Hate Crimes on the Increase

A “hate crime” is said to have occurred when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a social group defined by religion…sexual orientation…etc. Hate crimes are, therefore, bias motivated. Statistics reveal that religious biased hate crimes account for 18.4% of the total while sexual orientation bias account for 16.6% of the total. The remaining percentage is attributed to racially motivated bias and ethnicity/national origin motivated bias.

The present administration and congress are very pro-active in offering protection to several social groups in an attempt to highlight the problem of and subsequent prevention of such hate crimes. For example, President Obama addressed the Human Rights Campaign on October 10th and stated the following:

“My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians – whether in the office or on the battlefield. You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women are just as real and admirable as a relationship between a man and a woman. You will see a nation that’s valuing and cherishing these families as we build a more perfect union – a union in which gay Americans are an important part. I am committed to these goals. And my administration will continue fighting to achieve them.”

These words were surprising to many inasmuch as the president’s Bible is in clear opposition to the relationships that he is promoting and in fact sanctifying.

Similarly Representative John Conyers recently introduced H.R. 1913 entitled Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act which seeks to strengthen existing hate crime legislation. Conyers states, “The statutes (existing) do not permit federal involvement in a range of cases where crimes are motivated by bias against the victim’s perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity…The federal government must have authority to be involved in investigating and prosecuting these crimes…”


Proponents of such legislation are very zealous and innovative in the pursuit of their agenda. Very recently the inclusion of hate crime legislation was tacked on to a totally separate defense authorization bill. This was done because hate crime proponents felt that such legislation would not pass on its own merits. The bill subsequently passed 234 to 188. It can quickly be noted that this is the approximate ratio of democrats to republicans in the House of Representatives.

Why the opposition by those bearing the conservative label? Simply many interpret such legislation to represent an infringement of free speech.
Representative Mike Pence from Indiana, chairman of the House Republican Conference, stated “…these hate crimes provisions…are broad enough to encompass legitimate beliefs…and protecting the rights of freedom of speech and religion must be first and foremost and paramount on the floor of this chamber.”

His concern seems to be valid, i.e. it has been reported that pastors in Europe and Canada have already been arrested for preaching against homosexuality based on similar legislation. What that means is that if the Bible is considered to be true and Christian leaders and teachers preach or teach the Bible passages that address homosexuality, they face the possibility of being charged with a hate crime. One doesn’t have to actually commit such a crime to be deemed guilty of the crime. If Biblical teaching encourages someone else to commit such a crime; the Christian leader/teacher is implicated. From United States Code Title 18, Section 2: “Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.”

Consider further that in the past several weeks President Obama has co-sponsored UN resolutions that protect radical Islam by stating that negative comments about Islam constitute hate crimes. This is another attempt to appease the Muslim community at the expense of what the president’s own Bible explicitly teaches.

It boils down to the fact that even though this great nation was founded on Christian precepts as contained in the Bible, to teach these precepts to others that may be offended may constitute a hate crime. One of the great freedoms in this nation is free speech as found in the first amendment. That freedom is now under scrutiny and may be quelled.

It appears that “hate” will be directed towards those that speak out about behavior and actions condemned in the Bible because such speech may offend others. Biblical issues such as homosexuality and anti-Biblical religions are now given protected status by our government and it becomes a crime to speak out against these issues because some may be offended. What in the world are we thinking?

Well, should Christians be surprised that Biblical truths and those that proclaim them will be persecuted and hated?

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake…” Matthew 10:22

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many…” Matthew 24:9-11

“…I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist…and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake…” Luke 21:15-17

“Do not marvel…if the world hates you…”
I John 3:13

The question then is twofold, i.e. will political correctness take precedence over the first amendments provision of free speech and will the teaching of Biblical principles be forced to go underground in America, the land of the free?

Climate Change is on the Way!

There are many and varied issues on the agenda of this current administration and congress. We are told that one of the most critical issues facing America, and in fact the whole world, is climate change. Actually until very recently the term was “global warming.” Much of this hype originated with the UN but is now being reinforced by our current administration.

This topic came to the forefront about 12 years ago when the Kyoto resolutions were initiated. Since that time we were told that if the earth were to continue heating up at its present rate by the year 2100 it would be experiencing deadly hot temperatures and catastrophic increases in sea levels.

To ward off the approaching catastrophe H.R. 2454 entitled “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009” also known as the Waxman-Markley energy bill was drafted and passed in the House of Representatives. A major component of this legislation is the cap-and-trade provision. So not only do the authors of this legislation believe there is in fact the eminent threat of global warming, but they also assume this impending disaster is being caused by human activities that presumably produce excessive carbon emissions.

Recently, however, anecdotal evidence suggests planet earth is not really heating up but rather cooling down. In fact a predominant spokesman for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently changed his thinking from believing that man-made greenhouse gasses are heating the planet to admitting that the earth has not warmed for nearly a decade and we are likely entering a period of global cooling.

This admission that the planet is actually cooling collaborates many other observations and predictions. There are many varied locations around the globe that has and is presently experiencing record cold temperatures and snowfall. Snow in Baghdad? It happened less than two years ago. Just last week Pennsylvania experienced the earliest snowfall in history. Temperatures in the Midwest have been 20 degrees below normal for much of October. Even the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a much colder winter than normal for two-thirds of the United States.

Glaciers are growing around the world. Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier is advancing several feet per day. Glaciers are also growing in Norway, the Western Himalayas, and Canada. Artic as well as Antarctic ice is much thicker than previously thought, and in fact Artic ice reportedly covers 193,000 square miles more than previously acknowledged.

Perhaps the global warming proponents should spend some time examining sunspot activity. It is presently at a very low level and such activity, or lack of it, has proven to be a reliable indicator of current and future climate conditions on planet earth.

A major point to be made is that our government is committed to spending billions of taxpayer dollars for an emergency that hasn’t even been confirmed to exist.

The temperature of the earth is determined predominantly by the journey of the earth as it orbits the sun. There are other contributing factors such as the previously mentioned sunspot activity and the movement of ocean currents. The earth is tilted on its axis perpendicular to the sun by 23.5 degrees. This angle remains constant throughout the year and a year is defined by the time it requires for the earth to make a complete orbit around the sun. The temperature at any location on the earth at any time is determined by the earth’s position relative to the sun as the earth makes its annual trek and also as it rotates on its own axis every 24 hours.

Now the Bible has much to say about climate change in the future. In fact, according to the Bible, the earth will experience a short period of extreme cold followed within a few short years by a period of extreme heat. The extreme climate changes mentioned will occur within the seven year tribulation period. The only thing the Bible does not mention is when that seven year period will begin. Its beginning, however, will be signaled by the signing of a seven year peace treaty between Israel and her Arab neighbors. When that happens, look out. Grab your cold weather gear.

The Bible specifies the magnitude of the impending climate changes.

“Then the fourth angel sounded: and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine…” Revelation 8:12

The solar system is presently so intricately balanced as previously indicated that the earth’s tilt is measured to the half degree. It is difficult to imagine the devastation that would result from such extremely cold temperatures on the earth when one-third of the sun is darkened.

For those that anticipate global warming, that will also become a reality shortly after the extreme cold.

“Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat…” Revelation 16:8-9a

By this time men will realize climate change is not based on their own relatively insignificant activities but rather such phenomenon according to the Bible is in the hands of the One who created man. One might think that when men finally realize who controls the climate they would bow before their creator. However, such will not be their reaction.

“…and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him Glory.” Revelation 16:9b

There is a certain amount of irony involved here. We are preparing for an emergency situation that can’t be proven to exist while ignoring impending catastrophes that are clearly spelled out in the Bible. But then again, there are many who will exercise their right to reject the Bible and consider all of this to be foolishness.

A Note to Knowledge Seekers

Knowledge is defined as, “the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association.” A synonym for knowledge is cognizance. In generations past the level of knowledge in the world would double every several thousand years. Now it is estimated that knowledge doubles every 1½ to 2 years and that period decreases with every generation.

There are major differences between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is attained and deals primarily with the physical and is acquired through the senses. Wisdom on the other hand is a more holistic view that considers the very reasons for existence itself. Wisdom is a gift granted from God that provides an additional dimension, i.e., spiritual awareness. Overall, the pursuit of knowledge generally precedes the desire for, or even the recognition of, wisdom. I mentored a young man once, a physicist who was steeped in knowledge but did not have the desire for nor see the need for wisdom. He was totally engulfed in the physical which focused on observable facts and relationships. He was a tremendous practitioner.

Not everyone desires to acquire wisdom, yet nearly everyone desires to increase their knowledge. Our public educational systems are geared to impart knowledge. It is interesting to note that the most widely read book in the world, while written primarily to impart wisdom, is also the best source book to gain knowledge. Of course this book is the Bible.

So for those that are seeking to increase their level of knowledge, the Bible is the premier sourcebook. Consider that the first man Adam was given much knowledge.

“So God created man in His own image…Then God blessed them, and said to them, ‘…fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:27-28

Not all knowledge is good for man, especially if it is sought and gained for selfish purposes.

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Genesis 2:14-17

And we certainly know the consequences of gaining that knowledge out of time and for the wrong purposes. Adam and Eve gained the knowledge of good and evil and immediately began to die.

Consider for example that man gained the knowledge to exploit the atom and that specific knowledge is the reason most of the world are so concerned about Iran and North Korea now.

While those with wisdom accept the contents of the Bible by faith, those with knowledge accept the contents of the Bible based on observable facts. Therefore, some knowledge seekers will place much confidence in the Bible because one of the Bible’s major and unique features is its ability to establish history and record it before it happens. By the way, this is the only book in the world that can claim this feature.

The introduction of the man named John the Baptist was given nearly 700 years before he was born. Then of course there is the foretelling of the Jewish Messiah. Many specific details were written about Him hundreds of years before His birth. The details included the circumstances surrounding His birth and history has confirmed each detail.

History in advance in the Bible is not limited to the Jews. The rise and fall of mighty world empires such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman were all foretold and then verified through history.

Much prophecy had addressed the tiny nation of Israel. The Bible had said Israel would never cease to exist. That nation was completely dispersed from their land in 70 AD by the Romans but was reestablished in their original land in 1948 and it is told that they will remain there forever.

So then, the Bible has proven beyond question to be a credible source book for knowledge. The Bible contains literally hundreds of prophecies that are yet to happen and its readers can have the same level of confidence in those events coming to pass as those prophecies that have already been fulfilled.

The Bible contains numerous prophecies relating to such major contemporary issues as the future of Israel and other foreign policy matters, the future of democracy, the future of world trade and capitalism, the future of all religions including Christianity and Islam, and a host of other pressing issues that make the G-20 look like child’s play.

So we have the opportunity to decrease the time it takes to double our knowledge from 1½ years to something less by studying the contents of the Bible.

By the way, when that physicist that was mentioned earlier subsequently held his first newborn child in his arms he realized that knowledge was a wonderful thing but it couldn’t explain the miracle of life that he was holding and beholding. He confessed that he was ready to ask for wisdom.

“…and God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding…” I Kings 4:29

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

And notice, by the way, that wisdom is free.

Ignoring Warning Signs

Most people that profess Christianity and espouse the Bible believe that the primary attribute of God is love. In fact perhaps the single best known and quoted verse in the Bible is:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The above verse was written by the Apostle John. This same John wrote the Gospel of John, three epistles bearing his name, and the final book of the Bible, i.e. The Revelation.

One might think that the final book of the Bible would sum up the love of God. It really does because it reveals that He will remove the curse on the earth; however, the primary focus of The Revelation is to reveal and describe the single most pronounced attribute of God, which is that above all things He is just. That means all things must be made right according to His eternal word.

Interestingly in The Revelation the word love/loved is found six times. The word wrath is found twelve times, the word judge/judgment is found fourteen times, and the word kill/killed is found sixteen times.

God’s wrath is required because He is just. Wrath is from the Greek word orge. This wrath includes anger with grief. God’s required wrath is divine judgment executed with grief. If man would take God at His word, as most claim that they do, then His wrath is seen to be inevitable. Throughout the Bible consequences for certain choices are outlined in detail.

The wrath of God was introduced in the Bible prior to the Book of Revelation.

“But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds…” Romans 2:5

Consider that on September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked by terrorists. The loss of life on that terrible day approached 3,000 people. Shortly thereafter the Department of Homeland Security was established with the hopes of preventing any such future attacks.

On December 26, 2004 an earthquake registering 9.0 occurred off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island that triggered a tsunami that killed upwards of 300,000 people. Now the United Nations is pushing for a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean similar to that covering the Pacific Ocean.

In these two examples the people in America and Indonesia suffered catastrophic events and then set out to prevent their reoccurrence, or at least mitigate the effect of such occurrences. Throughout the Bible there are examples of divine retribution to nations, including Israel, due to disobeying God’s instructions. The simple fact is that if one believes the Bible that God is sovereign over all things, one must also believe that God has the sovereign right to establish the rules of conduct and see that they are followed. If man desires to “go it on his own,” then he must be willing to risk the consequences of his independent choices.

And so it is, America lost nearly 3,000 innocent lives on 9-11 and the Indonesia tsunami took nearly 300,000 lives. The Book of Revelation reveals that during the seven year tribulation period that is approaching there will be more than 3.0 billion lives lost. That means that for every single life lost during the 2004 tsunami, there will be 10,000 lives lost during the tribulation period.

“…behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death…and power was given…over a fourth of the earth to kill…”
Revelation 6:8

Even with the present population of the earth at 6.0 billion, the above represents 1.5 billion people. Then consider:

“Release the four angels, who are bound at the great river Euphrates. So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.” Revelation 9:14-15

Add another 2.0 billion so the total number of those killed thus far is 3.5 billion. We can’t overlook two other verses that tells about more death but doesn’t give a number.

“Then the third angel sounded: and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water… and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.” Revelation 8:10-11

Many would say that God is a God of love and mercy and He could simply overlook all of man’s errors and forget about the tribulation. The truth is that He can’t do that because He is just. All wrongs must be made right. Therefore, while God is a loving God and He is merciful, His predominant attribute, and in fact His very nature, is that He is just. So not all will taste of God’s mercy, but all will taste of His justice. But let it not be overlooked that according to the Bible, those who will not receive God’s mercy have chosen to reject it and “do it their way.”

This great truth is not pleasant to many and many would just as soon avoid hearing about it, however, Jesus addressed that very issue:

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book…if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life…” Revelation 22:18-19

The very fact that the Revelation was written nearly two thousand years ago proves that man is too preoccupied with his own agenda to give more than lip service to the prophecies contained therein. In other words, the great tribulation is a done deal. We have chosen to ignore the warning signs.

Today's Foreign Policy and Islam's Messiah

There are two major Islamic sects, i.e. the Sunnis and the Shiites. One of the major differences between the two sects is the identification of the Islamic Messiah, or al Mahdi. The Shiites believe very strongly in what is termed the 12th Imam. According to Islam, an Imam is an appointed leader or ruler. Shiites believe that only Allah can appoint an Imam and they further believe that the final, or 12th Imam will be their Messiah. The 11th Imam had a son named Abu al-Qusim Muhammad. The son was born in 936 AD and disappeared when he was a child. The Shiites believe that the son, i.e. Abu Muhammad will reappear near the end of the age as their Messiah and set the world straight under Islamic rule. He will rule on earth for seven years and at the end of the seven year period he will usher in the final judgment before he dies.

The self proclaimed prophet Mohammed spoke of their coming Messiah, or Mahdi.

“The world will not come to pass until a man from among my family, whose name will be my name, rules over the Arabs. The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima.”

Islamic tradition holds that the Mahdi will not appear until the world is in a state of unrest. That will set the stage for the Mahdi to come and remove the chaos and establish world peace under Islamic control.

Now, Iran is composed of over 90% Shiites. And their president, Mahmoud Ahmadinajab is a very strong believer in the traditional 12th Imam, Messiah, or Mahdi. He in fact believes very strongly that Allah has appointed him to usher in their savior. In addition, when he spoke the first time before the United Nations in September, 2005 after his being elected Iran’s president he claimed that he felt the presence of Allah during that speech as if he were basking in an aura of light. He commented that during his speech his audience was so moved that none could even blink their eyes. In this UN speech he also called to the “mighty Lord” to hasten the emergence of “the promised one,” the one who “will fill this world with justice and peace.” While some in the audience might have naively thought that this was in reference to the return of Christ, it was actually a call for Allah to hasten the arrival of the Mahdi.

He was quoted in a later speech in Tehran saying he considers his main mission is to “pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.” Islamic teachings include the supposition that Jesus will also return at that time as a convert to Islam.

So then, how would Ahmadinejad pave the way for the Mahdi? Well he needs to develop an environment of unrest and chaos. It appears that he is fulfilling his self appointed mission admirably. Iran is presently perhaps America’s number one threat. Of course they are most assuredly Israel’s number one threat. Ahmadinejad proclaimed to the United Nations that Israel should either be wiped off the face of the earth or deported to Alaska or the like. Ahmadinejad also refers to the United States as the “great Satan.”

Iran is deeply involved in the terror groups associated with the Palestinian opposition and the Palestinians have absolutely no intention of living in peace with Israel. The only treaty they will sign with Israel is the false seven year treaty that will signal the end of the age. Islamic teachings state that the Mahdi will set up headquarters in Jerusalem. And just as the Palestinians have no intention of peace with Israel; it is not even an option that Iran will consider halting or slowing their nuclear program. The United States needs to recognize that fact and consider the futility of further negotiations on the matter.

The Bible is not silent about a future invasion of Israel that will include Iran (ancient Persia) and other nations from both the north and south of Israel. This coalition will join together in the latter days.

“Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog…Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them…Behold I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel…” Ezekiel 39:1-4

It is not known with certainty whether Magog includes the present Russia or just the northern Islamic countries that were former Soviet Republics. In either case, Russia is presently an enabler to Iran which is currently the undisputed center for the doctrine of the 12th Imam. Relations between the United States and Russia have been deteriorating very quickly in recent years as evidenced by the tension caused by the controversial proposed missile defense system that the United States wanted to install in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Thus it can be seen that Iran’s president is preoccupied with fostering a climate of unrest in the Middle East which he believes will hasten the arrival of the Shiite’s 12th Imam, the Islamic savior of the world.

The foreign policy makers of the United States need to consider that Iran and its present leaders do not deal in rationality and our dealings with them need to reflect that fact.

Biblically speaking, it would be much more profitable for the United States to spend more time befriending Israel than coddling their enemies.