DID PRESIDENT BUSH BLASPHEME?
by STEPHEN B. CHAPMAN
In his speech about the Middle East crisis on June 24 of this year, President Bush concluded by quoting Deuteronomy 30:19, "I have set before you life and earth; therefore, choose life." Given that he was calling, for the first time ever, for a change within the leadership of the Palestinian people, it was odd (to say the least) that he chose a verse from Hebrew scripture to make his point. Was it any accident that many commentators in the Arabic world thought he had already picked sides with this kind of rhetoric?
In that example the president may seem wrongheaded but still religiously orthodox. But in his speech to the nation this year on the anniversary of September 11, he concluded with another verse of scripture, this one from the New Testament: John 1:5, "And the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it." In John, this reference is to Christ, the long-expected messiah who has now finally arrived to do his unique work on God's behalf. The president, however, was using this verse to refer to the light of the <U.S.A. and how the darkness of terrorism will not be able to extinguish it. (Bush changed the tense of the verse here, making it future instead of past.) The connection could not have been clearer, given that he was shown by all the cameras as standing in front of a brilliantly illuminated Statue of Liberty.
A long tradition of scriptural figuration exists within American history in which the U.S. is viewed as a kind of new "Israel." Both the Puritan John Winthrop and the Republican Ronald Reagan spoke of our country as like the biblical "city on a hill," the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). The implications of this analogy are somewhat troubling to me, but at least the analogy represents a view of national identity based upon the idea of the "people of God" found within scripture. Much more troubling to me, however, is the new and completely unparalleled usage of President George W. Bush, in which the U.S. is described with language the New Testament reserves to Christ alone.
The tragedy here is that George Bush considers himself an evangelical Christian, and yet he and his right wing supporters can apparently no longer recognize blasphemy for what it is. In my view, when the state takes on messianic significance, it ceases to be justly authorized (e.g., Romans 13 describes this kind of state) and becomes essentially demonic (e.g., Revelation 13 describes this kind of state). The only possible response for Christians then becomes one of civil disobedience.
If George Bush was serious about America having a messianic role to play in world affairs, then he and his view must be opposed by every Christian. We are patriots, but patriots first for Christ.
If George Bush didn't really mean what he seems to have said, then he was intolerably sloppy and has much to learn about responsible speech--from both a Christian and a political perspective.
Stephen B. Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Old Testament studies at Duke Divinity School.
We at Balaam's Ass Speaks refuse to allow Caesar to define the Light of the World in terms of red, while, and blue patriotism. Jesus Christ is not to be dragged into the gutter of world power struggle, no matter how we feel about the enemies of our democracy.
When Caesar is allowed to define the Light of the World, you get the Holy Roman Empire all over again, and the Inquisition (Homeland Security) is only just around the corner.
We believe that George Bush has been "born again" in the terms of "The Order," alias "Scull and Bones," during his days at Yale.
As with his father, the Lord's Church is merely a ticket to a political acre from which to posture and conquer the American mind.
We decline to follow the Great American Savior.
November
2002:
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
CALLS FOR UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION
AND
EXTRADITION-- In their words:
Genocide, crimes against humanity, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture. It is also now widely recognized that under international customary law and general principles of law states may exercise universal jurisdiction over persons suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes in international armed conflict other than grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and war crimes in non- international armed conflict, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture. Crimes against humanity are now defined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to include the following conduct when committed on a widespread or systematic basis: murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law, torture, rape and other sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearance, apartheid and other inhumane acts.
It is also increasingly recognized that states not only have the power to exercise universal jurisdiction over these crimes, but also that they have the duty to do so or to extradite suspects to states willing to exercise jurisdiction. For example, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against Torture) adopted in 1984 requires states parties when persons suspected of torture are found in their territories to bring them to justice in their own courts or to extradite them to a state able and willing to do so.
Editor: The key word for Bible believers is "Persecution" in the end of the top paragraph. If you witness to someone of another faith, that is defined by the United Nations Genocide Treaty as "persecution," that is, if the other person sees it that way. What AI is calling for an a world wide zeal of all nations to ship ALL offenders to other nations to be tried for alleged crimes. Even if the accused is found innocent, they could lay in prison for years while slow bellied judges and juries take their blessed time playing with the fate of the accused.
Here are the nations you sure don't want to be caught in with such an offense. They have all signed onto the Universal Jurisdiction and Extradition Treaty:
Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The Cairo conference of Africa Legal Aid added to the International Criminal Court's rules the following suggestion (and that is all it is):
In applying universal jurisdiction, prosecuting authorities should avoid bias and selectivity based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status of the suspect. In particular, the application of the principle of universal jurisdiction should not be used as a pretext to pursue foreign policy and national objectives or to pursue politically motivated prosecutions.
Their concern shows two things: First, these people are worried that just juries and processes will not hold up. Second, they sit in a hotbed of Islam in Cairo, so they would be the first to subvert their own cautions since Islam rules supreme in Egypt. What a joke to see these silly people trying to slow down the juggernaut of the New Word Order after if is rolling.
Here are Articles 6 and
7 of the Statutes of the International
Criminal Court which President Bill Clinton signed the US into.
I have
highlighted in red the points which will be used against street preachers, soul
winners, and pastors who preach openly against sodomy and many other sins. Missionaries
will be targeted with these also:
Article 6: Genocide
For the purpose of this Statute, "genocide" means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article 7: Crimes against humanity
1. For the purpose of this Statute, "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
(a) Murder;
(b) Extermination;
(c) Enslavement;
(d) Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
(e) Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
(f) Torture;
(g) Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
(h) Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
(i) Enforced disappearance of persons;
(j) The crime of apartheid;
(k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.
Read all the Statute of the International Criminal Court. You will read how the court will send the convicted "criminal" to virtually any nation on earth that will take them. This means that Muslims in Saudi Arabia can file a complaint with the ICC, they accused will be extradited to the court venue, convicted, and could be put in prison in Bangladesh or Iraq. Read Article 89: Surrender of persons to the Court. This is where the USA is headed. Canada has complied. It is no longer possible to one day have a world government-- we now have the world cop. The Beast need only follow shortly. Only a Bible believer can fully understand this, and only a Bible believer can deal with it without panic. The hope of life in Christ transcends this device of Satan.
THE
WAR ON TERRORISM WILL SOON MORPH
TO TARGET BIBLE BELIEVERS
By David Casper
I was listening to KDKA radio talk here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this morning. The host was running his mouth on how he is a "Christian" and how he cannot believe in a God who taketh vengeance. He believes God is for love, peace, unity, etc and doesn't understand the righteousness of God at all. He was blasting some statements by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson concerning the judgment on America and repentance. We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will soon be tried by fire according to the scripture.
There will no doubt be worldwide unity in the international community that will soon categorize people into two new groups: One is those who agree with a so-called civilized world-- The other group will be labeled fanatics or extremists. The true Christian will now be labeled along with the stereotyped Islamic Terrorist, especially the Christian who believes God and the word of God. Get ready, for if you mention the LORD God in truth according to his Word, you will suffer for it. You will also be compared to radical Islam in that your devotion to the LORD God and Saviour Jesus Christ will be labeled extreme and fanatical.
Is this something new? Not really. But it will now progress to the forefront and we shall now be tried to see what sort we really are. Remember having done all to stand. Stand therefore....! This nation will preach it's gospel of unity, liberty,'good will toward men' and freedom, but they will betray the Christian unless that Christian falls under the guidelines of tolerance with the international community of which our government is now a part.
The world is still saying, "Away with him; away with him!" "I refuse to except a God who would take vengeance and do such a thing-- God is love." The Holy Bible, King James Version, will now come under increased attack.
I am just now hearing Rush Limbaugh saying his comments now on Christians and God's judgment on the USA. He said that we (Christians) have a right to believe what we believe but those who differ with us have a right to disagree with us and attack us politically. This "political attack" on Bible believers will be a HOLY WAR. It will be the Lord of Sabaoth who wins the war according to the scripture.
Editor: Steve Van Nattan--
This may blow over. During WW II, the Amish would not go to war, and many Americans mocked them. This ended when the war was over. Also, for now, many Americans are enraged. Some will be modified by George Bush's wimpy plea to be nice to Islam. Many more will still hate Arabs and Muslims for many years. This could take the wind out of the sails of the New World Order and make Bible believers look like traitors.
Now, having given you some hope that David's scenario may not end up so bad, I now want to show you that this could be the end of the End Times for the Lord's Church. David may be right on the money in this letter. In the prophetic passages of the Bible we see that all the world turns against Israel. Europe wags its head as Israel suffers, but they do nothing. Does that sound like Germany and Italy? Now, many Bible students anticipate a day when the USA will abandon Israel, and this could be the product of the present war on terrorism. This war has to be launched and won brutally to make a real point to the sons of Jihad. But, how is it being done?
George Bush and Colin Powell have some sort of magic touch with Islam. I don't understand it. This right wing Texan (could it be the Texan Bedouin image?) has convinced Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, Iran we are told, Turkey, and even Syria is being invited on board, to wage war against terrorism. This is like recruiting death row to fight crime in Detroit.
Add Arafat who is speaking kind words and denouncing terror, Gadaffi who is blasting the terrorists, and Pakistan who tried to grab Osama bin Laden and hand him to the USA. Pakistan may see its people die in the cause, and they are eagerly jumping in all the way. Old traditional friends like India, Italy, and Germany have refused to help. Only the UK has made a real show of force from Europe. The final product of this trick could hand the Muslim world to George Bush as to world politics.
Now, how will he keep his new family of rough necks united as the years pass by? Only by distancing himself from Israel, and that is precisely what has happened. Israel is miffed because Syria is part of the new coalition to stop terrorism. Israel has good reason to vomit at this suggestion, but, to Sheik George, Syria is a key player since they know who to nab and hand over.
George keeps telling Israel that, yes, the bombs are bad, but don't retaliate. Talk peace. Never mind the USA is about to trash a couple of nations to defend ourselves. You can bet the Clinton/Bush line will continue in Israel long after the terrorist are snuffed. Who will Israel turn to? Read Ezekiel 38, and you see that God brings Gog and Magog, Russia and Gomer, down and says, "be thou a guard to them." Russia and Israel have signed a mutual defense treaty already, and Turkey now has Israeli military troops and bases in Turkey. The media don't talk about these things because they cannot spin them where they want them to go.
The point is this-- Israel is presently moving steadily to establish a path of defense to the north. Russia is very eager to form alliances with Israel also. China signed into this alliance a couple of years ago. Israel sent China missile guidance systems after the signing. Clinton was enraged, for he sent the missile technology but withheld the guidance system. Now, if the USA ends up the capo of a motley crew of Muslim militants who are reformed into terrorist busters, that would be real good for you and me. It could be deadly for Israel. The stage would then be set for the USA to be destroyed by God, and Israel would need someone to bring peace in the Middle East before the Muslim nations wipe Israel off the map.
So, David's concern as to the Bible believers of the USA being dumped in with the terrorists like Osama bin Laden is not something to take lightly. God's children could well find themselves being told it is a hate crime to speak ill of Islam and "our dear Muslim friends." The best friends of the USA in the near future could be 80% of the Muslim world. Jeremiah 50 through 51 being fulfilled with the destruction of Babylon could take Iraq clear out of the picture, and everyone would be cooing "peace in our time" with Henry Kissinger. The Mullahs will not take Christian zeal lightly in such an era. Mark it down.
Some of you folks read what I write in other sites. Do you ever figure out where it originated? I don't patent the truth, so small minded boys often copy it and sign their name to it. Ain't life fun? I do believe some of you preachers should print this one out and pass it around. About 15 years of serious study of the Word of God into prophecy in the Middle East undergirds it, along with about 4000 pages of research material from 300 Middle Eastern literary gurus on Arab life and Islam.
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