Bundy, Fischer, Jeffress, Islam, Christianity

In the comment section on someone's fan page I made the following comment about this image.

Like Christianity, Islam is a spectrum. There are still Christians who argue that the 1st Amendment only applies to Christians, that women should stay home/submit to their husbands, and that homosexuality should be illegal. How few of these Christians condemned Cliven Bundy's call to arms.

There were two replies.

I have ministered to and have met many, many Christians from various denominations, and have never met one who said the 1st Amendment applies only to Christians. Do they teach that at Kent State or what? Cliven Bundy did not call anyone to arms. Quite the opposite. Hope you get an "A: in PolySci for that liberal whopper.

And this one.

Hi, [my name]. An essential difference between Christianity and Islam is found in the two Basic Manuals; the Bible makes it clear that noone must be coerced into believing in Christ; the Koran makes it very clear that people must be coerced into believing in Islam. Examples of coercion in the history of Christianity were carried out by people who knew their position was not supported by the Bible. Note too that the greatest freedoms, starting with freedom of conscience, religion and expression, happened first in Christian countries. There too you find the greatest and longest sustainable development in culture, arts, sciences, philosophy, economy and government. As people uncritically accept secular humanism (atheism by another name), these things erode quickly, as noted by 20th Century atheistic movements of fascism, communism and nazism--not to mention Vorwoerd's most virulent Apartheid. I expect our American political leaders to know history, philosophy (especially ethics, moral philosophy) backwards and forwards. We unfortunately have not always elected the best in this regard. Best regards.

I made the following reply.

One, I am not a liberal. Two, Fischer, radio host for the AFA and Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas both argue that the word "religion" in the First Amendment only applies to Christianity. I doubt they teach it at Kent State, but it is taught on Christian radio and in a pulpit at Dallas. Bundy never condemned the idea of these militia preparing to kill police officers. Hundreds of armed people gathered to stop officers from enforcing the law. American Islam has never done such a thing.

[His name omitted], I said that Christianity is a spectrum. Yes there were deists arguing the Renaissance and Baptists arguing for separation of church and state. One of the reasons that we needed separation of church and state was forced conversion. Children were required to be baptized by law in many places. Fascism and Nazism were not necessarily Atheistic.

 I would like to also note that no one challenged that there are still Christians who argue "women should stay home/submit to their husbands, and that homosexuality should be illegal."  I am more worried about these Christians, because there are more of them in the states.

What are you trusting God for?

My head has been a little twisted. I am reading Virginian secessionist/unionist Civil War arguments while paying attention to the mess out in Nevada.  This argument for Virginia's secession sticks out.

God means, through the instrumentality of African slavery, to accomplish His great purpose of Christianizing and civilizing that race. You may throw impediments in the way, and thereby bring down punishment on your own hands, but you cannot stop it…Every consideration of duty, of interest, of high Christian moral obligation, conspires to make us cause Virginia to secede at once, settle our difficulties peaceably afterwards, if we can – and if we cannot, forcibly.

If I find that you will not go with me, if you are determined to wait, wait, wait,…I will…go with you for the next plan which I think will best promote the great object I have in view…I mean to stand by my principles and doctrines to the bitter end. If that day shall come – which God in his mercy avert – when you and I will have to be exiled or yield to this horde of Northern Vandals,…I will not be exiled…I will stand on the shores of my own native Rappahannock, and there I will fall…I will die in Virginia, and trust to God and to posterity to vindicate what is just and what is right. ~ Robert Montague – April 1861 [1]

The phrase "Trust God" (or in this case "trust to God") means very little.  The question is the value and validity about what you are trusting God for.

[1] Freehling, William W. and Craig M. Simpson, ed. Showdown in Virginia The 1861 Convention and the Fate of the Union (Charlottesville; University of Virginia Press, 2010) 120-121

The Nevada Ranch Stand Off

“We the people in this area have nothing to fear,” said Bundy, wearing a cowboy hat and a T-shirt bearing his family name. “We can carry our weapons if we like because we have Second Amendment rights, and those are God-given rights. Those Second Amendment rights are our rights. But, and I say ‘but,’ because we don’t have to carry them right now because we’re afraid. I’m telling you that right now. Because there’s been a lot of people who’ve been afraid, and I know that feeling. Just yesterday evening I was really afraid. … Today, we have been confirmed by our creator that we do not have to be afraid.

Then read a little further down

Just afterward, rancher Bundy demanded that Gillespie disarm all National Park Service employees who work on federal lands, saying that the land belongs to the people and that they should not have to endure federally armed agents while enjoying tourist sites such as the Red Rock National Conservation Area.

He asks the National Park Service employees to surrender their "God-given rights".  I agree that the 2nd Amendment has reasonable limits, but who made a guy with a small army the judge for the nation?  I do not understand the conservatives who back this guy or other would be tyrants who would appoint themselves the judge of our constitution instead of the legislature, executive, and judicial branches that document enshrines.