No Justice for Abedini

(Photo: American Center for Law and Justice)

 

 

Last month Naghmeh Abedini (see photo) celebrated her ninth wedding anniversary alone at home in the U.S., while her husband, Saeed, suffered in Iran's notorious Evin prison. He has been in prison since he was arrested in September 2012 while building an orphanage.

His crime was supposedly "endangering national security," but it is quite obvious that Abedini is being held for his work as a Christian leader. While he is not the only Christian imprisoned for his faith in the Islamic Republic of Iran, he is probably the most noteworthy, if only because of his American citizenship.

Reports from sources in Iran indicate that Saeed has been tortured and beaten. Then he was denied medical care as the Muslim doctors who were called refused to treat him. Yet President Barack Obama remains strangely silent, leading to a call for action from Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan's Purse. “Many in the international community are expressing outrage over this blatant example of religious intolerance,” said Graham, who also heads the international relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse. “I ask that our government do the same and demand that Pastor Saeed Abedini be released and allowed to return home to his wife and family in the United States.”

We, in the West, have little to no idea of the horrifying experience many Christians go through in many parts of the world. Iran, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria and many other nations have been the site of incredible injustices as followers of Christ have been falsely accused, beaten, tortured, imprisoned and often murdered. According to Philip Yancey, "Human rights organizations claim that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all the rest of history combined."

Christian Freedom International has provided a map and information on their website detailing the worst offenders (the five I listed above made the Top 10 offenders list). While I highlight the plight of Abedini, most Christians in these countries suffer silently, unknown and out of the minds of all but their family and friends. High profile cases like Saeed's often result in release because of political pressure - I hope that happens in this case. Last year we were talking about Youcef Nadarkhani, who was freed, then re-arrested, then freed again; then arrested again. He is currently free, for who knows how long.

Regardless, as a follower of Christ, I must constantly remind myself to pray for those who are being persecuted for their faith. The Apostle Paul, no stranger to persecution, wrote to the church in Colosse from prison and concluded his letter this way: "I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." (Colossians 4:18) 

Around the world today, hundreds of thousands of Christ-followers would say the same - "Remember my chains." As those privileged to live in one of the freest countries on the planet, we ought to do all that we can to promote the cause of justice for those unable to speak for themselves. Become informed, and use whatever influence that you may have to bring pressure to bear on those who can make a difference. And pray. As John Wesley said, "You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."

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Falling Idols

Ernie Harwell, the legendary sportscaster for the Detroit Tigers, said that "Baseball is a lot like life." That's true in many ways, but I'm thinking this was not what he had in mind. The baseball world is waiting for the next foot to fall in the doping scandal which will hopefully mark the end of a scandal-plagued era. A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) is rumored to be facing a multiyear or even life-time ban from baseball for using performance enhancing drugs. Only recently Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, the 2011 National League MVP, was suspended for the remainder of this season for the same thing.

The expectation is that a sizable number of the top stars of Major League Baseball will be called to account for their behavior, after a lengthy investigation aimed at cleaning up the sport. One of the questions being asked is, will this convince the other pro sports to clean up their games as well?

Cheating is not a baseball problem; it's not a sports problem; it's a human problem. It extends into every area of our society. According to surveys in U.S. News and World Report:

• 80% of “high-achieving” high school students admit to cheating.
• 51% of high school students did not believe cheating was wrong.
• 75% of college students admitted cheating, and 90% of college students didn’t believe cheaters would be caught.
• Almost 85% of college students said cheating was necessary to get ahead.

In 2012 scores of students were asked to withdraw from Harvard University after an investigation into allegations of cheating. It is, indeed, everywhere, with the common theme being that it's only wrong if you get caught. How did we arrive here?

I had an uncle who was a farmer in a rural community in Ontario. Every once in a while we would sit down for a conversation. During one of those chats he started reminiscing about the good old days when people could be trusted. He believed that your word was your bond and would close deals with a hand shake. He would never have thought of "fudging the figures" or altering the scales to make more money on a crop. In fact, he would rather lose money than to go back on his word. While not everyone in his generation acted with the same integrity, a great many did. What has changed?

C.S. Lewis spoke of this in his book "The Abolition of Man." Lewis was criticizing the removal of values from the education system in particular and society in general. Education without values, in Lewis' mind, would produce men and women with head knowledge, but no hearts - no chests. What he said back in 1943 resonates in 2013: “We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”

This leads to the question, what is our basis for values? Unless we find an appropriate answer to this question, it is simply a matter of opinion. Is it wrong to cheat? Why? Who is hurt if a player is using anabolic steroids, or whatever the drug of the day is, to enhance his performance? What does it matter if a student cheated on their exam in university? Does it make a difference?

It makes a difference if it's your doctor and he or she doesn't know what they're supposed to know upon graduation. It makes a difference if it's your investment broker playing fast and loose with the facts and your money. As C.S. Lewis said, "A great many of those who 'debunk' traditional...values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the debunking process." We hear of government corruption and ponzie schemes and we shake our heads in disgust. We know it's wrong. But why is it wrong?

Without a universal standard, it's simply a choice: somebody trying to get ahead. Yet we have this sense, all of us, that this is morally wrong. Where does that come from? The question inevitably leads us back to God - the lawgiver. While we may have removed him from public discourse, we are having a hard time living in the vacuum left behind. We long for the days when men had chests. Think about this when you teach your children, and don't be surprised if, after removing objective values, you end up with men and women with no integrity.

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A Word of Encouragement

We live in a world that can be pretty inhospitable at times. One of Jesus' least popular promises was that "in this world you will have trouble." Isn't that the truth? Some days can really wear on you.

I have been feeling tired and a little run down lately, as the pace has been hectic. This is, of course, largely self-inflicted as I tend to take on more than I can chew. Add to the physical wear and tear the emotional baggage we pick up along the way, the inevitable people problems and the occasional speeding ticket and we can start to feel like things are in a bit of a tailspin. What can we do when it begins to feel like the wheels are coming off?

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is this, when things aren't looking good to you, change your perspective. When life is dragging you down, look up. I have found this to be one of the most helpful things that I can do.

The Psalmist David, no stranger to difficult times, wrote in Psalm 121: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Have you ever stopped and thought about the God who is revealed in Scripture? As David states, God is the maker of heaven and earth. Genesis 1:1 simply begins with the four words "In the beginning, God..." It's a simple statement of fact, a declaration, if you like.

Before anything was, there was God, eternal, the uncreated Creator of all that we see.  David Coppedge writes that "astronomers estimate that there are as many galaxies outside the Milky Way as there are stars in it. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, taken in 2004, imaged 10,000 galaxies in a cone of space so slim you could cover it with a grain of sand held at arm's length. Integrated over the entire sky, that would mean there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe, many with more than 100 billion stars each. According to Psalm 147:4, God calls them all by name."

Yet this God, the God who also formulated the intricacies of human DNA, is concerned with you. He sees every sparrow that falls, and he sees everything we are going through as well. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

I find that it always helps, in the middle of whatever mess I have created or have had dropped in my life, to ask the very important question, where is God in all of this? If you don't see him in your picture, you need to invite him in. Jesus said in John 10:10 that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

This doesn't necessarily mean that all of your problems may be solved - it may actually be quite the opposite. But what it will mean is that your main and foremost issue will be resolved - that of your relationship with the God who loves you. His answer to the pain and the suffering on this planet was to enter into our experience and suffer with us. He triumphed over death and the grave, defeating the adversary we couldn't handle on our own. He said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." 

What has God done for you? He has given you Himself. He has given you his presence. For those who trust in him, he has guaranteed their future. God loves you, yes you! Warts and all. He loves you in spite of your failings and even in spite of your outright disobedience. Some of you just need to sit back and let that soak in for a while. GOD LOVES YOU! Love him back. As Michael Green said, "Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but to make dead men live."

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Quotes from "Light in Dark Places"

I've been collecting quotes for over thirty years and I'm often asked for copies of the quotes I use. A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending RZIM's Summer Institute at McMaster Divinity College entitled "Light in Dark Places." In this post, I'll provide some of my favorite quotes from the week, organized by speaker. I have included quotes at the bottom of the article from some others that were quoted by the conference speakers. I hope you enjoy them.

Lee Beach
"A life beautifully lived is the most powerful argument we have for Christ."

Stuart McAllister
"Something unexpected happened - the resurrection - and it has changed the nature of reality."

"Looking good and feeling good has replaced doing good and being good."

"Western culture will sing its last song, in the words of Frank Sinatra, 'I Did it My Way.'"

"We all want judgment for the other person, but mercy for ourselves."

"The church is a cradle to help God's people be God's people."

"If your faith isn't worth dying for, it's not worth living for."

"You can either be rebels without a pause, or rebels with a cause."

John Patrick
"If Newton had not had his God, he would not have gone looking for his laws."

Anna Robbins
"Our network of relationships forms our identity."

"Everywhere is somewhere in God's kingdom."

"I don't have the truth; the truth has me."

Michelle Tepper
"God exercises his mercy and upholds his justice at the cross."

"Often when we say we want justice, what we really mean is that we want revenge."

"Only the author of life has the right to define the meaning of life."

Steven Studebaker
"Neither ignorance nor selfishness are Christian virtues."

Ravi Zacharias
"There are four absolutes that converged on a hill called Calvary: evil, justice, love and forgiveness."

Others:
"The laws of nature are written by God in the language of mathematics." - Galileo

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein

"Comparison is the mother of clarity." - Os Guinness

"God is never late, never in a hurry, and always on time." - Selwyn Hughes

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

"A humanly speaking hopeless situation is irrelevant when God's involved." - Tom Tarrants

"Everyone says forgiveness is a great idea, until they have something to forgive." - C.S. Lewis

"Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but to make dead men live." - Michael Green

"Human beings are logical - but slowly." - Unknown

"Our past may explain us; it does not excuse us." - Unknown

Please feel free to share your favorite quotes in the comments section.

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Light in Dark Places

A couple of weeks ago, my colleague and I attended a week long conference put on by RZIM and hosted by the McMaster Divinity College. The theme was "Light in Dark Places." The experience can best be described as drinking from a fire hydrant. I'm still processing a lot of what I heard, but I'd like to highlight a few of the takeaways from the 32 sessions, some of which are likely not what you'd expect from an apologetics conference.

• Personal growth requires investment.

This is not an earth shattering revelation, but a gentle reminder that real growth comes at a cost. That cost may be monetary, as in tuition, conference fees, materials, etc. But it also involves, perhaps even moreso, an investment of time and energy.

I'm reminded of a conference I attended a few years ago during which someone spoke of the idea of leverage and creating space. If something is worth learning or doing, and there are only so many hours in a day, therefore something must be sacrificed in order to make it happen. That may mean getting up a little earlier each day or spending less time with television or whatever it is that wastes your time.

Author and speaker Charles Swindoll, many years ago, made the decision to rise one hour earlier each day and to spend that time in writing. He has now written more than seventy books and become one of America's most respected pastors. An hour a day is a powerful thing. What changes do you need to make to allow your top priorities the time they deserve? 

• There's no substitute for reading.

I have a lot of books. Almost every visitor to my office comments on my rather large library. Yet when I attend conferences such as these I invariably add another 10-20 books to my must-read list. Information is power, and to be able to have that information at your fingertips is invaluable. I find myself humbled in the presence of men and women who have such a great grasp of their subject that they are able to recite from memory a seemingly endless supply of pertinent information.

This is not intended to shame anyone - not all are cut out for academia - however, each of us should take advantage of our opportunities. As Mark Twain said, "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." It has been said that one hour of study per day in any subject will make you an expert in a couple of years. Try it with something you're interested in.

For those of you who commute, aren't audio-books just the greatest thing since sliced bread? Pop a CD in or download a podcast and make use of that time to expand your mind and your horizons.

• How you live your life matters.

I'm going to finish off with this one. No doubt many of the thoughts I'm currently processing will find their way onto future blogs, but this is important. I know a lot of people who like to argue. I know a lot of Christians who seem to think that they can bully someone into the Kingdom of God through the sheer weight of their intellect. They're wrong. It is a truism that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Apologetics is really about people. It's about helping people in their search for truth. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we are dealing with people, not just facts. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." To quote Lee Beach, one of the conference presenters: "A life beautifully lived is the most powerful argument we have for Christ."

Jesus said, in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” A close examination of the life of Christ is paramount to anyone planning on participating in furthering His Gospel. His was a life of service, of humility, of compassion and sacrifice. When He invited us to join with Him in His cause He didn't offer the perks of power - prestige, wealth, popularity. Rather He said “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

We'll give the last word to Stuart McAllister - "How you live speaks volumes to others." Go shine a light in a dark place.

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3801 Lancaster - House of Horrors

It's a story too horrible to think about. When I've shared this with people they have responded with disgust and disbelief. Newborn babies summarily executed, their bodies stored in jars and freezers. The trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell will wrap up shortly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been charged with the murder of seven newborn babies, as well as one mother, at an abortion clinic. The evidence presented in the trial shows that there were hundreds of babies who were killed this way over the years.

This trial would have peeled back the curtain on the abortion industry in the United States. It would have, if not for an unwillingness on the part of the mass media to cover this story. It took the sustained efforts of pro-life bloggers to shame outlets like CNN and the New York Post into giving the least bit of coverage of what has been called "The Trial of the Century." It should have been a front-page story for months.

There are some subjects that we simply do not want to talk about; this is one of them. But here is my challenge to you: do what you have to do to force yourself to watch the video below. We must not ignore the reality of abortion and - Canadians - remember that there is no legal limit on abortion in Canada whatsoever. To continue to remain willfully ignorant is to be complicit. It reminds me of a story that emerged after World War 2.

There was a church in Germany that was next to railroad tracks. Trains would run past the church on a regular basis, carrying prisoners bound for the gas chambers. As they gathered for worship on Sundays, the congregants learned to time their service so that they would be singing hymns while the cars went past. As it came close enough to hear the cries of the prisoners, they would sing louder to drown out the sound, as if not hearing meant it wasn't real. Are we doing the same? Please watch the video below, and take action. Call your political representative, support a Crisis Pregnancy Center, consider adoption, or at least offer to help a single mom who's struggling.  



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Facing up to the Horror of Abortion

A friend of mine sat across the desk from me yesterday, excitedly describing what he had learned about the development of his unborn child (15 weeks gestation). He's already a very active baby, moving around in his mother's womb. His loving parents look forward to seeing him as he is revealed to the world in another five months or so.

Contrast that picture with the reality of what is happening in abortion clinics and hospitals around Canada. Even more disconcerting, a few articles have surfaced recently that have, once again, shed light on what has become our society's dirty little secrets - "after-birth abortion" and "gendercide" - and the mainstream media's extreme bias against the pro-life movement.

Let's start with Canada, where columnist Warren Kinsella came out with gun's ablazing against Canadian parliamentarians who dared to put forward a motion asking the House of Commons to condemn the practice that sees female fetuses aborted for the sole reason that they are female. He dismissed the motion as an attempt by backbench parliamentarians to get their name in the headlines and to bring the abortion debate in the back door. Other liberal commentators said the same thing when MP Stephen Woodworth put forward a motion calling for a review of Canada's 400 year old law defining "human beings."

The bottom line with Kinsella and others seems to be that we're not allowed to talk about abortion or changing the law - ever! In their minds the issue has been resolved, not only for them, but for all of us. How dare we keep trying to bring it back up for debate! He resorted to name-calling, declaring them to be "dishonest," "nobodies" and "pipsqueaks." And, of course, he threw in the tried and true pro-abortion rant that they are trying "to move the country back to the bad old days, when the only choice women had were coat hangers in back alleys."

Of course, none of this hyperbole actually dealt with the hard truth that, in Canada, an increasing number of women are now aborting their babies simply because they are girls. The American news outlet, The Economist, ran an article entitled "Gendercide in Canada," detailing skewed birth rates in portions of the population whose country of origin was in the Far East (where sex-selective abortion is rampant). This evidence has lead to calls on the banning of revealing the sex of an unborn child until 30 weeks gestation.

This is all simply a side story to the truth that there has been NO LIMIT ON ABORTION in Canada. It is repugnant that our government(s) lack the courage to take a good, hard look at the evidence and protect those most innocent members of society.

Meanwhile in the U.S., the major media outlets are right now bringing shame on themselves by completely ignoring the trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortion doctor in Philadelphia. Gosnell is charged with killing seven babies who were born alive, and testimony has revealed there were hundreds of others. He`s also charged with the death of a woman under his care in his abortion clinic. According to FoxNews.com, neither NBC nor ABC have carried any news on this story. CBS has not covered the trial and CNN has almost completely ignored it. They were even critical of Fox News for its limited coverage.

Perhaps the reason is that the details coming out of this are so horrific that people don`t want to know - crying babies killed with scissors, etc... It is revealing the ugly reality that the abortion industry doesn`t want people to know: every abortion stops a beating heart. These children are alive - they move away from the instruments that are trying to kill them. Their only crime is not being wanted.

If this is enough reason for someone to kill an unborn baby, then it makes sense that Alisa LaPolt Snow, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, defends "after-birth abortion" (the killing of a child born alive after a failed abortion). This is exactly the crime for which Gosnell is on trial, and Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion supplier in the U.S., is defending infanticide by saying, "the decision to kill an infant who survives a failed abortion should be left up to the woman seeking an abortion and her abortion doctor."

We need to light up the blogosphere and let people know what is actually happening. As I post these and similar stories I get replies like "hideous," "heartless," "awful," and "monstrous." Yes it is, and it must stop! 

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Book Review: Unspeakable - Facing Up to the Challenge of Evil

Book Review: "Unspeakable - Facing Up to the Challenge of Evil," Os Guinness, New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2005. 242 pages.

I have had Os Guinness' books on my bookshelves before, but I had never taken the time to read them. Then I had opportunity to hear him speak at the RZIM Summer Institute in 2012 and realized I needed to start reading his work. He is a man with a brilliant mind and a great grasp of history. In "Unspeakable," Guinness takes on one of the most challenging issues we face as human beings, that of evil: it's source, its substance, its remedy. A daunting task to be sure.

It's difficult to know where to begin with this review - I can't imagine how challenging it would have been to write the book. To each of us, this subject is uniquely personal. We all have, or will, experience or witness evil and suffering in our own lives. As Guinness says: "One of the effects of globalization today is that our eyes vastly outreach our hands and our pockets. We always see more evil and suffering than we can possibly respond to."

Os builds his book around seven questions:

1. Where on earth does evil come from?
2. What's so right about a world so wrong? (Or "why me?" or "where's God?)
3. Are we really worse or just modern?
4. Do the differences make a difference?
5. Isn't there something we can do?
6. Why can't I know what I need to know?
7. Isn't there any good in all this bad?

Throughout the book Guinness explores these questions through the lens of different worldviews, taking pains to respectfully share each point of view. He makes three arguments throughout the book: "that there are important differences between the various answers to evil; that these differences make a difference; and that the differences make a difference not only for individuals but for societies." 

His thoughtful and reasonable approach provides a great deal of insight into an issue which has long been discussed, but not understood. He destroys the modern myth that most evil is perpetrated by people of faith. In fact, the twentieth century was the bloodiest in the history of the world, largely due to the atheistic regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and the like. But the biggest question arising out of the discussion is number 5: "Isn't there something we can do?"

 Guinness provides three features to a biblical response to evil and suffering:

1. There is an acknowledgement that evil resides in each of our hearts.
2. There is a commitment to forgive the evildoer appropriately, though without condoning the evil deed. (Witness the success of this approach in post-apartheid South Africa.)
3. The commitment to take a practical stand against evil and injustice.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The bottom line to all of this is that each of us are challenged to take a stand against evil - that begins in our own hearts. This book shares many brilliant examples of brave men and women who have dared to stand and who made a difference against evil. Let me conclude with a quote from one of the giants of the twentieth century, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. "Let us not forget that violence does not and cannot flourish by itself; it is inevitably intertwined with lying. Between them there is the closest, the most profound and natural bond: nothing screens violence except lies, and the only way lies can hold out is by violence. Whoever has once announced violence as his method must inevitably choose lies as his principle... The simple act of an ordinary courageous man is not to take part, not to support lies! Let the lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me." (Nobel address, 1970)

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Book Review: Switch - How to Change Things When Change is Hard

Chip and Dan Heath's book "Change" was one of the books recommended at a Leadership Summit I attended a couple of years ago. They are a couple of sharp young guys who wrote this book after doing extensive research in psychology, sociology and other fields on how to bring about transformative change.

I found this book appealing as a pastor because a large part of what I do is try to help people bring about positive change in their lives. This book is written to help leaders understand why and how people change, what keeps us from changing, and how to overcome obstacles to change.

For instance, in each of us we find that there tends to be a conflict whenever even a positive change is suggested. As psychologists have discovered, our rational mind (the rider) understands the need to change, but our emotional mind (the elephant) resists change because change involves action and disturbing existing routine. However, if we can find a way to overcome that tension, change can happen quickly.

They begin by highlighting three surprises regarding change which were discovered through studies. The first is that What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. In other words, we ought not to assume that people don't want to change. Often, they are in situations that make it difficult for them to change.

The second surprise is that What looks like laziness is often exhaustion. This is because often people are trying to change through the power of self-control, which can be emotionally exhausting. Self-control is an exhaustible resource. The bigger the change, the harder it is for someone to force themselves to make.

The third surprise is that What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity. Sometimes we really don't know how to get to the other side, we just know that we want to change. We can find ourselves spinning our wheels because we just don't know what to do.

In the book, the Heaths provide a three-part framework for helping to facilitate change and to overcome these three problems.

1. Direct the Rider (Rational Mind) 
2. Motivate the Elephant (Emotional Mind)
3. Shape the Path

Using real life examples and case studies, we can see how even entrenched behaviors can be changed when the right information is provided clearly. We may assume that people simply don't want to follow our advice when, in fact, they don't understand the situation in the same way that we do. Ask yourself how you can demonstrate it more clearly.

They also demonstrate why it is important to engage people's emotional side in order to build momentum. If a person doesn't feel that change will have a worthwhile benefit they will resist. It's human nature. But when the emotional side of us is engaged, a great deal can be accomplished.

Finally they talk about one of the greatest ways to facilitate change - shaping the path. This speaks of environmental changes. This may be as simple as hiding the large plates and using only the smaller ones if your goal is to lose weight. Or it may mean using a two-step switch that requires two hands to activate for dangerous equipment in order to keep hands clear.

There are great examples in this book of ordinary people who were able to bring about radical change.

• Medical interns who defeated an entrenched medical practice that was endangering lives.
• A home-organizing specialist who developed a simple technique to overcome the dread of housekeeping.
• The manager who reversed the reputation of a customer-support team from failures into standard-bearers.

This book is well worth the read for anyone who leads people, because leadership is all about facilitating change. If you have some changes that you need to make in your life, this may be helpful to you as well. For those who know me, do you think it's a coincidence that my desk and office are now clean for the first time in recent memory? I think not!

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Can We Talk About It?

It was Timothy Keller, author and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, who wrote that “Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” We all nod our heads in agreement as we read, but this is not what we Canadians popularly understand when we speak of tolerance.

Tolerance, for many in Canada, has come to mean an unquestioning acceptance of any and all viewpoints - excepting perhaps that of traditional Christianity. There has been a remarkable trend in mass media, social media, and human rights tribunals towards the muzzling of viewpoints that are not "tolerant." But what do we mean by that?

The dictionary definition says that tolerance is: "The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with." It is akin to the old saying by Evelyn Beatrice Hall that "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." This, I believe, is necessary in a civil society: thoughtful debate in the free marketplace of ideas.

We, in Canada, have largely lost this ability. (Though, admittedly, social media is turning those tables, for better or worse.) We find, for example, at Ryerson University in Toronto where a young woman, wanting to establish a "Men's Issues" club, was denied permission by the Student's Union. This is not new, but it's usually pro-life groups that are shut down in our universities. In our Human Rights tribunals, it tends to be outspoken critics of hot-button issues related to homosexuality or Islam that are singled out. 

We have blindly accepted assumptions and believed lies, which have then influenced social policy. It is commonly held in Canadian society that all religions are basically the same. Therefore, criticizing a religion is considered out of bounds, unless, of course, you're talking about majoritarian Christianity. So, some unquestioningly accept that Muslims ought to be able to practice their religion the way they see fit. This lead to the wrong-headed suggestion in 2004 that Islamic Sharia law should be instituted in the Muslim community in Ontario through tribunals. 

The reasoning was that since Christian protestants and Catholics could use religious tribunals to settle disputes, they ought to be able to as well. But, again, this ignores the fundamental differences between the brand of Muslim faith, practiced in most majority Muslim nations around the world, and that of Christianity. In the minds of our "tolerant" society, the only "fair" response was to ban all religious tribunals. This happened in 2005. 

There are too many rabbit trails to pursue on this issue, but my point is this: it's time to re-institute the civil public square. Perhaps this is being done through social media, but my hope is that we can truly begin to dialogue in the mainstream about meaningful issues.There are some principles that I've tried to put into practice in my life that have helped me; perhaps they can help someone else.

Everyone is worthy of respect.

I might not like you, but it doesn't mean that I can't treat you with respect. I can and should separate what you are saying and what you represent from how I treat you. As long as you are civil and not abusive, we can continue to dialogue. When people start calling names, that tells me they've run out of ideas. We don't have to agree about everything to be friends.

Everyone has the right to be heard.

The truth is, some people's views are downright offensive, but we live in a free society. Our freedoms ought to be limited when we do real harm to others. As someone has said, "My freedom to swing my arm ends at your nose." The caveat ought to be, once again, that we speak respectfully to one another. (Perhaps this lesson could be taught in our provincial and federal legislatures.) 

I believe that one of the greatest challenges to our free society is political correctness. A great many people feel as though they cannot be heard because someone has decided that an issue is off-limits. The most obvious example to me is the absolute refusal of the mainstream media to allow a pro-life perspective to have any meaningful airtime. But, once again, I digress.

Everyone should be faithful to the facts.

It's too easy to throw out facts and figures, but are they true? As they say, 99% of all statistics are made up on the spot. When we play fast and loose with the truth we ought to be held to account for it. While there will be honest differences of opinion, they are usually over the interpretation of the facts.

This last part is for Christians. As followers of Christ we have an added responsibility to represent Him well. That means, regardless of the situation and circumstances, we are to treat others the way that we would like to be treated ourselves. Paul tells us to "speak the truth in love." While we do have a responsibility to stand up for the truth, the Biblical path has always been the high road. Remember, Mother Teresa and the Westboro Baptist Church (those who picket funerals and hate homosexuals), both claimed to be following Christ. Which do you think was truly following Christ's example?

The following is most often attributed to Mother Teresa, but was actually written by Kent M. Keith. Either way, it's good advice. 

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” 

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What It's All About

Malcolm Muggeridge was one of the greatest journalists of the 20th century, covering most of the major events that occurred. With his unique perspective, he had opportunity to discern trends and fads and separate them from that which lasts. The following quote is my favorite quote from him, indicating the ultimate truth that he discovered after decades of searching the world and all of its cultures and great religions and civilizations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  

“We look back upon history and what do we see? Empires rising and falling, revolutions and counter-revolutions, wealth accumulating and wealth dispersed, one nation dominant and then another. Shakespeare speaks of ‘the rise and fall of great ones that ebb and flow with the moon.’
“I look back on my own fellow countrymen ruling over a quarter of the world, the great majority of them convinced, in the words of what is still a favorite song, that, ‘God who’s made the mighty would make them mightier yet.’ I’ve heard a crazed, cracked Austrian announce to the world the establishment of a German Reich that would last a thousand years; an Italian clown announce that he would restart the calendar to begin his own ascension to power. I’ve heard a murderous Georgian brigand in the Kremlin acclaimed by the intellectual elite of the world as a wiser than Solomon,more humane than Marcus Aurelius, more enlightened than Ashoka. I’ve seen America wealthier and in terms of weaponry, more powerful than the rest of the world put together, so that had the American people desired, could have outdone an Alexander or a Julius Caesar in the range and scale of their conquests.

“All in one lifetime.All in one lifetime. All gone with the wind. England part of a tiny island off the coast of Europe, threatened with dismemberment and even bankruptcy. Hitler and Mussolini dead, remembered only in infamy. Stalin a forbidden name in the regime he helped found and dominate for some three decades. America haunted by fears of running out of those precious fluids that keep her motorways roaring, and the smog settling, with troubled memories of a disastrous campaign in Vietnam, and the victories of the Don Quixotes of the media as they charged the windmills of Watergate.

“All in one lifetime, all gone. Gone with the wind.”

“Behind the debris of these self-styled, sullen supermen and imperial diplomatists, there stands the gigantic figure of one person, because of whom, by whom, in whom, and through whom alone mankind might still have hope. The person of Jesus Christ.”

-Malcolm Muggeridge
 (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990)

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End Bullying

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Who came up with that? Almost everyone I know bears the invisible scars of the words of someone from their past, words that lodge themselves deep in the psyche and hurt again and again.

Over the past few months we have been inundated with stories about children being bullied. In the Fall of 2012 it was Amanda Todd of Coquitlam, B.C. who committed suicide after posting a video on you-tube telling her story (Posted below). In my work with people I often hear stories of bullying experiences, sometimes many years old, that have damaged self-esteem and, in some cases, lead to suicide.


 

Schools and governments have been trying to find ways to eliminate bullying, often by focusing on self-esteem or support groups such as the Gay-straight alliance imposed upon Ontario schools by the Ontario government. The challenge is to start enough support groups for each category of person who is bullied. It can't be done.


The sad truth is that there will always be bullies - people who feel better about themselves by inflicting pain on others. I was smaller in High School and was beaten up by some older kids. Others are picked on because of their weight, clothes, haircut, disability, religion; some of them even by teachers.

While this problem will likely never be eradicated, each of us can begin now to make a difference. I think this is where the journey begins. When I decide that I won't let someone be bullied around me, I make a difference. When we choose to reach out to someone who has been marginalized, we make a difference. When we build inclusive communities where everyone is welcome, and no-one is excluded, we make a difference. When we take our negative experiences, and use them to help others, we make a difference. That's what Shane Koyczan did. Watch his video below and share it. I'm sure it will help a lot of people. Be a part of the solution, not the problem.



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Book Review: "Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine "

"Grace is not blind. It sees the hurt full well. But grace chooses to see God's forgiveness even more. It refuses to let hurts poison the heart." Max Lucado has long been one of my favorite authors, largely because of quotes like this one. He is a wordsmith; he has a way of expressing things that clarifies and illuminates truth. His book "Grace" is no exception.

There perhaps is no other subject as pertinent or as necessary for society today than the subject of grace. It is a universal need. The good news that Lucado shares in this book is that it is also universally available. As he says in the first chapter, "Grace hugged the stink out of the prodigal and scared the hate out of Paul and pledges to do the same in us."

In this book, Max uses Biblical passages, like the woman caught in the act of adultery and the story of Barabbas, as well as illustrations of his own life and the lives of others, to weave together a beautiful portrait of grace. We're lead to understand why grace is necessary at all, breaking apart the myth of our own goodness. Then we're shown why it is provided: each of us is loved by God - "You are loved by your maker not because you try to please Him and succeed, or fail to please Him and apologize, but because He wants to be your Father." 

Max Lucado

Part of the beauty of grace is what happens as a result. We see lives transformed, hope restored and relationships mended. We are given a new outlook, a new lease on life. Some would say that this isn't fair, but that's why it's called "the scandal of grace." None of us deserves it - that's why it's called grace.

Concluding the book is a Reader's Guide, which is helpful for those who would like to use this book as a devotional or as a small group study. Included are pertinent quotes, a review and then some applicable questions.

All in all, Max has done it again, providing material that is highly quotable and deeply meaningful for the seeking heart. I hope you enjoy it.

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Top 5 Blog Posts of 2012 - #1

(I apologize in advance for the fonts and the strange formatting. I am having technical difficulties with my blog.)

 

Akiane has been consistently the most viewed subject of any of my blogs. This former child prodigy is still going strong as a young adult. Her story is even more compelling because of the spiritual nature of her art and her childhood dreams and visions which inspired her. Read and look at her artwork and decide for yourself.

Akiane Kramarik - 2012

I've written a couple of articles about Akiane over the past couple of years. I find her art fascinating and her story interesting. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Akiane is that she's very hard to put in a category.

Is she a Christian? Is she a "New Age Indigo Child?" One thing for sure - she's incredibly talented.

For those of you who aren't familiar with her back story, Akiane shocked her parents when, at age 3, she began to describe dreams and visions from God. Her mother encouraged her to write down what she saw and thus began an incredible artistic journey.

These visions and dreams eventually lead her entire family on an ongoing spiritual journey. I have written previously of my impression that the church didn't know what to do with Akiane and her visions, and a great many Christians "behaving badly" likely contributed to her not participating fully in the life of church. (These are my inferences from what I have read and heard.) She has been told hateful things like "Burn your paintings~ they are the works of the devil'' and ''You are Satan's daughter.'' Nice.

It's interesting to hear Akiane speak of her faith. She says of Jesus: “He is the only way to God — the only way to heaven and joy. My personal views on Jesus have only matured and deepened since age 4.  As I grow I see how vast and unlimited His love is.”

 
  “Jesus remains my highest authority, love, and God,” she adds. “I pray every day that people will one day follow Jesus, His teachings and feel His love.”

 
Because of her isolation - she admittedly has few friends outside of her own family - it's hard to pin down what she truly believes, and maybe that's part of her appeal. She continues, however, to make Jesus a regular subject in her art, he's been featured in 9-10 of her paintings. Below is a recent picture of Jesus she completed called "I Am."

One story that drew attention to Akiane's work was the story of Colton Burpo, the young boy who was the subject of the book "Heaven Is For Real." He identified her painting of Jesus as the image that most closely represented what he had seen when he had a dramatic experience on the operating table. The feature that both of them keyed on was the eyes. "All I remember were the eyes," Akiane says, "and they were like no other colors that were ever created. The closest color I can depict through paints is a sapphire hue." Colton identified the color of Jesus’ eyes as blue-green. I've included the painting below.

For all of her mystery, Akiane remains a prodigious talent, with some paintings selling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her gifting is obvious, and the source, she insists, is God Himself. I won't argue with that. I continue to watch her career with interest and hope that she can find a church, "the Body" of the Christ she loves so much, because God calls all of us to community.

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