Jesus Freaks

The popular book came out a few years ago written by DC talk in collaboration with Voice of the Martyrs. There were actually three volumes all pertaining to the persecution of Christianity.

Yet I have never once seen an NBC special on the persecution of Christians over the world. I’ve seen programs including anti-torture marches for terrorists but in years and years of human rights specials and media coverage, I’ve never heard of a Christian human rights argument.

Maybe the media has covered it, but if they did it was far too shallow.

Here is the most recent update that I received from the Voice of the Martyrs 

 Myanmar

The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on believers around the world to pray for Christians being affected by the continued unrest in Myanmar (Burma). According to VOM contacts, the government is targeting anyone with influence, and churches have not been spared. VOM contacts report, "Churches cannot meet. We are quietly meeting in small groups of no more than five to pray for our country. China reports five people have been killed, the British Broadcasting Corporation is saying about 10 have been killed, but our people have seen hundreds of bodies and many more filling the hospitals." Pray for the protection and safety of Christians in Myanmar. Pray the Holy Spirit will convict the hearts of the government officials and that the testimony of believers will draw others into fellowship with Christ.

Each weekly email comes with updates from at least three different countries every time. This is just Myanmar

These are my people. Not to say that I don't consider Americans my people, but I am tied to these Christians by something more powerful that myself, or my government or my heritage.

But because Americans are my people too, I just have to say

Get serious people. 

Faith in America is hard because it is easy. We aren't serious about our faith because it’s never put under pressure. Not really. Christians in America aren't steamrolled or walled into a city wall. We’re typically not shot, our churches aren't typically burned down and our government doesn’t assign us to manual labor because of what we believe. We aren't boiled alive or grilled to a crisp. We aren't buried waist up and stoned. We know nothing about pain.

Every one of those things has happened in other nations. 

I guess my point isn't to blame the government and tell them to get involved. But there needs to be media recognition, it needs to be acknowledged, there needs to be prayer. (Yeah remember that little ritual?) In these nations where Christians are persecuted, they know what they believe and they stand by it.

I’m not going to say that one side is harder than the other. Over there they face death but they know life. Over here it’s a huge struggle to even get anyone to talk about religion. The social and political boundaries that have been put on God are extremely hard to break through. 

I want my people over there to be free and safe from pain and hardship. I know that I don't pray for them as much as I should but I want my people over here, the Americans, to be free from themselves. I want things to change on both sides. As much as my message is to raise concern over Christian persecution, it is also about our own faith and how we need to live it, not wear it. 

My teacher posted a rather... interesting liberally loaded quote on the board last year. One which I want to confront.

“In times of peace, the war party insists on making preparation for war. As soon as prepared for war, it insists on making war.” ~ U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Sr.

Incorrect.

I have to say that from what I have seen in American history, these people are the first to scrutinize the timing of war. It is either too early or too late.

I think a good example is when " Hillary Clinton spoke the most irritation 9 words in all of politics, "if we had known then what we knew now", " (Medved).

The point is we certainly did not know then what we know now.

"Peace through strength," a concept not easily grasped by many American politicians. Peace through strength can almost directly be translated into preparation for war. Yet when the armed forces take a protective stance liberals overlook the essence of human nature and insist on the preparation for peace.

Hypothetically speaking, when a world leader declares his hatred for America or say… promises total domination of our country, it would be in our best interest to prepare for defensive measures. But I would bet you that the minute our fighter jets abort the first nuclear weapons in mid air, the liberals will be the first to blame the new state of war on the hawks of the American government. And the minute a nuclear bomb lands on American soil they will be the first to complain that the readiness of the American armed forces is not up to par.

What if American forces had taken up the offensive and prevented 9/11? If we had known then what we know now we surely would have. But that is exactly the point. We did not know, and now all I hear is how the American forces failed to save the 3000-some lives of the world trade centers.

You cannot have it both ways.

President Bush stated it perfectly. "Success in this war is often measured by the things that have not happened." 

When Patrick Henry made the famous statement "give me liberty or give me death!" the crowd jumped up and said " To arms! To arms!"

226 years later a plane in the side of a large 110-story building made a statement that threatened liberty once again. And once again we said 'to arms!" not literally. But people were angry. Citizens went off and enlisted just because of the attacks. They wanted to help. 

To be perfectly clear, I am not a "war mongerer" as my English teacher so finely described it. I don't think the military is for everyone. I don't have a starry-eyed view of combat. However the pansy-like attitude that so many Americans have is downright frightening. 

"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

Ouch. That was said before there was even any doubt about who started what. Before people argued about being in Iraq when we originally went to overthrow the Taliban. Bush said that the day of the attacks. I find that amazing.

 I was 11 years old at the time. My understanding at the time wasn't that great but looking back I can see. Grey ash and tears. Blood. Smoke. Total disbelief.

I, like many other Americans, wonder what the Iraq situation would look like if people could understand the severity of terrorism. The source of evil was clear in WWII. Nazi Germany was evil. Terrorism took it to the next level by valuing hatred over life itself. And yet we contemplate. I have literally heard classmates say they do not believe terrorism exists. What if Cindy Sheehan decided that she would rather be angry with the terrorists who took her son's life than the US government?

Maybe its because insurgents aren't running around on American soil. They aren't gunning down people or taking shelter behind women and children. A roadside bomb has never gone off on an interstate highway. A bus has never exploded in downtown LA. Is that what it would take for citizens to become passionate? 

Frightening. 

You’ve heard all this before. Its not a simple answer. There is no easy way out. But that's exactly the point. It’s a twisted evil enemy. It takes a clear-thinking nation to bite the bullet and finish it once and the right way.