23 Sep 2019

The Relentlessness of Evil

As Bibi Netanyahu’s enemies cackle and rub their hands, and as those same enemies continue to insist on a diabolical “two-state” model for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, there are many other signs unfortunately that Israel is in a difficult moment.

I’ve written for a long time about the horrid views of Israel by America’s Evangelical “leaders.” The mask came off 10 years ago, but had been forming for a long time. The rise of the mega-church pastors, para-church ministries, and subversives in denominational leadership has created an environment of hostility to Israel.

Yet there are other more indirect problems, as well. This past week, the left-leaning Christianity Today magazine published one more piece proving the publication is a Trojan Horse within the American Protestant Church.

Titled, “Evangelicals Who Distrust Muslims Likely Don’t Know Muslims,” the article serves to promote the tactic of the Muslim Brotherhood to dupe evangelicals. It’s called “interfaith dialogue.”

The subtitle of the article, “A 2019 survey shows how relationships curb Islamophobia and improve understanding between the two faiths” establishes that the writer (and the editorial board) wants to promote “understanding” with a religion that is nothing if not demonic.

Listen to this:

“Earlier this week, a Baptist church in Michigan canceled an event titled, ‘9/11 Forgotten? Is Michigan Surrendering to Islam?’ due to pushback from fellow Christians and politicians.

“The pastor of Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church identifies as an Islamophobe and organized the gathering because he sees Islam as a growing threat in the US.

“While some fellow white evangelicals share his suspicions, research has shown that those who know Muslims in their communities tend to hold more positive views and are more likely to see commonalities between their two faiths.”

This is profoundly ignorant. Or willful ignorance. We have literally thousands of examples of the mendacity of faithful Muslims, just since 9/11. Notice how the dupes dupe others:

“’The personal relationships with Muslims, that’s a game changer,’ Todd Green, Luther College professor and former Islamophobia adviser to the US State Department, told ThePost. ‘It tends to make you less Islamophobic.’”

Citing research from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a “prominent American Muslim Organization,” CT lists several points about Muslim-Christian dialogue.

Number 2 states that “Most Muslims have favorable or neutral views of evangelical Christians, but the feeling isn’t mutual,” and this obviously is promoting a Muslim lie. This point goes on to throw Christians under the bus, by claiming we feel the opposite.

This nonsense piece goes on to share another whopper. CT claims that more than half of U.S. Muslims do not want Sharia law! Do they simply not take into account the Koran’s permission to lie for one’s faith, or are they this ignorant? Either way, it’s beyond troubling.

All this further erodes evangelical empathy for Jews and Israel. I believe CT has an actual agenda to erode evangelical support for Israel.

The real question is, is it too late to be reversed? I believe it is, but if you think otherwise, let me know.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

16 Sep 2019

Do-Over

Well, we have an election coming up this week.

Not in the U.S., of course, but in our beloved Israel. Courtesy that country’s parliament system, Benjamin Netanyahu’s election win a few months ago didn’t help his Likud Party, since a governing coalition couldn’t be cobbled together. Governing requires at least a narrow, 61-seat majority.

The fly in the ointment is the stubbornness of the Ultra Orthodox in Israel, who do not serve in the military, yet demand millions in subsidies for their yeshivas. Netanyahu has to placate them, while also holding-off rivals like Avigdor Liberman.

Latest polls show the Likud winning 58 seats, leaving Netanyahu in the same position as before. He was not able last time to cobble together a ruling coalition, so new elections had to be called.

Remember, in Israel, their system is different from ours. There, a voter votes for a party specifically, not necessarily the candidate.

There is no question that Netanyahu is popular. And also unquestioned is the decade-long period of relative peace and prosperity enjoyed by Israelis. “Peace” is a selective term in the Middle East, and while Israel grapples with huge issues on her borders (Hezbollah, Iran, etc.), it is unthinkable that anyone but Netanyahu should run the security show.

There is another element of drama. Netanyahu has just called an emergency meeting, alleging election fraud next time. According to the Jerusalem Post:

“Likud stated that the ‘grave findings of the Kalman Liebskind investigation’ indicate that the election was “stolen” from Netanyahu, according to Maariv. ‘If the Likud complaints were examined on time, Israel would not be in the current round of elections.’

“In his article, which Maariv will publish in full tonight, Liebskind writes, ‘Those responsible for the purity of the Israeli elections should not be entrusted with this sacred work. The Central Election Commission Chairman, Hanan Meltzer, at best did nothing to check forgeries [reported] in the previous election, and in the worst case, fought with all his might, for his own reasons, so that counting errors discovered – would not be corrected.’”

Next Tuesday, be in prayer for Israel and for Netanyahu. Also keep in mind, as always, that a vote that goes against Likud does not mean God’s plan is dismantled and in tatters. Far from it. The Lord does as He wills.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com