Christian? Muslim? Cactusism?

Here's a link to a great blog from Eugene Cho about the president's faith.

Not so wise...

Now I'm one who usually takes things with a grain of salt. We've definitely gotten too serious about ourselves these days, and need to laugh off much of what ends up offending us. Political correctness has gotten out of control.

But that doesn't alleviate unwise decisions.

Recently a group of Republican leaders attended a party hosted in South Carolina by the National Federation of Republican Women that involved everyone dressing in Confederate period clothing. So South Carolina Senate President Glenn McConnell was dressed as a Confederate soldier, and some pictures were snapped of him with African-Americans dressed as slaves.

I don't know any of these people personally. My guess is that the majority of them--if not all of them--are not advocating slavery or approving slavery. It was a costume party.

But it just wasn't very smart in my opinion.

McConnell responded in an interview “ … If somebody is trying to be politically correct and use a tunnel vision on it and hook in the slavery issue, they’re on a slippery slope toward narrow-mindedness and they should extend the charity of understanding. Receive it in the spirit that it is presented.” He went on to say it was an event of "historical accuracy."

But historical accuracy doesn't make it smart. Just because people are too easily offended today doesn't mean we should stop caring about whether or not we offend them. Political correctness is not always wrong.

Some history should not be taken lightly. Taught, discussed, talked about openly, yes. Used as a theme for a costume party, maybe not. American slavery is, in my opinion, one of those things. Wouldn't it be dumb to have a historically accurate costume party of Auschwitz in 1944?

A Christian response to Muslims...

Sorry I've been off the blog lately...I will write more, I promise!

Here's one of the best articles on the status of religious freedom from a Christian perspective I've read in the news lately. How are American Christians called to react to Muslims? In this article you'll find some great answers. Let's talk about it.

Ultimately, as the editorial says, it MUST be about neighbor love and the Golden Rule for us who follow Jesus. I have to admit, I'm a little tired of believers who are USAmericans first and followers of Jesus second. As a friend of mine wrote, it's interesting that the Gainesville pastor wanting to burn Qur'ans pointed to his Constitutional right to do so, but not a biblical justification for doing so.

The way of Jesus is not to fight fire with fire. Newt Gingrich's suggestion of no more mosques until Saudi Arabia allows churches is NOT New Testament truth, but exactly the opposite of the teaching of Jesus, Paul and Peter. We never overcome evil with more evil. Period. Evil is ONLY overcome by good. And history has shown that religious freedom is good.

On this anniversary of 9/11, I pray for the hurt evil has caused. I mourn for the loss of life. I pray for God's justice in the world.

And if I'm honest, I pray for redemption.

The evil that motivates every terrorist to kill metaphorically lurks outside my door, and literally battles inside my soul. I have not murdered, but I have hated. I have not cheated, but I have lusted. I have stolen, I have lied. I have looked out for my own interests before others. Someone I know called those things equally evil. And that evil is only defeated through the power of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Glorious grace!

To paraphrase Frodo when Sam wanted to kill Golom, if there's no hope for the redemption of a terrorist, there's no hope for my own salvation.

Good must win. In Christ, good will win. Look to the cross of Jesus, your redemption draws near...