The Will of God
(from the Australian, June 16, 2006)"For those who are still not Muslim, they must know that (the Bali bomb deaths) were God's will," Bashir said. "That's the advice that must be given."
Turning on Mr Howard and George W. Bush, Bashir said the two world leaders had to also convert to Islam if they were to be saved - a demand he previously put to an adoring crowd of hundreds of supporters on his return from Jakarta on Wednesday night.
"My message for John Howard is that he should become a Muslim if he wants to be saved and avoid hell," Bashir said to cheers shortly after his arrival. "He also should not try to make war on Islam, because he will certainly lose."
"I urge the families of the victims, those who are not Muslims, to immediately convert to Islam so they can be saved and comforted by Allah," he said.
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If you don't know, Abu Baker Bashir is Jemaah Islamiah's spiritual leader who has just been released from 30 months of imprisonment for condoning the first Bali attack in October 2002. The article includes his words being described as the rantings of an idiot, and anti-Australian, anti-Western hatred. I'm not here to so much give an opinion, but to make observations and ask questions. Didn't someone say the same thing about September 11? Is it less idiotic if Christians are talking about their own God? Why would a Muslim perspective be any less real? When did we ever decide that God doesn't do these things and why? And finally, you still might not like his position, but when was the last time you heard a Christian stand up with that kind of conviction?
I'm totally open to hear the answers...
More thoughts, questions, throw them in as well...
posted by bec @ 11:46 am
3 Comments:
It makes me think of debating... if you say something that the other team doesn't agree with, they have pre-decided their disagreement and so everything you say, no matter how logical or intelligent or right, to them it is a "fundamental flaw" and a "pointless raving to eat a few minutes" (that was one of my favourite quote lines... LOL) So if people already don't agree with something, they will call it idiotic and whatever which is what the general response was to the article. And then if we as Christian's were to write the same article, we would also be slammed and called lunatics and Bible Bashers ... because we are a stubborn bunch of people with pre-decided ideals and therefore, don't like to be challenged.
Maybe God does let these things happen... maybe it comes down to the whole, "free will" concept. Dunno... but does God need us to argue and fight and try to defend Him? Maybe if we spoke openly, but instead of trying to debate the slander and defend our God and get caught up in all the politics, we simply relied on Him and still profess to believe and not get stuck in being super, then He will be revealed through us in the truest sense? Just a thought... I have had the God exists debates and tried to defend Him against others who do not believe, yes, He doesn't want me to stand for wrong, but He doesn't need me to make things worse by being defensive because then I am not relying on Him and not showing good character. I am lowering myself to the worldly standards... Dunno, what are your thoughts?
Exactly why we can't stop at any one point and decide we understand God entirely and we are satisfied with what we believe. Its easier to be wrong than it is to be right. Chloe is right though, we can't necessarily argue God's will, our job is to stand witness to our experience of Him and allow Him to work through that witness.
Love your comments guys, but why can't we stop? Because we will never fully know God. Even when we think we know, there is always more to know. If even once we start to get satisfied and say there is no more, then we lose out. Because we lose out on knowing more of who God is and what He has for us. Can be really scary. But I still think we far too easily put God in boxes of our own liking. Reminds me of something that I heard once, "God created us in His own image, and we've been attempting to return the favour ever since."
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