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"Je Suis...?" - Violent Attacks in France - What About Our Freedom to Speak?

by Amanda Stiver 

Source: freeimages.com/Gastonmag

During a murderous attack at the offices of  Charlie Hebdo , a French publication that specializes in satire, seven staff members were killed along with others in the building and police officers. Specifically targeted were political cartoonists who had created satirical cartoons of, among others, the founder of Islam, Mohammed. Four more were killed at a grocery store in the Jewish Quarter of Paris, targeted because of their Jewish ancestry and beliefs. Another policewoman was also killed in a related incident, which made a total of seventeen people, not including the three shooters who were also, finally, killed by police. (Lori Hinnant and Angela Charlton, “French Police Detain 9 in Massive Hunt for 2 Suspects,”  Associated Press News  at APNews.MyWay.com, January 8, 2015.)
Violence, on this scale and with such obvious malice aforethought targets those who hold a differing, even derogatory opinion of a religious figure or idea. This is a violation of the concept of freedom of expression as we know it. Should this change the way  we  express ourselves?
France and the United States both traversed the painful valley of revolution at approximately the same time in the 1770’s through the 1790’s. The Republic of France went through many years of tumultuous societal turmoil and finally, in the nineteenth century, emerged with a republic form of government that, at its core, valued the right to express one’s opinions freely. For the United States the result was a nation with governing documents that secured the rights of freedom of religion and of expression, among others. Through the decades, despite struggling with how much expression is allowed, the example set by these two republics has made a precedent for the world, and we enjoy many of our enduring freedoms as a result.
While not dismissing the obvious motivations of these murders, religious hatred and violent anti-Semitism, let’s take a closer look at how we wield our freedom to express our beliefs. Certainly, other’s opinions should be respected, no matter how contrary those opinions may seem, but as true Christians, should we be inflammatory in the way we express our beliefs and antagonistic of the beliefs of others, even if we know them to be false?
The answer is yes…and no.
The book of Ecclesiastes makes a very simple statement, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…,” followed later by this, “A time to keep silence, And a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes:3:1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:, Ecclesiastes:3:7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;, NKJV). There is a time to speak, and sometimes to speak with absolute firmness, even with button-pushing sarcasm. Our example: Jesus Christ.
Just before his death by crucifixion, Christ began to push the buttons of the religious leaders in Judea at that time. They were the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had departed from the core of God’s Law by, in the case of the former, adding to it, and the latter, by taking away from it. They were on the fringes of belief and were oppressing those they were leading. Christ knew that His words would make them angry, and in the case of the Pharisees, angry enough to have Him killed.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness…” (Matthew:23:15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves., Matthew:23:27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.).
These were  highly  inflammatory words, and Christ was justified in using them because they also happened to be true. Could He have used a softer approach? Certainly, and He does so at the end of the chapter when He laments His beloved city of Jerusalem (Matthew:23:37-39 [37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
[38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
[39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.). However, at this time anger and sarcasm were necessary. Christ knew His role and also knew that the leaders of the time had murder in their hearts, which needed to be visible for all to see, and as a result, He would die. And He had to, for the forgiveness of the sins of all human beings.
What about us? Does this give us free reign to run around antagonizing others of different beliefs simply because Christ did so at one point in His work? As a rule, no.
“…we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but,  speaking the truth in love , may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ…” (Ephesians:4:14-15 [14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
[15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:, emphasis added).
The old saying goes, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” A loving approach is more palatable than a harsh, angry one. As a rule, this should be our approach to how we treat others in the Body of Christ, but also, by extension, those God may be calling in the world.
However, kindness doesn’t equal weakness. There is a time to be respectful, but firm about our beliefs and how we express them to others. The good thing is that we can call on God at any time to guide our response to others, and benefit from His wisdom, not just our own.
There is no justification for the attacks in France against the unarmed, innocent people who died simply because someone disagreed with their opinion or their ancestry. Let’s take time to digest and understand the lessons from this tragedy (and others, like the recent slaughter in the Nigerian town of Baga and the ongoing murders in Syria and Iraq), so that those lives, also, aren’t lost in vain.

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After Paris?

World leaders marched in Paris over the weekend to remember those slain in last week's attack on a French newspaper. Europe is seeing extreme reaction to Islamization. Why does this matter?

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[Darris McNeely] I want to make another comment about the shootings in Paris last week, where Islamic terrorists barged into the offices of the French satiric newspaper Charlie Hebdo and killed fifteen people – editors and policeman – in a terrible massacre that took place there. Over the weekend, the world leaders gathered in Paris and thousands marched in the streets in solidarity to show support for those who were killed, for free speech, and for France. I noticed that there were a number – of course, President Hollande of Paris, France, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel were in the front row. Ironically, on either side of them was the president of the Palestinian authority, Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the other side. They were on the front row as well. Of course, all of this came out of the Middle East and the Muslim against the European situation – so to see those two on the front row is interesting.
The question is, what happens next? Where does this lead? What will France do? Their reaction is going to be critical. There's another development that has been taking place over several weeks in Germany that kind of ties in with this. In Dresden, thousands have been marching every week, thousands of people, Germans who are protesting against the Islamization of Europe, and Germany in particular, other asylum laws that Germany has, and certain other deeper problems within the German state that they are protesting against. They are more right-wing extremists. They are also probably marching against – with certain anti-Semitic feelings as well there. And to be fair, against them had been another segment of the German population who are protesting against these protesters. And the chancellor, Angela Merkel, and other German leaders have also been standing up against these extremist protesters within Germany, but there are a lot of them and it seems to be growing because now, this week in Leipzig, just about an hour's drive from Dresden, another group is going to be marching, a group calling themselves "PEGIDA". PEGIDA, which is a German for those who are against the Islamization of the west. And they're hoping to bring to Leipzig in Germany the same type of success that they have had in Germany, this anti-immigration, anti-asylum, sometimes even anti-Semitic problems that are there.
Where this goes is going to be very interesting to watch. What's happening behind this really is this: that extremists' reactions to Islam and other minorities, including Jews, are building within Europe. This is always dangerous in Germany, as well as within Europe, because demonstrations, protests, extreme situations like this can take different turns, grow out of control, and go completely different. Anyone who knows the history of Europe, and Germany in particular – Austria is even organizing some of these – people know that this can have some rather dark and ominous developments.
In the wake of last week's shootings in Paris, anyone who understands not only European history, but also Bible prophecy understands that this has the markings of a highly complex and volatile situation and crisis that is bubbling under the surface. It hasn't erupted to create widespread change yet but there is ferment that is bubbling and where it can go, again, is yet to be seen.
Bible prophecy shows us that there will be an attack from a power within the Middle East against a European power and the reaction will totally change the face of geopolitics in Europe and the Middle East and have ramifications for the United States and other nations in today's world. That's why we watch this – these types of pushes or attacks by radical Islam in Europe are going to no doubt happen again.   Everyone is expecting it to take place. And what will take place, what will happen that will yet cause a bigger reaction is yet to be seen, but it's important to understand it and it's important to watch.
That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

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The Paris Terror Attacks

by Darris McNeely

People in front of Eiffel Tower at night.

Source: Ed Gregory/Stokpic.com

The new year has started violently in Paris. Twelve people were killed on Wednesday, January 7 in an deliberate terrorist attack by men claiming connection with Al Qaeda. It was a barbaric ruthless attack. One video showed a policeman being gunned down on a sidewalk.
The attack came on the office of Charlie Hebdo a satirical weekly newspaper that regular lampoons Islam. The publication had been under threat and was receiving light police protection. Cartoonists and writers were killed in the slaughter virtually wiping out the editorial staff of the paper.
France has Europe’s largest Muslim population and terrorism and pressure from radical Islam is a continual threat to the tolerant and liberal French culture. France’s reaction to this act will be a critical indicator of what future relations between the growing Muslim population and traditional French institutions will be. Attacking a newspaper and killing its staff strikes at values of free speech, fraternity and liberty–bedrock values across the European Community.
Neither France nor Europe needs an attack like this. Should others follow you could expect a reaction that could escalate relations between the Muslim and native populations. The EU system is struggling economically. It is still figuring out how to react to Russia’s incursions into Ukraine.
Last year Pope Francis told the EU Parliament in Strasbourg that Europe gave "a general impression of weariness and aging, of a Europe which is now a ‘grandmother,’ no longer fertile and vibrant”. That’s not a ringing endorsement from the pontiff. Attacks like this will one day bring Europe to an action that will rouse latent forces. That time isn’t now but it is coming.
This is a sad moment for the City of Light and the families of those who have been killed. May God’s grace be upon them at this time.

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Balkan Vortex of Violence Threatens Kosovo

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article by John Ross Schroeder

Some 10 years ago Serbian troops invaded the mostly Muslim province of Kosovo. After U.S. air strikes and NATO intervention, the United Nations began administering the province. But the UN mandate recently expired and Kosovo threatens to declare full independence from Serbia. The behavior of Balkan countries continues to perplex the Western world. Will many more innocent lives be lost in their seemingly futile quest for a stable and peaceful existence? What is the only lasting solution?

The Balkan countries of southeastern Europe have not had an easy history. Few regions of the world have suffered so much violence, murder, ethnic cleansing and reverse ethnic cleansing, as first one nation and then another gained the upper hand. The Balkan catalog of human suffering in the 20th century alone overwhelms the imagination.
Balkan history is long and complicated. The Ottoman Turks crossed the Dardanelles in the 1320s. Serbia, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia were among the Balkan nations conquered by the Turks, and they became a part of the Ottoman Empire. Many chafed under 600 years of Islamic rule. However, this enormous Turkish empire began to fray at the edges in the 19th century, and "in 1912-1913 three regional wars were fought in the Balkans" (Norman Davies, Europe: A History, 1997, p. 874).
Indeed it was an incident in the Balkans that proved to be the catalyst for the beginning of World War I (1914-1918). Norman Davies wrote: "The Bosnian crisis indicated where Europe's most likely flash-point lay. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908 without a shred of legal justification, having occupied and administered the country for the previous thirty years by international mandate" (ibid.).
So when in June 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, it provided the spark that eventually led to the loss of many millions of human lives of many nations. Much of the flower of British manhood died in Belgian trenches. Yet World War I also virtually ended the long Ottoman reign. Historians have generally assigned 1920 as the formal year of the empire's final dissolution.
The Balkan countries were now "free" to begin expressing their ethnic, nationalistic, cultural and religious differences by warring among themselves in earnest. Enter Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980) of Croatia.
Tito's reign and its aftermath
This formidable personality did what no other individual of that region had done in historical memory. In January 1946 he united virtually all of the Balkan nations and imposed a multinational federation called Yugoslavia but dominated by Serbia. In reality, this group of countries (the new Yugoslavia) constituted a communist dictatorship.
However, Marshall Tito practiced his own partially pro-Western brand of communism—not liking the Russian model of collectivized agriculture and favoring self-management of workers. He proved to be a lingering thorn in the side of the Soviet Union, and so the Soviets formally expelled him from the party in June 1948. His federation had never been part of the Warsaw Pact, and he later became prominently involved in the so-called nonaligned nations movement.
The historic nationality problems, long endemic in the Balkans, were effectively suppressed during Tito's long and ruthless dictatorship (1946-1980). But the cohesive, residual effects of his rule lasted only for about 10 years, and those years were marked by outbreaks of nationalistic restlessness. The formal breakup of the federation followed in the 1990s. "War in Yugoslavia broke out in early June 1991 as soon as the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia voted for independence" (Misha Glenny, The Balkans, 1998, p. 637).
The leaders who survived Tito simply did not possess his charismatic powers and presence among the Balkan peoples. They could not hold the federation together.
(Marshall Tito's accomplishments are in a minor way indicative of what another far more powerful charismatic personality will bring about in uniting Central Europe—militarily, economically and politically. Ten European rulers will give their powers over to him. His reign will astonish the world. The book of Revelation in the Bible calls him "the beast." To know much more, request or download our free booklets You Can Understand Bible Prophecy , The Book of Revelation Unveiled and Are We Living in the Time of the End? )
Back to Kosovo
This brings us to the Kosovo of just over 10 years ago. In April of 1996 a small number of ethnic Serbs were dining in a café in Kosovo. They were suddenly slaughtered by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) composed of ethnic Albanians. Three other attacks, all attributed to the KLA, occurred that same night. Muslim Albanians compose 90 percent of the population of Kosovo, with a 10 percent minority of Serbs. This is the nub of the problem since Kosovo is still legally and formally a province of Serbia.
In the words of author Misha Glenny, "In Kosovo the death toll mounted on both the Serbian and Albanian sides. The European Union and the United States were awakened to the possibility of war in the province" (ibid., p. 655). American and NATO military action followed in defense of Kosovo, and the UN was soon in virtual charge of the province.
But where are we now in Kosovo? This province wants to become the seventh independent nation to emerge out of the former Yugoslavian federation. The United States and some key European nations support this bid for independence. America is popular in Muslim Kosovo, a rarity in the Islamic world today.
But Serbia strongly opposes independence for Kosovo. Boris Tadic, president of Serbia, firmly stated: "As long as I am President of Serbia, I will never accept the independence of Kosovo" (quoted in Time, Dec. 31, 2007).
Serbia has a powerful backer in Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has clearly said in advance that he will vote against recognition of Kosovo in the United Nations Security Council. Besides sharing Slavic blood and ethnic ties with Serbia, Putin is trying to rebuild Russian clout and influence in the world. He is also leery of setting any precedents that might be interpreted as encouraging breakaway groups in Russian regions like Chechnya.
Would an independent Kosovo become another Taiwan? Would yet another vulnerable Balkan state be forever dependent on outside sources like NATO or the UN for its security? What would become of its Serbian minority?
Of course, Kosovo is far from the only problem in the Balkan mix. Bosnian Serbs would also like to form an independent country or possibly join forces with Serbia. Regional stability remains very far removed from reality and satisfaction among the citizenry is in very short supply. The abject suffering among the Balkan population is and has been immense. Some of these regional problems appear almost insurmountable.
What is the solution?
The apostle Paul sums up the New Testament solution to the kinds of difficulties that are endemic to the Balkans. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians:3:27-28 [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus., emphasis added throughout). Many of these national and cultural differences fade in relative importance when we repent, become baptized and receive God's Holy Spirit (see Acts:2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.). We begin to see things in a far different light.
According to the Bible, to become truly converted is to lay aside the deeds of the darker side of our human nature. Murdering members of other ethnic groups is not an option for Christians. It is an evil work of the flesh in the biblical sense and a stark violation of the Ten Commandments.
Later Paul repeats the point to the church at Colosse. "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him [God] who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians:3:8-11 [8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
[9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
[10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
[11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.).
We know that the Balkan population at large is highly unlikely to adopt this biblical solution en masse. But individuals there clearly could. For further help we offer our free booklets The Road to Eternal Life and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion .
The long-term solution is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the rule of the Kingdom of God on this earth. Christ's millennial reign will solve all of these world problems. Our free booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom , lays out the overall plan and purpose of God for humankind. You may request a copy in print or download it on our Web site. WNP

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Nation Rising Against Nation
Observers are struck by the obvious interconnectedness of the various Balkan nations. Troublesome events in one country often affect neighboring nations negatively. The Balkan mix is continuously potentially explosive.
In spite of 16,000 NATO soldiers stationed in Kosovo, the Slovenian foreign minister described the situation there as "a risk—it is very serious." Slovenia assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. He saw Kosovo as potentially the biggest challenge to the Slovenian presidency. The Financial Times headlined its article, "Slovenia Fears Kosovo Partition."
The general history of the Balkans is punctuated with either nations fighting one another or ethnic groups within nations warring with each other. The conflicts there bring to mind the Olivet Prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
It was first spoken and later recorded in writing to inform us about what would happen in the time of the end. In it Jesus Christ warned that "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew:24:7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.). You may want to request our free booklet Are We Living in the Time of the End? WNP

In Brief... Court's Jurisdiction Challenges National Sovereignty

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In Brief... Court's Jurisdiction Challenges National Sovereignty






article by Bill Eddington, Cecil Maranville, Jim Tuck





The arm of the law is growing more potent, and an age without political borders is dawning upon the world. National leaders accused of human atrocities no longer neccessarily have a secure place to hide.



The case of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic who was handed over to an international tribunal recently, "demonstrates that even the highest government officials are vulnerable to international prosecution for human rights crimes," said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch.



In 1989 Manuel Noriega, the dictator of Panama, was seized and convicted of drug trafficking by the United States. The former leader of Chad was under arrest in Senegal until a new government turned him loose last year, but his fate remains in question. Then more recently, Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean strongman, spent considerable time in British custody on a Spanish warrant before being allowed to return home. The trend is that the long arm of the law is growing in strength and challenging national sovereignties.



That trend is quite evident in a landmark decision by the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial tribunal, when it ruled for the first time on June 27, 2001, that its provisional orders were binding on countries and that the United States should have acted to postpone the execution of a German national until his case was considered by the court.



Venturing into dual emotional issues-the death penalty in America and the extent of the United States' willingness to bow to international bodies-the 15-member "World Court" effectively sought to stake a claim of influence over the American legal system. The decision, which came in a 14-to-1 vote in The Hague, will please opponents of capital punishment in Europe and infuriate American opponents of international organizations and treaties that appear to intrude on U.S. sovereignty. President George W. Bush's first official tour of Europe was dominated by disagreements over capital punishment due to the recent execution of Timothy McVeigh, convicted bomber of a federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that killed 168 people.



European politicians have expressed widespread disgust concerning capital punishment in the United States and the deep American suspicion about international authority. The countries of the European Union appear to have more of a willingness to accept the growing trend of more powerful international law, even if it challenges a nation's capacity to maintain its own right of sovereignty.



Sources : New York Times, The Washington Post .

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