To Have or Not Have, that is the question

Recently I have been accused of being a bigot and racist, a hater. Presumably because I disagreed with the political conclusions of people who intentionally ignored all testimony that disproved their positions. Now normally the race card does not work on me, as I received quite a bit of racism in my past. Absorbing that kind of treatment makes one immune to accusations that he is hurting others. For one thing, it makes you more sensitive to try to judge rightly. For another when you think others are wrong, you cannot be manipulated to agree to a position in order to avoid being labelled. The testing has strengthened you and made you able to stand alone. I am also more aware that groups frequently have anti-approaches that distance them from those who are not like them or part of their group. The subject of this has already been treated upon, and need not be repeated at this point.

But this accuser lived among Arabs and Muslims and strongly identifies with them. I do not know by how much since he uses Muslim names in addition to others. But due to this I have revisited the first letter of John,  known as I John. (It is at the back of the Bible, not the gospel also written by John.) Among other things it discusses love and the obligation to love. It also addresses how to recognize heresy. Apparently John considers it loving to be able to recognize this as well as how to give and forgive. So standing for truth does not have to be unloving.

Some of this has been discussed previously, but it has been a couple of years and perhaps is not readily accessible. I opened it to chapter five. It said whoever loves the Father, loves the child (born of him.) And how do we know whether we do or not?
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. ...And who overcomes the world but he who believes tht Jesus is the Son of God?" That was verses 2 and 5, of chapter 5.

It declares that the Spirit gives testimony. "The witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the witness that God has borne concerning His Son." 9b-10

After reading to the end of ch.5 with its clarity, it provides promises to have prayers answered and indicates that it is ok to pray for someone who is in error or sinning. Then I read ch. 4. (Sometimes you have to read passages separately because you might be worn out by the time you get to them. Though it is also good to read in order, that you not take something out of context.)

 Now John is clear in the need to love one's brother. But he does not excuse error. He warns them on how to recognize heresy. "Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world. V.1 of ch.4 -rightly printed as I Jn. 4:1.   "...Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." (if not is spirit of antichrist.) Now Mohammed covered himself here because he said Jesus came and that he was Christ. But the messenger did not meet the rest of the requirements. V.9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Now propitiation means wrath catcher-as a sacrifice of a sheep or goat is to receive the wrath of the deity for a person's or family's sins. Who is this author who writes this? He says "and we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." Jesus' closest friend, John, stood at the foot of the cross watching the crucifixion, to whom Jesus entrusted the care of his mother.

He wants us to know the love God has for us, and to be convinced of, know that we are forgiven. Verse 13 of ch. 5, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." A verse on the same page as chapter 4, the last line of chapter 3 says, And we know by this that He abides in us by the Spirit He has given us. That was part of v. 24. 3:23 declares "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us."

At this point I went back to chapter one, which is excellent but a bit mystical talking about the Word. However he points out he was sharing what he saw with his eyes, what he heard, and touched. He had been there for most every moment of Jesus' ministry and was known to be the closest of all the apostles to Him. Not for a moment does he speak of only a man, a mere mortal, but of the glory.

"The Word of Life-and the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us, and what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you may have fellowship with us. And...with the Father and with His Son." parts of 1:1-3
Then he explains how it all works.

Fellowshipping with Him, He forgives our sins, washing us by the blood of Jesus His Son. Confessing our sins, he forgives and continues to cleanse us. "If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father." That translates to having an intercessor, a lawyer who argues our case before Him. That oversimplifies some of the greatest verses of all Scripture:  I Jn. 1:7,9 and 2:1. Verse 2 of chapter 2 explains "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

Besides urging us to live purely, and to love, the author explains the function of the Holy Spirit. "And this is the promise that He has made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you the anointing you received from the beginning abides in you ... His anointing teaches you about all things." 2:25-27. Then it instructs them to abide in Him so that when He returns we won't have to hide or be ashamed.

There are many promises that if what we seek is according to His will, then we will receive what we ask for. But the main thing we need to seek is to know Him. It is His commandment as well as desire. Another verse points out, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God. And such we are." 3:1.
The question is are you? If you have not the Son, you have not the Father. According to 2:23, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, and whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." Or as 5:12 says, "He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." The life he is discussing is eternal life-per v. 11 right before it. "And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."

 So if the teachings you receive instruct that God has no son, you can understand why they claim they cannot know God. Because only by knowing the Son, can you know the Father. You CAN know Him, receive His love, and abide in Him. You just have to have the right advocate. Since that is something He wants to happen, you can be assured in any prayer you make asking Him to give you that relationship. Ask for wisdom if you need it, that also He has promised to provide.

Notes on Sura 5, about Jesus

Sura 5:68a 'Say: "O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Torah, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come from your Lord."'
v.72 They do disbelieve who say "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But Christ said ... whoever joins other gods with Allah-Allah will forbid him the Gardens, and the Fire will be his abode."
No, He never said that. He said "I and the Father are one." And the Jews picked up rocks to stone him because He was making himself equal with God. (But he walked away.) He called himself the Son of God, as well as refering to Himself as the Son of Man. The Gospel of John calls Him the Word (of God) as well.

V. 73 They disbelieve who say:Allah is one of three (in a Trinity). V. 75 Christ and Mary had both to eat daily.
V.116 Allah will ask Jesus, "didst thou say unto men, "Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah'?" (I am copying the Koranic punctuation.) Which of course, Jesus denies. V. 117 "Never said I to them aught except what thou didst command me to say"... (worship Allah)

V.110 lists the favors Allah gave to Jesus and his mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit... I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel.
By the power of God, Jesus made a clay bird and when he breathed into it, made it alive ...he healed the blind and the lepers and brought forth the dead "by my leave."

v.114 And he asked for a solemn festival with  wine and bread (communion) and Allah protected him from Jews' violence, gave Jesus clear signs. (Summary)

It is incorrect to say Trinity is Father, Son, and Mary. Even among Catholics (or as some good Protestants say "Mary worshipping Catholics"), they acknowledge the Trinity as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
     Now Catholics do pray to saints and to Mary, but not as gods. They explain that these are mere mortals who are in heaven that pleased God, so they are just asking for someone with good connections up there to put in a good word.
But that would be unnecessary if they remember what the Christians told Mohammed.

"And they say they have an intercessor." Hebrews, along with many other books in the Bible, emphasizes that Jesus became a man, that He could better understand our needs. So, in addition to providing forgiveness for our sins, "he everlives to make intercession for the saints according to the will of God." He is always putting in a good word for us, asking for help or favors for us. When you've got the top person, the top card, why would you play a lower one? But they think they may not be important enough for Jesus' attention, so they hope the others help.
If he were only a man, they might be right. But as the Son of God, having the same nature as the Father, his resources are  unlimited.

So who is Jesus? The Koran says he was just a messenger, a warner, a  man who had to eat his daily meals. (That is, mortal.) But it says many other things about him as well.
And what kind of people were these Christians that Mohammed was talking to?

v.82 Men devoted to learning, men who have renounced the world, who are not arrogant.        (Some were hermits, monks.)
68b It is the revelation that cometh to thee from thy Lord that increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy.
So does he want them to stand by their Scriptures or not? For if they do, they will not repent or convert. The Bible is very clear on who Jesus is.


Sura 3 also has some things to say describing Jesus. In 3:45 He is a Word from Allah, Christ Jesus. (Christ meaning Messiah.) 3:59 another Adam (ours says Second Adam and explains why). 3:49 repeats list of signs for Jesus (clay bird, heal blind and lepers, raise the dead.)
3:78 said some kind of gibberish and then said that was from Adam. In 3:110 they (Muslims) were the best of people, similar to "holy priesthood" that Paul called the Church.
In 2:253 Jesus is strengthened with the Holy Spirit. 2:165 says they take for worship others besides allah as equal with allah, they love them as they should love allah. Men worshipped Jesus, loving Him as they did the Father. (After all, why should you love someone who suffered and died to set you free from sin?) But the Koran denies He did that.
I note that a word is the exprssion of one's thought, of the mind put out to be heard. The Holy Spirit is the divine ministering power to act among mankind, anointing and equipping to do the work. Both terms are used in both the Old Testament as well as the Koran, so they are not mutually exclusive to the New Testament. Why the Jews and the Muslims can get away with saying they worship only one god, while Christians are accused of polytheism, I do not understand.

We only claim Jesus to be the Word of the Father, the Son of God who came to express the Father and accomplish His will. I have in other places shown where the OT shows an expression of Godhood who came to visit Abraham, or was mentioned by David. The Koran also calls him the Word, and attributes the ability to create life or restore it. You do not have to believe Him to be the Son of God, or equally God- of the same essence. But you will be held accountable for being informed of it, even if it was denied, that that was what the claim was. Beyond that, I ask what kind of a god who can form universes could not be able to present himself? Or be able to make himself into a baby. Merry Christmas.

The Role of the Man in the Family

     For several years a serious reassessment of my culture and how we do things versus the approach of other cultures has taken place in my mind. First as a person with a degree in sociology, I have tried to have some sympathy to the problems encountered by persons from a variety of backgrounds who have decided to live in my land. Some of these thoughts have been previously documented so I will not belabor them. Noted has been differences of both hispanic culture as well as those from Middle Eastern, North African, or Indian locations.
     I have truly tried to be objective in seeing their side, and have given consideration to whether some of their approaches might be more useful. One area in which I have applied this was in the interaction of men and women. At first sight it might appear to an American that free mixing of the sexes might be more tolerant. Knowing that I have benefitted from the company and opinions of men from my church and house church, I felt superior to the walling off of women in the mosques. At least I felt free-er.
     Frequently, during early parenting I found the company of women completely drab in its offerings. The women were lovely people, devoted wives and mothers, but not career women or women who held notable opinions or had anything worthy to say. Probably my mistake in underestimating them, but I had gone from studying engineering 18 hours a day, around fascinating females who were ambitious and bold, and not afraid to tackle the type of courses or the prejudices that abounded then of what our abilities might be.
     So in honesty I was suffering withdrawal from one society to another of such a different type that I was not ready to face. Being able to walk from one room where the women were discussing their babies or gossip or some trivial thing into the other room where the men were having something more significant to discuss, whether theology or politics, or what not, saved my sanity, or at least helped me to adjust. I did totally value the importance of devoting myself to my children, and to developing them rather than sticking them in a nursery school where the help might change every couple of months.
      So really, had I stayed in another part of the city and surrounded myself with those other types that I desired, they would have been more formidable in my withdrawal into motherhood. I did learn to value, and respect each of those women in my housechurch. Furthermore, I learned the secret of bonding with other women: the motherhood club. No matter the difference of salaries or education, housing or background, one mother can easily interact with another because they understand how important one's child is to a parent.
     Truthfully I did not appreciate the Lord's graciousness in placing us in an environment where other mothers were also home. However, as I said the presence of other men to talk to besides my husband was helpful. Most of these I truly felt were brothers, and had the freedom to react as such. However, over the years there were times when I was aware of other reactions that were not as platonic. Mostly it made me feel uneasy, but I also learned we do not always choose whom we fall in love with. If we are placed around someone and have cause to interact with them on a regular basis, accidents will happen. That is not to say they must, or that they should be given into. Mostly it just means people should be on their guard. I will also note those men would not have been available to merely befriend me, had they not placed being a spiritual head of their family as a cornerstone in their priorities for their family life. I also benefitted from men at work, mentoring me, guiding me about engineering and life. (Most of those were not religious.)
     This is not what I was choosing to write about, but it is a necessary precedent. Because of those prior experiences I wondered whether the Muslim insistence in keeping the sexes apart were perhaps based on some remote wisdom in dealing with the reality of the power of sexuality. Furthermore, the whole covering issue was much less explosive to me than to most Americans. I just cover my body with fat to keep men from looking! However, the other problems of Islamic culture go so far out to prove their inadequacy that I have had to get off the fence. I can no longer stay neutral on this issue.
     What is wrong with Muslim men?! They think they have the right to go out whenever they want, without having to explain when or where or why they are going. To leave the women raising their children for hours and days at a time with no break, and then when they deign to return home, they are supposed to be greeted with joy and kindness and service. The wives are barely able to hold on, needing a break from kids asking questions, or toddlers talking, talking, always talking, or needing to go have fun when mom needs to go to the grocery store.
     As noted in an earlier post, when someone becomes scarce in being around a child, the child learns to live without them. Yes, it frequently is more fascinating to be around an adult with whom one can have an intelligent conversation or share interests rather than talk to a child about Barbie or trains or what not. However, in their defense, I have had many more interesting conversations with children whose clarity and innocence allowed a greater dependency on solid truth that similar talks with adults would not.
     The question is not whether one might be more stimulating, but what is required. When one has a child, he, yes he, is responsible to partake in its raising. The payment of time and of sacrifice is offset by the joy of how important you are in their eyes. While he may from time to time have to deny himself in order to further a career, the importance remains. And how can you have a marriage when you are not around?
     A long distance marriage offers little romance. And a father that is not home cannot build the sense of stability in a child's self-esteem that educators and psychologists tell us is so essential for both little boys and girls. Girls need it in order to establish respectable relationships with men, so they do not end up putting out in order to get attention. Boys need it so they do not get behind in school, get into trouble or go to prison. Those are statistically proven effects of being fatherless or virtually so. While the boys that had fathers or father figures enabled them to succeed more, go to college, etc. Although the military has had its share of rescuing many, but that adds up to further father figures stepping in helping a young man to find his way. Girls with strong relationships are more likely to have happier, more stable marriages. So, is it really more important to hang out at a coffee shop? To drink and be with friends, or to pick up some new young thing? What do you think she wants but the same thing your wife did, a home and family. And if you find that so boring, what do you have to offer her?
     Ultimately it comes down to, what do you live for-yourself or for helping others? Is your own amusement more important than the stability of those who have committed their lives to you, or who depend upon you?
     If this were about American or western men, and it can be, it would be labelled failing to mature, selfishness, or inability to commit. Mostly that is considered a failure in our society. But in one where it is expected, for a woman to ask a man where he is, where he is going, or when he will return is emasculating. Even for a female to dare to stand up and let her needs be known or those of the children, they are supposed to be subservient to the needs of the all-important husband. But whose husband- a man with multiple wives, and way too many children? A man who lets his sexuality lead him rather than his brain or his heart. The truth is the man makes his play more important than others around him. And his choices makes him more irrelevant to his family. How can they depend upon him if they do not know when or if he will be around?
     True, he has the payoff of having his freedom. How many wish they could go back to their teenage years or college years with little to no responsibilities, few people to whom they had to answer, and only the study of what they wanted, or the pursuit of whatever interests they had. But dreaming of it when life sometimes overwhelms you is not the same as walking away from those whose futures depend upon your presence.
     Ultimately this cultural thing is not merely an analysis of Morocco versus America. It comes down to what influenced the formation of the values on which these norms were based. The Bible and the Koran. In the Koran, a man is allowed four wives, and many sex slaves. The wives and slaves may have been other men's wives, taken by force, but I will give that issue a rest at least for this post. Everything is centered around him.
     In the Bible, the man is also the center. He is considered the head of the family, the head of the wife. He is to submit to Christ who is his head. Nevertheless, even as feminists object to the teachings of Christianity, they fail to note the servant role of the male. The man is to love the wife as Christ loved the Church. This means sacrificial giving of himself, his interests in order to protect her. He is to love her, and the choices he makes will cleanse her, purify her-not by beating her to make her afraid to disobey.
     But his love and protection brings out a humility and security that does not induce a wife to need to nag or harp. A woman who feels loved and appreciated does not need to feed her face or to comfort herself in food. Harassing her about weight defeats the purpose-if she is nurtured by her husband, she will be more interested and fed by the emotions of satisfying him. Not merely sexually but by whatever will bring benefit to him. The point is that they become one, not merely physically, but by living together they have grown together. They support each other through trials, facing the world together when all else seems to be against them. In fact, the Bible says a man should love his wife as he loves himself, nurturing and protecting her against all things. How can you do it if you are out chilling with your friends?
      Another verse points out that a man that does not uphold his wife will not have his prayers answered. While the Koran instucts to beat a woman, God tells men to love their women, and God will bless them by answering their prayers. We may not have a godly society. Probably never did, as there were always those present who were dedicated to their own goals. Nevertheless, as preachers performed the marriages, and as the sermons went forth about the establishment of marriages, the unity, the standards, the basis of family life in American society was the Bible.
     One consequence is the importance of taking care of women and children in our laws. Adultery is considered serious, as is mere neglect. I would have to argue there is no greater proof of the failure of Islam than muslim families-and consequently their societies. For as the families go, so goes the country, and the culture.