Sunday, December 24, 2006

10 Things You Need to Know about Islam


Emir Caner, who is now dean of The College at Southwestern in Fort Worth, Texas, is also a former Muslim who converted to Christianity.

Quiz question - What is the penalty in Islam for being a Muslim who converts to Christianity? (Hint: It involves not breathing any more.)

Christian Convert: 10 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Islam
The former Muslim, who was disowned by his father when he converted, pointed out that Islam is the most work-based religion in the world. He explains that even if a Muslim worked hard to do good deeds, he can only "hope" that Allah will like him and allow him to go to paradise when he dies - but there are no guarantees.

"If you are good enough and Allah wants you then you go to paradise," said Caner. "Here is the question - what about all the bad things that happened in your life? You see the Muslims believe that you and I have cheap faith, that somehow we just say 'Jesus is savior' and we go about it in our lives like nothing happened."

"[However], it is only Christianity that understands that every sin must be atoned for...either by the person himself or by Jesus Christ on the cross."

The last point Caner made was many Muslims are coming to Christ and the number one reason why is because of eternal security. He explained that in Islam, even though a person strives to do good and please Allah, there is no guarantee. Also Muslims are attracted by the unconditional love and intimacy with God offered in Christianity.

"Hear me very carefully - the more you have to work for your salvation, the more hopeless you are," said the former Muslim.

Summary of the "10 Things Everyone Needs to Know about Islam":

1. Allah and Jehovah are NOT the same God
2. Jihad, or holy war, is prescribed in the Koran and Hadith
3. There are specific protocols in Islam (e.g. women are not to go to Jihad)
4. Islam does not believe in religious freedom
5. Islam has a lower view of woman than Christianity
6. Islam has a low view of Jesus
7. Islam has a low view of the Bible
8. Islam is the most work-based religion in the world
9. Islam is divided among denominations
10. Many Muslims are coming to faith in Christ

Evil Americans and Abu Ghraib

"Tortured screams ring out...". Yes they do, and the prisoner want what?!?!?!

Our own American press, the party that will control the Congress, and Liberals™ everywhere will have you believe that American soldiers are irredeemable evil.

So, explain this (a story posted on Nov. 9th that I missed 'til now), Tortured screams ring out as Iraqis take over Abu Ghraib;
The notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad is at the centre of fresh abuse allegations just a week after it was handed over to Iraqi authorities, with claims that inmates are being tortured by their new captors.

Staff at the jail say the Iraqi authorities have moved dozens of terrorist suspects into Abu Ghraib from the controversial Interior Ministry detention centre in Jadriyah, where United States troops last year discovered 169 prisoners who had been tortured and starved.

An independent witness who went into Abu Ghraib this week told The Sunday Telegraph that screams were coming from the cell blocks housing the terrorist suspects. Prisoners released from the jail this week spoke of routine torture of terrorism suspects and on Wednesday, 27 prisoners were hanged in the first mass execution since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Conditions in the rest of the jail were grim, with an overwhelming stench of excrement, prisoners crammed into cells for all but 20 minutes a day, food rations cut to just rice and water and no air conditioning.

Some of the small number of prisoners who remained in the jail after the Americans left said they had pleaded to go with their departing captors, rather than be left in the hands of Iraqi guards.
...
Access to the part of the prison containing terrorism suspects was denied, but from that block came the sound of screaming. The screaming continued for a long time.

"I am sure someone was being beaten, they were screaming like they were being hit," the witness reported. "I felt scared, I was asking what was happening in the terrorist section.

"I heard shouting, like someone had a hot iron on their body, screams. The officer said they were just screaming by themselves. I was hearing the screams throughout the visit."

The witness said that even in the thieves' section prisoners were being treated badly. "Someone was shouting 'Please help us, we want the human rights officers, we want the Americans to come back'," he said.
It sure is a good thing that those evil Americans are not running the place anymore.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

In Memoriam - Cocoa Burkland

A year ago, on December 9th, I lost my beautiful little girl. I know that she is in Heaven waiting for my wife and me.

A Man and His Dog

Sunday, December 03, 2006

I Hate to be Blunt, but

as an Orthodox Christian I have to say that there are certain things that we believe - things for which there is no compromise.
26 "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41 He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."
God will forgive and save those whom He will, we cannot know who that is, but clearly the way to Heaven and an eternal life with God is not by denying His Son.