Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
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This is the program that
brings you up-to-date news,
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views, discussion and
underlying information on
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religious liberty issues.
My name is Lincoln Steed,
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Editor of Liberty
Magazine and my guest on the
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program is Barry
Bussey. Welcome Barry.
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Thank you. It should be
an idea on your position
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in Religious Liberty
Department of the General
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Conference, the
headquarters in Silver
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Spring, Maryland. Yeah.
I would like to talk about
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book burning.
Yeah. That's really.
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Well, let me just tell
you why I wouldn't burn.
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Set the fire among
the stuff, I believe.
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You know it's very
interesting as you know
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last little while we
saw this whole incident
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leading up tonight at
11, where you know this
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pastor down in
Florida of the small group,
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he said he was
going to burn the Quran.
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Fifty-member
church. Yeah, I mean it just
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and yet it's, you know,
excited the entire world
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even the General
Petraeus, you had Robert Gates.
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You had a whole
group even the White House,
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President. Yes
respective, was very much
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involved and you know
obviously it shows just
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how sensitive we
are, I mean we are very
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sensitive because,
you know after all the
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American troops are
over in arm's way and so
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forth, but you know as I
was looking at this whole
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situation I had, I
begin to ask myself well,
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you know why would we
want to burn someone's
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book who that you
know they consider it
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Holy like last night
as I was flying in air.
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There was a lady who
is sitting next to me and
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we were talking about
this whole situation and,
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I should say this
was very late at night,
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very late at night,
your flight was delayed and
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get into the early
hours of the morning,
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right. So but the
thing is, is that you know
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she says, well I don't
understand why we can't
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just live and let
live. You know why do we,
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why do we have to
burn somebody's book.
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So what I'm begin to
look at was what would,
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how would Christ deal with this.
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What would be the
principle that Christ
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would look at this
situation and say okay
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here is the
principle and so right away it
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came to mind that
you know, where Jesus is
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talking about and he
says you know do unto
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others in the sense
right, as you would have
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others do unto
you, so you do to them.
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And so that became
to me it's a principle
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of reciprocity. I
would now want the Bible for
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example to be burned.
Now in my understanding
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is that I know it's
very different like for
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instance, in the
Islamic world that if the
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Quran is burned is
not quite the same as
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when I see the Bible.
In fact I look at God is
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being able to as
much as I find if that
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reprehensible
burning the Bible. I mean I
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believe in truth, I
believe the Bible contains
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truth, I believe it's
the word of God and so
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forth, but if
someone burns the Bible in
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protest from my
perspective it would be well
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as much as I hate
that. I despise that.
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It would be
offensive. I would be offensive.
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Certainly would not if
you had any sensibility for
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who and what God is,
you would be offended.
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Absolutely, but at
the same time I would not
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take it upon myself as
to be the instrument of
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God to do any harm
to that individual who
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burned the Bible. In
another words, God is big
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enough in our
perspective, God is big
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enough to be able
to deal with that.
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Well, as I have said
in another program this
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act and we were
talking about another act
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before clearly was
intended to be a provocation.
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Last comment I made
was on the mosque over
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the Islamic Center in
New York. I'm not sure
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there was an intent
there, but it acted as a
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provocation, but this
was purely provocative.
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Right. And as I read
about it, I can't say I
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agree with it really
on any level, but I could
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see historically
antecedents in a previous
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program you and I
were talking about Martin
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Luther and
remember what Martin Luther
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did very early on he
burned the papal bull,
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yeah but, which was a
total active repudiation,
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right, then later on
as the reformation gained
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steam. The Roman
Catholic Church burned Martin
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Luther's books.
Right. And then at different
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times through the
years since then religious
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forces have had book
burnings and even in my
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own church. I could
remember this is not
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quite books, but I can
remember on the college
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campus I attended
after there was a revival.
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They had a
ceremony in the evening,
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where the records
and other materials that
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was satanic, I
shouldn't put quotes around it
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because I think it
truly was, but that was
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overstated in the way
that it was expressed,
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but secular and
dangerous music and
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other stuff.
There was a burning,
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so the dynamic
here is not unnatural,
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most cultures understand it,
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but why unprovoked
in a personal sense this
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minister religion
representing Christ.
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A Christian minister
would think that it was a
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proper place for him
to burn another Holy Book
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knowing that this
would insight opposition,
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knowing that
Islam has perhaps even
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unnaturally close
affinity to the literal paper
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of that book maybe
more than the Bible,
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while God's word is
Holy and the other Bible
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is paper at the end
of the day it's as it the
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word is received in,
and heard an act upon
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that it has power and holiness.
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And I think because
of our experience of the
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reformation for
example when as you
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mentioned with all
of these burnings at
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the end of the day.
God's book still survived.
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As the Nahtzee's
came to power. Right.
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The Nahtzee's
organized burnings of Jewish
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books as corrupts.
I'm trying to remember
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the word that
they had, but it was
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degenerate,
degenerate literature and well
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they were not a
religious state. There was
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a religious subtext to
this. There is no excuse
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for what this
minister was planning on
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doing. It seems that
he was talked out of it
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at the last minute.
Right. It's a sort of act
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that he could re-invoke anytime.
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I hope he
doesn't do it, but he was
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at least dissuaded
on the eve of 9/11.
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Right, well I
think also to it when we,
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there is no question
that for example the,
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we have seen the
examples of Islamic
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fundamentalists,
who burned the American
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flag, burned the
Bible or whatever and but
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when we then take
on the attitude of our
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enemies like Jesus
says pray for your enemies
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and so those
individuals who would do those
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horrendous things.
You know what happened on
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9/11 and so forth.
I mean the Christian
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response as I
understand it is to pray
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for our enemies. We
pray for them and the
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reason we do that
is so that we ourselves
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do not take on the
same sense of hatred
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and so forth that
are enemies have because
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otherwise the
alleged persecuted becomes
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the persecutor and we
do not want to be made
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into the image of
enemies. It seems to me
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that the swirling
around several elements to
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this. First of all on
a civil society level,
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this is not what
good neighbors will do.
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Right. The secondly
is the President in his
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objection and
secretary Gates pointed out this
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was provocative, it
would probably come to
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a bad end, but the
minister had every right
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to do, so this was
in the matter of law.
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It's a matter of good
neighborly, that's right.
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It was bad form,
the thing that we have
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toyed with and some
of the illustrations I
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have given. There is a
great tradition the way
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can be used of
banning books and symbols of
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a false religion and
from this Pastor's point of
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view it's a false
religion. You know I can't,
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it's not really
proper to say when you are
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talking about
religious liberty that this is
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false, this is true.
All religions believe they
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are true and we
grant all of them the right
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to practice. Right.
That is the Seventh-Day
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Adventist Christian
obviously. I have a certain
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internal view of
what's false and what's true.
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And with that truth
in our view is objective
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truth. Right. I mean
it's not, and we grant
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the same to the
Muslims. They believe the
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Quran is the literal
word of Gabriel to Mohammed.
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But we need to
deconstruct this a little
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bit because I think
that there is some antecedent
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to this, I think
of Gideon for example.
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When he got the word from God,
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why did he
destroy the high places,
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he destroyed all the groves.
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Most every movement
both in the Bible and
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Through the Ages
when there is a reform
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for a particular
religion. They swept away
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the corrupt forms of
that religion and even
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the other religions.
So its not, even though
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I think this Pastor
was just as a cheap shot.
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I think it was easy
publicity for him to climb
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and see at that way.
It's not absolutely a
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foreign dynamic within
a religion to underscore,
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the putting away,
the error of the other
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and so on. But there
is a price to pay for
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that and I'm trying to
bring it something that
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I have even
written about in Liberty
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Magazine religious
freedom in the civil
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construct has
certain rights and certain
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obligations.
Religion sometimes carries
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with the dynamic
that we move ahead
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regardless of the
law. You know we say it
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all the time that we
will obey the law when
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it's in accordance
with God's will and if not
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then we obey God
rather than them.
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Right, right. Maybe
that consistent with your
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religious viewpoint,
you do something that
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brings you an
conflict with the law,
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but you must be
prepared to take the legal
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consequence. That's
right. And I think in
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this case, there is a
little social as well as a
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legal. We certainly
can see this as socially
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abhorrent what this Pastor did.
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If he proceeded
you are the lawyer,
00:11:05.97\00:11:07.84
but it seems to me he couldn't.
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Even though
everyone says that he had
00:11:09.73\00:11:10.71
every right. He could
be held as inciting to
00:11:10.82\00:11:13.57
violence if in
his town certainly.
00:11:13.66\00:11:15.57
A mosque was
burned and vandalized,
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we are seeing pretty
easily legally deprived
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that he incited
to that act. Yeah.
00:11:22.68\00:11:25.08
So they could be
legal culpability.
00:11:25.88\00:11:27.49
Yeah, I mean, and
you know although he
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prays God and
didn't get to that,
00:11:30.90\00:11:32.15
but yeah there is
no question about the
00:11:32.42\00:11:34.50
freedom of
expression as Oliver Wendell
00:11:34.67\00:11:38.37
Holmes said you
know you don't have the
00:11:38.60\00:11:40.17
right to yell real
fire in a crowded theatre.
00:11:40.60\00:11:42.68
You know, you look
at the whole context,
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so you know if it
was a person who had the
00:11:44.97\00:11:50.99
Quran was out in the
middle of the desert,
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no one knew he was burning it,
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he burns it and
you know. A tree in the
00:11:54.28\00:11:56.45
forest full.
Yeah, I mean it exactly,
00:11:56.57\00:11:58.26
but when you are
in a situation where
00:11:58.57\00:12:01.03
tensions are high.
This is a state of war
00:12:01.18\00:12:03.44
all of these
factors come to play.
00:12:03.68\00:12:05.46
The simple element is
this was I think socially
00:12:05.54\00:12:08.20
wrong very close to
committing an illegal
00:12:08.27\00:12:14.68
act even though
within his religious riots to
00:12:14.72\00:12:17.64
express himself.
He could have actually
00:12:17.83\00:12:20.12
created violence. We
know in the Geopolitical
00:12:20.21\00:12:23.44
Rome this would
have given an excuse for
00:12:23.54\00:12:26.09
some countries to
go writing and burning
00:12:26.13\00:12:28.23
and killing which
is a strangers' part.
00:12:28.26\00:12:30.27
And even as it was
they did, but we need to
00:12:30.41\00:12:32.91
accept and it's almost
foreign attaché thinking
00:12:32.98\00:12:37.04
that yes
sometimes religions express
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themselves this
way and I don't think
00:12:40.32\00:12:43.42
wherever going to
Saudi nature religion that
00:12:43.71\00:12:46.44
it doesn't express
itself in ways that are
00:12:46.61\00:12:48.51
offensive to another
religion maybe that's the
00:12:48.54\00:12:50.31
bottom line issue that
I'm trying to point out
00:12:50.37\00:12:52.31
and the best we can
hope for is to abide by
00:12:54.19\00:12:56.44
common ground
rules to have respect for
00:12:56.58\00:12:59.38
another religion
this shows a certain lack
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.91
of respect. We will
be back after the break
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.49
maybe we will discuss
this little bit further
00:13:04.92\00:13:06.39
and then move onto
some issues that are
00:13:06.42\00:13:08.87
currently very much in the news
00:13:08.92\00:13:10.98
headlines in the next days.
00:13:11.15\00:13:12.44
One-hundred
years a long time to do
00:13:25.67\00:13:28.32
anything much less
publish a magazine,
00:13:28.37\00:13:30.77
but this year
Liberty the Seventh-Day
00:13:31.41\00:13:33.87
Adventist voice
of religious freedom
00:13:34.09\00:13:35.61
celebrates 100 years
of doing what it does
00:13:35.81\00:13:38.78
best collecting,
analyzing, and reporting the
00:13:38.85\00:13:42.14
add and flow of
religious expression around the
00:13:42.45\00:13:44.73
world. Issue after
issues, Liberty has taken
00:13:44.78\00:13:48.31
on the tough
assignments tracking down
00:13:48.34\00:13:50.48
threats to
religious freedom and exposing
00:13:50.52\00:13:52.42
the work of a devil in
every corner of the globe.
00:13:52.51\00:13:55.19
Governmental
interference, personal attacks,
00:13:55.85\00:13:58.08
corporate assaults,
even religious freedom
00:13:58.43\00:14:00.66
issues
sequestered within the Church
00:14:00.69\00:14:02.20
community itself
have been clearly and
00:14:02.23\00:14:04.49
honestly exposed.
Liberty exists for one
00:14:04.60\00:14:07.85
purpose to help
God's people maintain that
00:14:07.88\00:14:10.80
all the important
separation of Church and
00:14:11.27\00:14:13.16
State while
recognizing the dangers inherent
00:14:13.20\00:14:16.01
in such a struggle.
During the past century,
00:14:16.26\00:14:18.91
Liberty has experienced
challenges of its own,
00:14:19.35\00:14:21.55
but it remains on
the job. Thanks to the
00:14:21.66\00:14:24.43
inspired leadership of
a long line of dedicated
00:14:24.52\00:14:27.08
Adventist Editors,
three of whom represent
00:14:27.11\00:14:29.12
almost half of the
publications existence
00:14:29.17\00:14:31.25
and the foresight
of a little women from
00:14:31.82\00:14:33.87
New England. 100
years of struggle,
00:14:33.93\00:14:36.65
100 years of victories,
religious freedom isn't
00:14:37.26\00:14:40.50
just about political
machines and cultural
00:14:40.60\00:14:42.95
prejudices. It's about
people fighting for the
00:14:43.25\00:14:46.56
right to serve the
God they love as their
00:14:46.81\00:14:49.35
hearts and the
Holy Spirit dictate.
00:14:49.52\00:14:51.94
Thanks to the
prayers and generous support
00:14:52.51\00:14:54.36
of Seventh-Day
Adventists everywhere.
00:14:54.42\00:14:56.57
Liberty will continue
to accomplish its work
00:14:56.75\00:14:59.07
of providing timely information,
00:14:59.21\00:15:00.86
spirit filled
inspiration, and heaven sent
00:15:00.92\00:15:03.28
encouragement to
all who long to live and
00:15:03.35\00:15:06.63
work in a world
bound together by the God
00:15:06.78\00:15:09.78
ordained bonds of
religious freedom.
00:15:09.90\00:15:12.88
Welcome back to the
Liberty Insider before
00:15:21.56\00:15:23.60
the break we
were dancing around a
00:15:23.63\00:15:25.76
discussion that
grow out of this Pastor
00:15:25.79\00:15:29.88
down in Florida's
threat to burn the Quran
00:15:29.92\00:15:32.41
and we are all
grateful that some line of
00:15:33.15\00:15:36.01
logic persuaded
him not to do that.
00:15:36.08\00:15:38.32
One of the things
that I wrote a blog for
00:15:38.62\00:15:41.73
example on
religiousliberty.info,
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.49
which is the NARLA
site. North American
00:15:44.85\00:15:47.55
Religious Liberty Association,
00:15:47.61\00:15:49.13
which is a
membership association of
00:15:49.16\00:15:51.30
church members
who are active for
00:15:51.45\00:15:52.86
Religious Liberty.
Right. And I entitled the
00:15:52.89\00:15:57.06
blog I think, why
would not burn a Holy
00:15:57.09\00:15:59.61
Book. Now is that
to say that I think
00:15:59.64\00:16:03.58
that the Quran is a Holy Book,
00:16:03.77\00:16:05.42
but rather that to it
lots of individuals who
00:16:05.57\00:16:07.60
believe the Quran is
a Holy Book and who am
00:16:08.30\00:16:10.62
I to, you know, to
burn their book as they
00:16:10.66\00:16:12.95
were. Yet one of
the interesting dynamics
00:16:13.04\00:16:17.62
with all of this is
of course you know the
00:16:18.28\00:16:21.60
Islamic world has a
particular view with
00:16:21.78\00:16:24.25
respect to the Quran
that it is the actual
00:16:24.30\00:16:26.72
word of God and so
forth and there is a real
00:16:26.82\00:16:30.80
sense of holiness, a
real sense of you know
00:16:31.05\00:16:34.90
you do not at all
mess with it. And there is,
00:16:35.42\00:16:38.58
there is a residual
element of that with the
00:16:38.72\00:16:40.69
Bible, my wife will
call me to task regularly if
00:16:40.77\00:16:44.19
I even put another
book on top of the Bible
00:16:44.28\00:16:47.25
on my desk. Right,
yes, yes. And we are
00:16:47.37\00:16:50.21
taught to respect it,
but I think that's more
00:16:50.25\00:16:53.88
for our benefit how
we relate to the Bible
00:16:53.91\00:16:57.02
rather than this
inherit, inherent holiness in
00:16:57.05\00:17:00.67
the paper that ink
on paper. As I said
00:17:00.98\00:17:04.05
before it's God's
words are the prayers in
00:17:04.08\00:17:06.88
the words not in
the medium that they are
00:17:06.92\00:17:09.30
placed. Now in the
midst of all of these,
00:17:09.68\00:17:11.65
in the midst of
this whole discussion,
00:17:11.73\00:17:13.39
in the midst of all
that's been going on you
00:17:13.42\00:17:15.70
know with the mosque
in New York with this
00:17:15.73\00:17:17.70
issue and so
forth is we have to be
00:17:17.78\00:17:22.45
careful as Christians
that we also recognize
00:17:22.55\00:17:28.32
who we are and
what we stand for with
00:17:28.93\00:17:31.05
respect to truth.
We understand that the
00:17:31.08\00:17:36.89
Gospel as the
truth for today's time.
00:17:36.97\00:17:41.46
You know I read the
message of Jesus Christ
00:17:41.56\00:17:43.72
as this virtual
as Thee son of God,
00:17:44.00\00:17:48.09
who made some very
strong claims as one
00:17:48.93\00:17:52.87
person said the
Jesus was either a fanatic
00:17:53.00\00:17:54.95
or a lunatic or he
was speaking the truth.
00:17:54.98\00:17:57.84
We happened to
believe he was speaking
00:17:57.95\00:17:59.21
the truth. Claimed
to be the son of God.
00:17:59.25\00:18:00.53
He claims to be.
By the way it's no
00:18:00.76\00:18:04.37
secret at least to
Muslims, but the Quran
00:18:04.49\00:18:07.97
is quite specific I
have quoted it before
00:18:08.04\00:18:10.64
when I read it in
Sura 5 it just blew me
00:18:10.72\00:18:13.83
away. It says they do blaspheme.
00:18:13.86\00:18:15.64
Who say the Jesus
is the son of God.
00:18:16.14\00:18:18.14
God has no son.
Right. So there is a
00:18:18.38\00:18:22.66
theological conflict
for Christianity and Islam.
00:18:23.16\00:18:25.62
And I think in the
midst of all of this we
00:18:26.02\00:18:28.74
should not lose the side effect.
00:18:28.77\00:18:31.87
There is no question
that you know its very
00:18:33.35\00:18:36.83
different religions
and we were not talking
00:18:36.88\00:18:38.80
about you know in
another words if we
00:18:38.83\00:18:43.33
have a faith claim,
they have a faith claim,
00:18:43.36\00:18:45.90
and they are
definitely at odds and so we
00:18:46.25\00:18:49.19
recognize that, but
what we are saying as
00:18:49.31\00:18:51.43
Christians we are
willing to allow you those
00:18:51.51\00:18:57.02
in the Islamic
Community to continue in your
00:18:57.17\00:19:01.02
worship and so forth.
We will express our view,
00:19:01.05\00:19:03.79
you will express
ours that will be you know
00:19:03.95\00:19:06.31
mark a place of
ideas. Now the struggle
00:19:06.35\00:19:09.85
becomes when one
wants to conquer the
00:19:09.88\00:19:12.27
other through force. Right.
00:19:12.49\00:19:14.39
And that's where you know we,
00:19:14.54\00:19:16.05
exactly and that's
where Civil Society has
00:19:16.76\00:19:19.84
rights to
mediate, moderate and even
00:19:19.95\00:19:23.58
punish anti-social
acts that include violence.
00:19:23.62\00:19:27.45
That's right. And
so when someone steps
00:19:27.55\00:19:29.00
out of that social norm
whether it's a Muslim or
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.54
a Christian I think
they need to be restricted.
00:19:31.57\00:19:33.48
Yeah. I don't
really remember in reading
00:19:33.51\00:19:37.05
about this Pastor's
threatened action any
00:19:37.08\00:19:42.07
comment about a
recent action of the United
00:19:42.21\00:19:45.42
Nations, but I know
you are aware of this that
00:19:45.45\00:19:47.74
there was an action
taken on defamation of
00:19:47.83\00:19:50.85
religion.
Defamation of religion,
00:19:51.00\00:19:52.39
and I think this
plays directly to
00:19:52.42\00:19:54.21
the dynamic issue hence forth.
00:19:54.26\00:19:55.91
There is no
question about it and
00:19:55.94\00:19:56.91
defamation of
religions is something that
00:19:56.92\00:19:58.82
it's been sponsored
by Pakistan since 1999
00:19:58.85\00:20:02.88
and basically when
you read it, when it
00:20:03.43\00:20:06.23
comes to the norm of
it is any statement or
00:20:06.36\00:20:10.17
anything that's
defames Islam or taken to
00:20:10.20\00:20:14.55
be defamatory,
taken to be defamatory.
00:20:14.58\00:20:15.55
Lot of it is in the
perception of as they
00:20:16.38\00:20:18.01
agree party. That's
right and that it is
00:20:18.07\00:20:21.45
you know that, this
country need to ensure
00:20:21.70\00:20:25.35
that doesn't happen
and every year since
00:20:25.48\00:20:27.80
1999 the United
Nations has passed that
00:20:27.87\00:20:31.42
resolution. Now
that resolution has no
00:20:31.53\00:20:33.84
binding power on
the states or anything,
00:20:34.17\00:20:36.11
but what it does
though is overtime.
00:20:36.54\00:20:38.71
It develops into
what is called in
00:20:39.19\00:20:41.31
international law a
concept of convention
00:20:41.52\00:20:43.56
and right now as
we are here there is a
00:20:44.42\00:20:48.63
very strong movement
in the Islamic world to
00:20:48.71\00:20:52.46
actually, language
is being drafted for an
00:20:52.54\00:20:58.04
International
Treaty on this issue and
00:20:58.14\00:21:02.90
basically what they
say is, is that the rise of
00:21:03.56\00:21:06.41
Anti-Islamic
activity in the West.
00:21:06.88\00:21:12.24
Islam needs to be
protected and so we
00:21:12.78\00:21:16.23
need to have this
stuff. Now it's very clear
00:21:16.35\00:21:19.92
as you have pointed
out. A good analysis or
00:21:20.05\00:21:22.22
a good history of
how it came about that
00:21:22.25\00:21:24.78
the number of
Islamic countries Pakistan
00:21:25.09\00:21:27.03
particularly have
brought this forward,
00:21:27.06\00:21:28.61
but if this
becomes accepted by the
00:21:29.04\00:21:31.70
United States and
other Western counties
00:21:31.76\00:21:33.70
particularly. I think
the net affect will not
00:21:33.75\00:21:36.45
just be to
radically change the dynamic
00:21:36.55\00:21:40.04
between Islam and
Christianity, but within
00:21:40.07\00:21:42.51
religious groups.
We started discussing
00:21:42.54\00:21:46.40
today as we filmed
on earlier program on
00:21:46.49\00:21:48.69
the great controversy. Right.
00:21:48.75\00:21:50.01
I would think that
right away the Roman
00:21:50.05\00:21:52.10
Catholic Church for
example could take some
00:21:52.19\00:21:54.28
Ambridge objection
to reputation of history
00:21:54.31\00:21:59.14
that puts them in
an unfavorable life.
00:21:59.29\00:22:01.32
They would say
that they would be in my
00:22:01.86\00:22:02.86
lot and to take it
away from the views that
00:22:02.94\00:22:07.87
we might have. I
think its unfortunate that
00:22:07.90\00:22:10.77
as Glenn Beck
started his recent push to
00:22:10.80\00:22:14.75
become a major
religious and political leader.
00:22:14.83\00:22:17.29
Some Evangelical
Christian sniffed and hummed
00:22:18.00\00:22:20.87
you know he is
not even a Christian.
00:22:20.91\00:22:22.23
He is Mormon. I
think if this convention
00:22:22.87\00:22:26.34
became accepted
that could be a fighting
00:22:26.96\00:22:29.58
assertion. He is not
a Christian and he is
00:22:29.78\00:22:31.36
molding my faith.
Of course, Mormon's
00:22:31.48\00:22:33.24
Christian. Yeah, it's
a very strange dynamic
00:22:33.29\00:22:37.32
because in essence
the religion some how
00:22:37.40\00:22:42.12
defines itself and but
it's, but who gets to say
00:22:42.15\00:22:47.23
what the religion
says, you know I mean its.
00:22:47.33\00:22:49.61
And I will really
connect it to see if you
00:22:49.64\00:22:51.70
agree with me. I
believe the type of religious
00:22:51.73\00:22:56.24
dialogue that Imam
Rauf that's building this
00:22:56.42\00:23:03.65
Islamic Center the
mosque in New York,
00:23:04.93\00:23:07.29
I think the goal
there at least superficially
00:23:08.22\00:23:12.46
as well as others.
The Parliament of the
00:23:12.51\00:23:14.78
World Religions and so
on is to bring religions
00:23:14.83\00:23:18.21
together, where
the differences are
00:23:18.43\00:23:20.43
removed or they use
an old word syncretism
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.62
and I do believe that
this convention against
00:23:24.49\00:23:28.37
insulting other
religions will tend to
00:23:29.25\00:23:31.07
accelerate the
trend to a syncretistic
00:23:31.20\00:23:34.16
relationship
between religious because
00:23:34.26\00:23:35.86
differences cannot
be expressed and after
00:23:35.89\00:23:38.26
not being expressed
they will disappear after
00:23:38.29\00:23:40.00
a while, so you might
just have like different
00:23:40.03\00:23:42.56
religious neighborhoods
but they are all sort
00:23:43.13\00:23:44.83
of the one combine
community and someone is
00:23:44.94\00:23:49.59
not of any
community might say fine let's
00:23:49.67\00:23:52.20
have one religion.
You know get along,
00:23:52.25\00:23:54.03
but if are within a
particular religion believe
00:23:54.79\00:23:57.91
as Islam does
that Mohammed and so
00:23:57.99\00:24:01.92
Gabriel, if you are a
Christian as you and I are
00:24:02.00\00:24:04.69
and believe that God
spoke to mankind through
00:24:04.80\00:24:07.37
the incarnate son of God. Right.
00:24:07.92\00:24:10.08
You can't give
that away and keep quite
00:24:10.11\00:24:13.22
about differences
that others will find
00:24:13.25\00:24:14.96
defensive. But I
think we are headed
00:24:15.09\00:24:17.29
towards a
syncretistic dummying down a
00:24:17.55\00:24:20.58
religious
expression. And obviously that
00:24:20.69\00:24:23.32
becomes a, I mean a
real problem when it
00:24:23.55\00:24:27.04
comes to religious
expression in the public
00:24:27.09\00:24:31.05
square because we
don't want to have
00:24:31.22\00:24:33.98
someone come in
and say something that
00:24:34.61\00:24:36.80
people are gonna
find offensive and cause
00:24:37.30\00:24:38.96
riots and all the rest of it.
00:24:38.99\00:24:40.15
Well you know the
riots are civil matter,
00:24:40.56\00:24:42.35
but I think
religion to a certain point
00:24:42.72\00:24:45.33
should stir
people where they are.
00:24:45.43\00:24:47.56
You know on the day
of Pentecost that says
00:24:48.98\00:24:51.43
that they were
cut to the quick. Yes.
00:24:51.52\00:24:53.25
And what is that
7000 in one day were
00:24:53.83\00:24:55.99
said what must we do to be safe.
00:24:56.08\00:24:58.76
To affect people
that rapidly and that
00:24:59.93\00:25:03.28
viscerally, you have
to say something that
00:25:03.32\00:25:06.02
get some way they
are. It should not be
00:25:06.54\00:25:07.79
insulting or
unduly confrontational,
00:25:08.08\00:25:12.03
but it should unsettle them.
00:25:12.11\00:25:14.26
So the people that
are troubled by religion
00:25:14.95\00:25:17.32
that is a bit in
your face don't understand
00:25:17.42\00:25:19.72
the very nature of
evangelization and religion.
00:25:19.80\00:25:22.06
You know more and
more even in our own
00:25:23.41\00:25:24.46
Christian community
we are thinking that
00:25:24.61\00:25:25.98
its just, you know
I'm pious sort of an
00:25:26.08\00:25:28.63
individual and people
will look at me and they
00:25:28.66\00:25:30.90
will sort of see
goodness shining out of
00:25:30.93\00:25:32.70
my face and that
will convert people and
00:25:32.73\00:25:34.95
that's a half truth,
but its certainly not the
00:25:35.04\00:25:36.81
whole truth.
Christianity advanced by the
00:25:36.90\00:25:40.51
disciples going to
areas, where some of
00:25:40.59\00:25:42.84
them ended up being
boiled in oil and so
00:25:42.91\00:25:45.97
that happens
because they will come in
00:25:46.55\00:25:48.80
non-confrontation
way as they tackle
00:25:48.90\00:25:51.19
the very system the
God's, the structure in
00:25:51.25\00:25:54.42
the society of where
they went and present
00:25:54.75\00:25:56.75
Christ a radical new concept.
00:25:56.97\00:25:59.13
The doubt with the
incoherence of people's
00:25:59.38\00:26:04.87
understandings and
I think its extremely
00:26:04.92\00:26:07.77
important for us to
recognize that in this
00:26:07.81\00:26:11.00
whole debate we
not lose that basic
00:26:11.05\00:26:15.30
understanding that
we have and certainly as
00:26:15.33\00:26:17.21
Seventh Day
Adventist Christians.
00:26:17.34\00:26:18.66
We have a message to
proclaim to the world.
00:26:18.90\00:26:21.82
I mean it's our,
its kind a like we have
00:26:21.93\00:26:24.00
a charter as it
where you know to proclaim.
00:26:24.03\00:26:27.72
We have a charter
and we take a large
00:26:27.75\00:26:31.13
definition of that
from the Three Angels
00:26:31.20\00:26:32.80
Messages. Thee
God for there where
00:26:32.86\00:26:36.63
judgment is can't
babble in this fallen.
00:26:36.68\00:26:38.83
You know these are
clearly calls for change
00:26:38.95\00:26:41.92
and to question
the status quo for.
00:26:42.90\00:26:46.20
Well I tell you the
subject we are dealing with
00:26:47.29\00:26:49.96
right now is
something that you have to face
00:26:50.03\00:26:52.14
every single day and
it's important for us
00:26:52.17\00:26:55.44
in the midst of all
of this discussion that
00:26:55.59\00:26:57.66
we will be true to
our calling as Christians.
00:26:57.87\00:27:00.53
There can be no
greater exercise in futility
00:27:02.98\00:27:05.40
than book
burning. Many of those who
00:27:05.69\00:27:08.75
objected to ideas
of the reformation
00:27:08.79\00:27:10.71
thought that they
can burn the books of
00:27:10.85\00:27:12.70
Luther and other
reformers. They thought
00:27:12.78\00:27:15.01
that they can burn
the books of astronomers
00:27:15.09\00:27:18.65
and scientists who
are spreading knowledge
00:27:19.02\00:27:20.58
that touch down on
the cherished falsehoods
00:27:20.63\00:27:24.84
basically, but
today we should concern
00:27:25.00\00:27:28.36
ourselves less
with burning books than
00:27:28.43\00:27:30.79
spreading truth,
spreading information,
00:27:30.85\00:27:33.60
countervailing the false ideas.
00:27:34.17\00:27:36.46
Great Controversy
is one book the Seventh
00:27:36.85\00:27:38.95
Day Adventists have
found will change lives
00:27:38.98\00:27:41.67
and communicate
historic and spiritual values
00:27:42.28\00:27:45.72
to people. We
cannot burn, but we should
00:27:45.75\00:27:49.31
be on fire, burning
up with zeal as the Bible
00:27:50.03\00:27:53.68
says zeal for thy has;
zeal for proclaiming to
00:27:53.81\00:27:57.42
all people the
truths of God's Hollywood.
00:27:57.56\00:28:00.19
For Liberty Insider
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:28:02.08\00:28:04.90