for concern, beyond the citing of a number of familiar scriptures. One of those scriptures, Matthew 25's "least of these" passage, is one that I believe is taken out of context (you can see my explanation of my objection in another post).

What about the other references? And if I believe that the Church should think biblically about immigration, what scriptures would I appeal to?  Here is a foundation.

1. "The Golden Rule" passages--"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12, see also Luke 6:31). This is pretty self-explanatory. This would include extending grace, overlooking faults, being compassionate, and so on. Since Jesus goes even further to teach "love your enemies," we know that this is not just promoting reciprocal action for believers (I'll do good to you if you do good to me), but other-focused action (I'll do good to you that I would wish for you to do for me).
2. The "love your neighbor" passages--Seen in the Great commandment passages as summarizing the horizontal terms of the Law (Luke 10:25-28, and Paul's echo in Galatians 5:14). If we wonder who our neighbor is, we know that Jesus answered that question in Luke 10's parable of the Good Samaritan.
3. The "Hospitality" passages--Calls to hospitality (the word literally means "love of strangers") are frequent in both the OT and NT. Hebrews 13:2 tells us that by being hospitable, some (possibly referring to Abraham) have entertained angels without realizing who they were. 1 Peter 4:9 says it bluntly, "show hospitality to one another without grumbling." The "one another" here would limit the direct application to believers, but the Hebrews passage was clearly pointing outside one's own circle.
4. The "Sojourner" passages--Many of these passages in the OT are addressed to Israel and how it should treat foreigners who come and live among them. Leviticus 19:34 captures this body of material well: "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him  as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." Now, we know that we are not Israel, and sojourning in the USA is not the same as among God's covenant people. But, if the Church is called to be demonstrative of the heart of God toward those who do not know him, as Israel was called to be, then the Church's view and treatment of strangers should parallel that of Israel. We, too, know what it is to be strangers and aliens in this world, just as Israel learned what it was to be strangers in Egypt. 

There is more, of course, and even Matthew 25's teaching that treating the "least of these, my brothers" with compassion does have an application if we are speaking of believers who are immigrants--legal or otherwise.

What about submission to authority? Christians know that no human government exercises its authority in ways that are wholly consistent with God's morality. We recognize government authority to do many things--inflict punishment, promote laws, collect taxes, receive respect, and be obeyed. However, none of these rights is absolute. Believers have always had to weigh deference to the government against obedience and honor to God. Midwives refused to kill Hebrew babies, lied about it, and were rewarded by God (Exodus 1). Jehoiada the priest overthrew the rule of Queen Athaliah--a wicked queen to be sure (2 Kings 10). When Daniel's friends were told to bow before the king's image, they refused and took their punishment (Daniel 3). Daniel sought to circumvent the king's dietary orders (Daniel 1). When apostles were told not to preach by Jewish authorities, they repeatedly refused (Acts 4, 5). Paul urged submission to authorities (Romans 14), but he clearly was not willing to accede to Roman restrictions on gospel ministry and proclamation--as his martyrdom made abundantly clear. Thus, we wish and strive for situations where laws are established that are just and fair, and we honor authority through obedience where we believe it honors God as well. But we owe no nation or king or system of government absolute allegiance, except for King Jesus. And when nations, including the United States of America, adopt laws that call evil "good," and good "evil," that nation has made clear that it has lost--at least to some significant degree--any linkage between its law making and its proper role in God's economy.

Keep thinking about these matters, and consider how God may be guiding you, and us, toward biblical involvement, concern, and prayer.

Thoughtful and Thought-filled Links from Steve Saint

I just saw the latest installment from Steve Saint on his recovery from terrible injuries he suffered two years ago in a crash. Steve is head of ITEC, a developer of technologies that are accessible to remote peoples for the furtherance of the gospel and their own well being. He is also the son of the late Nate Saint, one of the five missionary martyrs from the 1950s in Ecuador. Steve's connection with the tribe that killed his father and later embraced Christ has been well documented.

Steve continues to inspire and challenge through this video:



If you haven't seen the earlier chapters, they are (in order) here,  here, here, here, here, and here.  I don't normally link to long series, but this one is worth seeing and hearing.

A Sometimes Overlooked Lesson from D-Day

I am a lifelong student of World War 2--having read my first book by William L. Shirer in the fourth grade, and dozens of books on the heroes, villians, battles, and politics of the conflict. In every accounting, D-Day deserves special attention. You can learn so much from the tactics of the day, both good and bad. You can be inspired by the bravery of tens of thousands of men who stormed heavily fortified beaches in horrendous weather with the high likelihood of danger and death ahead. You can see the providential hand of God at work at various points in the battle and in the circumstances.

But one lesson that strikes a chord with me is the willingness of General Eisenhower to make such a tough decision in giving the go-ahead, and being prepared if this greatest effort of the war failed. He had prepared a note ahead of time (incorrectly dated July 5 instead of June), found later, that read: 

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

He received the laurels of victory, but was ready to take the responsibility and blame for defeat. That is what good leaders do. We were blessed to have such leaders on that day.

It has been 70 years since the Allies stormed the Normandy beaches. It has been nearly 50 years since General, and then President Eisenhower died. We are still in the debt of those, from their leader on down, who bravely fought to take the beaches, liberate Europe, and defeat an evil foe.

When Death is Chosen Over Denial of Christ, Then Faith Is Proved Genuine

You simply must read this story about Habila Adamu (right), a Nigerian man who was attacked in his home by Boko Haram fighters, asked if he would deny Christ, then shot and left for dead when he would not do so, in front of his family. This story means so much more as I consider the message we have been learning over and over in Revelation--real faith will be tested, and faithfulness unto death is the ultimate test.

This is today's reminder that the rest of our brothers and sisters around the world must shake their heads when they hear western Christians talk about times of tribulation being in the future for the church.

Now, of course, some Christians make it through a long life and die peacefully. They, too have been faithful unto death, even though death was not put before them as a threat to stop their faithfulness. God is honored by such long faithfulness, and it will be rewarded--of that, I am sure. But such a life is not promised to the Christian, and the New Testament seems to point us toward expecting something different than an easy path.

Our belief that there is a capstone of tribulation, if you will, before the return of Christ should not cause us to think that until then most Christians will be exempt from the really hard stuff. I don't know anything much harder than what our brother here went through. Don't take my word for it--click this link or the one above and read his story. You will be encouraged, and you will be sobered. Believers are being killed, kidnapped, imprisoned, beaten, mistreated, and facing daily persecution for the name of Christ.

It's not just Nigeria (which, by the way has one of the largest Christian populations in Africa). It's Egypt, and it's Pakistan, and it's regions of India, and it's Afghanistan, and it's parts of China, and it's North Korea, and it's Cuba, and it's Kazakhstan, and it's Kyrgyzstan, and it's Uzbekistan, and it's Turkey, and it's Colombia, and it's many more.

Open Doors USA has their annual world watch list for countries where persecution is significant. Go here to see the 2014 report, and click on any country to see what they have isolated.


UPDATED: CNN is carrying the story of a woman in Sudan just sentenced to death for "apostasy"--she is a Christian but was born a Muslim. She is pregnant, and her husband says he is "praying." She was also found guilty of adultery, and sentenced to 100 lashes, because her marriage to a Christian is not recognized. See the story here.