[CS-FSLUG] PD: Robertson and Falwell final denounced by religious leaders

[Nigel Ridley]

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 23:39:08 -0500
Ed Hurst <softedges at tconline.net> wrote:

> Don Parris wrote:
> 
> > There's no doubt that God is in charge.  However, I think it a bit
> > presumptuouse for us to say for certain who God is behind.  After
> > all, Israel & Judah got carted off because the all-knowing God who
> > is in control of everything allowed kings to make their own choices,
> > and even to lead the people astray.  Whichever way this election
> > goes, God is in control.  No question about it.  But the leader in
> > office when the ballot squabling stops will have to choose, just as
> > Joshua - and every subsequent leader of Israel - did whether to be
> > obedient to God or follow their own deluded heart.
> > 
> > What I hate about elections is that the local Christian radio
> > stations overwhelmingly support a man who has failed misrably as a
> > diplomat. Frankly, I care very little for either Bush or Kerry.  I'm
> > not certain which one scares me most.  On the hand, I can choose a
> > man who went to war on faulty "evidence" - thus escalating the
> > animosity of other nations toward us - and skewering whatever
> > respect many other nations did have for us.
> 
> I was pondering saying something wise, if not profound, but I guess
> I'm not much of either the past few days. I like to say God is
> sovereign, but then I see some of the folks who got in office, and
> what they did that was clearly sinful, and I have decided God's
> sovereignty  does not form a meaningful part of the conversation. Of
> course He rules, but that's not the point.
> 
> I used to love Robertson and Falwell, but now they get on my nerves.
> So do both of the major candidates. I've blogged on it aplenty and
> won't repeat those comments here. It is said of Jesus that He trusted
> Himself to no man, and I am convinced it was His policy the whole
> time. The context indicates that rulers specifically cannot be
> trusted.
> 
> Naturally I'll vote, though I am certain nothing will come of it. We
> in the U.S. are sheeple, by and large. Far too many trust the word of 
> government figures. I vote knowing it is little more than a speck of 
> protest against the whole mess.
> 
> However, I will add my voice of resentment for big shot evangelicals 
> assuming I'm with them. It's bad enough they equate a vote for Bush
> with holiness, but that they seem far more interested in influence
> than truth. The lesser of two evils is still evil.
> 
> -- 
> Ed Hurst
> -----------
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> 

I know that Ed and I don't share the same views about Israel in the plan
of God but we too have a similar situation here in Israel.

How is one meant to know who to vote for? At the moment it looks as if
national election might be around the corner.

The Labor party (Shimon Peres) wants to give away as much land as it
takes to ensure a peace treaty -- most folks that have their eyes open
understand that the Arabs want all of the land not just the 'West Bank'.

The Likud party (Ariel Sharon) is fast becoming divided -- I personally
think that Ariel Sharon should leave the Likud and join the Labor party
(the fundamentals of the Likud are opposed to the line that Sharon is
now taking).

So who to vote for (assuming that there will be election in the near
future)?

One could open their Bible and find all the prophecies concerning the
'end times', especially those that have a direct impact on the nation of
Israel, and try and figure out where we are in the timescale -- very
difficult; not to mention that there are as many interpretations as
there are prophecies!

One could vote for Labor and hope and pray that the international
community would guarantee Israel's existence -- but history has proven
that that is not something that is worth depending upon.

Vote for the Likud and hope and pray that the disengagement plan would
move the peace process forward without, as critics say, give the
terrorists more encouragement to continue (as was witnessed after the
withdrawal from Lebanon).

Of course the answer is to seek the face of God and ask Him how we ought
to vote. Who of us knows what God intends to do with any given nation or
nations? Could it not be that God would use a situation to further His
plan for mankind? That even when we think that something terrible has
happened God just might have caused it to happen (or allowed it to
happen -- depending on your theology) so that people would turn to Him?

Think about Jonah for a moment -- who caused the storm -- endangering
the whole ship; who caused the worm to make the plant to wither; who
caused the hot east wind that made Jonah grow faint and wish to die?

How do we know what God has planned unless we ask Him?
Don't vote in an effort to fulfill prophecy or your own idea of theology
-- ask your Father in Heaven how you ought to vote -- for His glory, so
that the Kingdom would be furthered.

Let us not put God in a box -- He is far above our politics, far above
our agendas -- no matter how many good intentions that they might have.

Let us not forget that our first duty is to God and not to country (or
party).

Blessings,

Nigel

-- 
It's not a problem -- it's a learning opportunity.
--

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