Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Melissa Reed
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000237B
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00:06 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider.
00:07 Before the break with guest Melissa Reid 00:10 we were talking about really something 00:13 that should be causing outrage 00:15 in the western world and in the United State. 00:17 The Christians in not-- that is the Christians country 00:20 but the Christian society Of the United States 00:23 that in the Middle East we witnessing a huge problem, 00:27 persecution genocide against Christians. 00:30 Right, it's terrible. 00:32 And its just I would like to be able to do more 00:36 as I mentioned on another segment. 00:39 As part of the North American Religious Liberty Association 00:42 we've written letters to the secretary of state 00:46 urging the state department to become more involved 00:49 in stopping this kind of violence, 00:52 this atrocity really but yeah we were talking about 00:56 what more as individuals you know can we do. 00:59 I think bringing awareness and saying you know 01:01 much as we have with individual cases of individual's 01:06 whether those Christian pastors or just church members 01:10 in Iran and Pakistan that have been thrown in prison. 01:13 We've talked about those in previous issues. 01:16 Not letting those, the attentions go away 01:21 from the individuals. 01:22 So I think, you know, may be that's what 01:24 we're called to do here in this situation 01:26 is continuing to speak about what's happening 01:29 and not letting it die down-- 01:30 As I tried to point out before 01:32 I think just speaking about it has value for us. Yeah. 01:35 Even if we can't change the international dynamic much, 01:40 you know, we got to face it. 01:41 The US keeps reminding itself it's a superpower 01:43 but the superpower doesn't mean you can 01:46 snap your fingers and change societies 01:48 and we learn with Iraq you can't regime change it 01:52 will without consequences. Right. 01:55 So, this is not necessarily 01:57 a huge amount that the US can do 01:58 but it has a moral responsibility 02:00 to be a moral voice. 02:02 So, I do believe Kerry is secretary of state 02:08 can speak out were aggressively 02:10 about what's happening in Syria. 02:12 Man, you know 02:13 there is two-and-half million Christians there. 02:16 And as I said you know good proportion already are refugees. 02:21 Right, right. 02:22 Now we need to, we need to say something about this. 02:25 Before the break I was about to give 02:27 an example of Richard Nixon who said many things 02:29 that we can roll arise at his bigotry. 02:34 So, I'm gonna tell this but please I hope 02:36 our viewer thinks that its what I think 02:38 or even what the US thinks now. 02:40 Okay. But during the civil war between East and West Pakistan 02:45 which related in the formation of Bangladesh 02:48 he said to Henry Kissinger, 02:50 its nothing but a bunch of brown Muslims, 02:52 he says nobody in the US cares. 02:54 It's just an incredible state. 02:56 Yeah. And I'm afraid that I really kept to the integrity. 03:00 I tried to say things that in my view 03:04 get to the real issue here. 03:06 I am afraid that even for many western US Christians 03:11 this same construct is that work in the Middle East. 03:14 They're Christians? Yes, but they're not us. 03:16 Right. They are other people. 03:18 May be they are brown Christians. 03:19 Right. And it comes naturally to human beings. 03:23 Right. But we should fight it and-- 03:26 Well. You know John Donne in that poem 03:28 "If any one is affected, I'm part of that island." 03:30 Absolutely. What affects that person affects me. 03:31 Yeah. If someone dies there I'm minimized and hurt too. 03:36 Well, not only we are brothers and sisters 03:38 in Christ regardless of manmade borders 03:41 or you know our countries or institutions. 03:45 We are all, you know, creatures created by our, 03:49 you know, by our God whether, 03:50 you know, even if you'll take away the same, 03:53 you know, faith group we should care about, 03:56 you know, things that are happening 03:58 to two individuals regardless of if we worship the same God 04:03 or if, you know, they're next to our neighbor 04:05 or in they are in other continent. 04:07 We should speak out on behalf of, 04:09 you know, on their half and hopefully 04:11 you know not that we do things for self preservation but, 04:15 you know, if the situation is reversed 04:17 I certainly help that individual. 04:18 So we'd speak out on our behalf. Yeah. 04:22 I lately have been reading and watching 04:26 a lot of Christopher Hitchens, 04:27 the late Christopher Hitchens comments. 04:29 And he has a book that I have an author 04:31 just write an article for Liberty on. 04:34 You know the main title is "God Is Not Great" 04:37 which I think it's a very wrong title. 04:39 But then he subtitled as "Why Religion Poisons Everything" 04:42 or "How Religion Poisons Everything." 04:45 Religious shouldn't poison everything it often does 04:49 but if there's any value to religion 04:51 it's a sensibility that creates 04:53 a common bond between peoples. 04:56 But since there is a poisonous religious attitude 04:59 in the religious in the Middle East 05:01 what I think is most important in North America 05:04 or in the United States it's not just for Christians 05:07 to raise the voice against them. 05:09 It's for the Muslim community. 05:10 I don't hear it very much. 05:12 I'm not saying they don't but they then I would hope 05:15 there be louder voices is because in doing so 05:18 they will be openly committing in the United States 05:22 to the values that United States exemplified. 05:25 And so we have an educative responsibility 05:27 with other religious groups within our country 05:30 to not hold them to a camp 05:32 because they've done it but to raise their sensibility. 05:36 Right, right a sort of an act of good faith. 05:39 Yeah, which will change people? 05:42 You change-- I think it was William 05:46 what we get the James Strait. 05:47 I think it was William Jones but it might be Henry Jones. 05:51 He made the statement he says "while it is-- 05:53 it's true that thought precedes action." 05:57 Yeah. You change your thoughts your actions change. 05:59 Absolutely. And so ideas matter greatly. 06:02 Yes, now I think that-- 06:03 And to make someone express something 06:07 is part of that process of moderating and in a view. 06:12 It really is you know you see these images 06:15 and its just breaks your heart and I feel like-- 06:18 first of all we know, you know, as Christians 06:20 the God is the ultimate protector 06:22 and we know that here and His angles are down there 06:26 and they are doing all that you know 06:28 they are watching after these individuals 06:30 and they're comforting families that have lost loved ones 06:33 and we certainly want to remember 06:35 these individuals in our prayers 06:37 and be grateful that they have the comfort. 06:40 Absolutely. Of a second coming of-- 06:42 you know, but their immediate reality 06:45 is just senseless and tragic. 06:48 You mentioned the second coming 06:50 in Seventh-day Adventist our belief is premised 06:53 on that Seventh-day, that's the law of God 06:56 and honoring God through the Saturday Sabbath. 07:00 Seventh-day Adventist we expect that the coming of Christ. 07:04 Praise the Lord. We need to keep that in mind. 07:07 Hitchens and others make a lot and they're partly right 07:11 that the major will face Christianity, Islam 07:15 in particular have a sort of death wish 07:18 is the way that secular see it 07:20 that we can't wait till the end of the world 07:23 and some radical religions 07:26 and those fractions particularly currently now Islam, 07:28 they want to hurry it loud. 07:29 Right--we get that question frequently, 07:33 you know, why should we advocate 07:34 on behalf of the religious freedom? 07:35 Absolutely, thank you. You picked up an angle. 07:36 Yes. Say that again if so that our listeners 07:40 really get the important what you're saying. 07:41 Right-- well, you know, 07:42 we as a local churches frequently 07:44 and lot of times we're asked by members 07:45 you know, why would we advocate for religious freedom? 07:49 Don't we want the Sunday laws to come? 07:51 Yeah, why are we delaying the inevitable? 07:53 Why are we delaying, yes? 07:54 Lets get there quick 07:55 and it just misses the whole point I think. 07:57 It does absolutely I'm I thinking of council 07:59 from Sister White it says that "if we don't do any thing 08:05 on behalf of those voiceless and if we don't advocate 08:09 for religious freedom while we have the opportunity 08:14 you know that's not what we're suppose to do." 08:16 We're not suppose to sit quietly 08:18 and doing things it's actually you know-- 08:20 Well, it'll come it will-- 08:21 the persecution will come quickly 08:23 and that we have an obligation to hold it back. 08:25 Absolutely. And this is what I tell our own church members. 08:28 The reason way to hold it back is not to save ourselves 08:31 because yes, you could make a logic, 08:33 well, Christ is coming the quicker 08:35 we can be with the Lord-- 08:36 Yes. Paul said something that affect, 08:38 you know I want to be with the Lord. 08:39 But we are here for a purpose 08:41 we hear to share with other people 08:44 and give them something that we think is important 08:47 and we and if we're concerned about our fellowmen 08:49 we want them to be with us. 08:51 Right and-- But it's very--selfish we-- 08:54 and more than selfish when someone say that 08:56 it tells me that they haven't really understood Christianity. 08:59 Right, well and you know though I feel like 09:02 we are effective in our jobs there is no way in the world 09:06 that we can hold back this-- 09:08 Well, that's what I tell people but of course not. 09:11 But we can be the part of the dynamic 09:12 that has that is it's in. 09:14 Yes. 09:15 And another part of what 09:16 we told the Seventh-day Adventist 09:17 that if we truly do what we are called to do it 09:20 will on one level precipitate conflict. 09:24 And like Martin Luther one of the prime reformers 09:28 in the great reformation he felt and others felt 09:31 that they brought it upon themselves. 09:33 Well, it's isn't true because there was an era there 09:35 that wouldn't broke any opposition. 09:37 Yeah, yeah. 09:38 And I need to qualify one thing even though 09:41 3ABN regular viewers know what you're talk about. 09:43 Ellen White was a pioneer of the Adventist Church 09:48 who we believe it's plenty of evidence 09:51 that she was given direct communication 09:53 from God in a pseudo prophetic manner. 09:56 And so when she says that you know what the idea 09:59 is that God had showed her 10:00 this was a dynamic that we need to be careful of. 10:03 Absolutely, absolutely. 10:05 I mean, our whole goal as Christians 10:08 is to share the love of Christ with others. 10:10 And, and we are just anxious to have the opportunity 10:13 to do that for as long as possible. 10:15 So we suddenly want to lift up 10:17 those individuals in the Middle East 10:19 that are going through these terrific times. 10:22 We want, you know Christ love and His peace 10:24 and His comfort to wrap there His, you know, 10:26 its arms around them and give them courage 10:30 in this time of trouble-- this literal time of trouble 10:32 that they're experiencing. 10:34 I remember sitting on the beach with my feet 10:38 in the beautiful warm tropical sand 10:41 and waves lapping up against this as I spoke to gentleman 10:46 and his wife and daughter from Lebanon not to long ago. 10:52 Wonderful environment, I couldn't really sense 10:55 any religious threat there 10:56 but they told me about life in Lebanon. 10:58 How as Christians when he was growing out 11:01 whenever they got on the bus 11:03 the driver would ask them their name. 11:05 And of course their name signals their religious affiliation. 11:08 And he said his parents were horrified, 11:11 terrified that before they reach the school 11:14 they might be dragged off by some religious faction 11:16 and harassed and perhaps even killed 11:19 as was often the case. 11:22 The Middle East currently is a killing ground for Christians. 11:26 It's not even so good for Muslim Minorities. 11:30 The spirit of Satan is aboard, persecution, murder, mayhem, 11:37 civil war all of it is swirling around those people 11:41 and we need to pray fervently 11:43 not just that religious liberty 11:45 will win the day but that charity, 11:48 human interaction will be restored to the level 11:50 where all faiths can it at least coexist 11:53 and people can seek truth for themselves. 11:56 For Liberty Insider this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17