Dangerous Christianity?

On the September 12, 2006 edition of The View, actress Rosie O'Donnell stated:

"Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America."

I've often thought about this quote. What exactly does she mean by "radical Christianity?" Why would she say that? Simply for shock value? Or does she truly believe it?

I thought about it again this morning. I was doing some research and thumbing through Josh McDowell's classic apologetic Evidence that Demands a Verdict. In reference to the late D. James Kennedy and Jerry Necombe's book What if Jesus had never been born?, McDowell pens the following:

They [Kennedy and Necombe] begin with the assumption that the church, the body of Christ, is Jesus’ primary legacy to the world. Then they examine what has happened in history that displays the influence of the church. Here are a few highlights they site:

• Hospitals, which essentially began during the middle ages
• Universities, which also began during the middle ages. In addition, most of the world’s greatest universities were started by Christians for Christian purposes
• Literacy and education of the masses
• Representative government, particularly as it has been seen in the American experiment
• The separation of political powers
• Civil liberties
• The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in modern times
• Modern science
• The discovery of the new world by Columbus
• Benevolence and charity; the good Samaritan ethic
• Higher standards of justice
• The elevation of the common man
• The high regard for human life
• The civilizing of many barbarian and primitive cultures
• The codifying and setting to writing of many of the worlds languages
• The greater development of art an music. The inspiration for the greatest works of art.
• The countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the gospel
• The eternal salvation of countless souls

Have there been abuses by the church? Unfortunately yes, no one is denying that. But to say radical Christianity is as dangerous as radical Islam, well, I'll let you be the judge of that.

Did They Really Say That? # 3

“If a person doesn’t think there is a God to be accountable to, then…what is the point of trying to modify your behavior to keep it within acceptable ranges? That’s how I thought…I always believed the theory of evolution as truth, that we all just came from the slime.”

- Jeffery Dahmer, a convicted serial killer responsible for the murders of 17 young men and boys, many of which involved necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism. (Quoted from an interview with Stone Phillips - Dateline NBC, 11/29/1994)

The consequences of our worldviews are very real.

So Have You Heard The One About...?

I've got a good one for you. While giving a history lesson to around 1500 Catholic theology students the Pope, reading from a 14th century document, says:

"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

In angry response two Muslims stormed a Catholic hospital in Somalia and shot a 70 year old nun 3 times in the back killing her and her body guard. Then we find out:

"Hardline cleric Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Malin [in Somalia] on Friday told worshippers at his mosque to hunt down and kill whoever offended the Prophet Mohammed. "

Okay so let me make sure I have this right; These Muslims are angry about the Pope reading from a document more than 600 years old, which describes their religion evil and inhuman and to express this anger they go out and murder innocent people?

Am I the only one who sees the irony in this?


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Did They Really Say That? # 2

"The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy"

-- Bringham Young in Journal of Discourses 11:269 on August 19, 1866

(Bringham Young was the second prophet and former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [Mormon])

Did They Really Say That? #1

''We will try to see if he converts to Islam, for Islam is the religion of compassion. But if he does not, Islamic law will be enforced,''

- Afghanistan Supreme Court Judge Ansarullah Mawlavizada in reference to the trial of Afghan Abdur Rahman who faces the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity.