Calvin Speaks on Islamic Jihad!
22/06/08 14:02 Filed in: Thinking Thoughts
Well, not quite
. But Calvin does say something of great relevance that I thought might be worth reminding ourselves of, which I will introduce first.
One of the 'delights' of Islamic fundamentalists is to accumulate martyrs, which they do at a great rate by bravely blowing themselves up against serious military targets such as funerals, weddings, busy markets crowded with women and children etc., most of whom are fellow Muslims but of the 'wrong flavour.'
Among the many annoying things of the Western media is its willingness to refer to 'martyrs' and usually to relate the Islamic 'struggle' to the largely imaginary 'Palestinian problem.' Calling these wretches 'martyrs' associates them with Christian martyrs in the public mind, and leads inevitably to the common conclusion that 'religion is really responsible for the troubles of this world.' We don't talk much about martyrs in the Christian Church these days, perhaps at least partly because of this situation. It's a great shame, when the truth is that literally millions of people, probably more in the twentieth century than in any previous century, have bravely laid down their lives for the sake of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them are unknown to us, ordinary people in many places and at many times, who were willing to die rather than deny the Lord who saved them and counted the heavenly treasure far higher than what life in this world could offer. On reflection, maybe that's why we don't mention them much in the West; perhaps we are so unwilling to part with earthly treasure that we are embarrassed by those who think more of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and act accordingly.
Be all that as it may, in his 'Institutes' Calvin is reflecting on the 'natural' proofs for the truth of Holy Scripture. In 1.8.13 he says:
. . . . with what confidence does it become us to subscribe to a doctrine attested and confirmed by the blood of so many saints? They, when once they had embraced it, hesitated not, but boldly and intrepidly, and even with great alacrity, to meet death in its defence. Being transmitted to us with such an earnest, who of us shall not receive it with firm and unshaken conviction? It is therefore no small proof of the authority of Scripture, that it was sealed with the blood of so many witnesses, especially when it is considered that in bearing testimony to the faith, they met death not with fanatical enthusiasm, (as erring spirits are sometimes wont to do), but with a firm and constant, yet sober godly zeal.
You will have spotted the bit that interested me - Calvin speaks of those who meet death with fanatical enthusiasm which is a very good way of describing the Islamic militants. But he draws the contrast with the true Christian martyrs who died with a firm and constant, yet sober godly zeal. As I said above, the vast majority of the martyrs are unknown to us (but certainly known to the Lord who took them to be with himself in eternal joy). But those that are known, the great examples of history such as Polycarp, Latimer, Ridley, the young men of the Amazon in the nineteen-fifties, the godly Christians of Sudan who have endured so much, have died with a dignity that befits the conclusion that the 'blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.'
'Martyr' is originally derived from a Greek word which means 'witness' or 'testimony.' I was going to say that perhaps it should be reserved for its Christian meaning, but on reflection, while Christians do witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in giving their lives, Muslims also witness by it. Not all Muslims are terrorists, of course. There are peaceful Muslims, just as there are Muslims who favour a secular society. But the real question is, what is the nature of Islam itself? The Islamic fundamentalists do no favours to their peaceful brethren, but fundamentalists they are. What they are thinking and practising is what the Koran actually teaches, just as Christian fundamentalists get to the core of the what the Scripture says. It is a plain fact that is often forgotten in the almost universal despising of ‘religious fundamentalism’ that the many Christian fundamentalists have not produced a single terrorist. That’s because if you take the Bible literally you cannot get around the fact that it urges obedience to state authorities and above all a peaceful approach to others founded on love, even when they are enemies.
The Koran is corrupt, Satanic and far from peaceful in its intent. The Islamic fundamentalists witness is to the insatiable evil that their hollow system really is.
One of the 'delights' of Islamic fundamentalists is to accumulate martyrs, which they do at a great rate by bravely blowing themselves up against serious military targets such as funerals, weddings, busy markets crowded with women and children etc., most of whom are fellow Muslims but of the 'wrong flavour.'
Among the many annoying things of the Western media is its willingness to refer to 'martyrs' and usually to relate the Islamic 'struggle' to the largely imaginary 'Palestinian problem.' Calling these wretches 'martyrs' associates them with Christian martyrs in the public mind, and leads inevitably to the common conclusion that 'religion is really responsible for the troubles of this world.' We don't talk much about martyrs in the Christian Church these days, perhaps at least partly because of this situation. It's a great shame, when the truth is that literally millions of people, probably more in the twentieth century than in any previous century, have bravely laid down their lives for the sake of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them are unknown to us, ordinary people in many places and at many times, who were willing to die rather than deny the Lord who saved them and counted the heavenly treasure far higher than what life in this world could offer. On reflection, maybe that's why we don't mention them much in the West; perhaps we are so unwilling to part with earthly treasure that we are embarrassed by those who think more of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and act accordingly.
Be all that as it may, in his 'Institutes' Calvin is reflecting on the 'natural' proofs for the truth of Holy Scripture. In 1.8.13 he says:
. . . . with what confidence does it become us to subscribe to a doctrine attested and confirmed by the blood of so many saints? They, when once they had embraced it, hesitated not, but boldly and intrepidly, and even with great alacrity, to meet death in its defence. Being transmitted to us with such an earnest, who of us shall not receive it with firm and unshaken conviction? It is therefore no small proof of the authority of Scripture, that it was sealed with the blood of so many witnesses, especially when it is considered that in bearing testimony to the faith, they met death not with fanatical enthusiasm, (as erring spirits are sometimes wont to do), but with a firm and constant, yet sober godly zeal.
You will have spotted the bit that interested me - Calvin speaks of those who meet death with fanatical enthusiasm which is a very good way of describing the Islamic militants. But he draws the contrast with the true Christian martyrs who died with a firm and constant, yet sober godly zeal. As I said above, the vast majority of the martyrs are unknown to us (but certainly known to the Lord who took them to be with himself in eternal joy). But those that are known, the great examples of history such as Polycarp, Latimer, Ridley, the young men of the Amazon in the nineteen-fifties, the godly Christians of Sudan who have endured so much, have died with a dignity that befits the conclusion that the 'blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.'
'Martyr' is originally derived from a Greek word which means 'witness' or 'testimony.' I was going to say that perhaps it should be reserved for its Christian meaning, but on reflection, while Christians do witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in giving their lives, Muslims also witness by it. Not all Muslims are terrorists, of course. There are peaceful Muslims, just as there are Muslims who favour a secular society. But the real question is, what is the nature of Islam itself? The Islamic fundamentalists do no favours to their peaceful brethren, but fundamentalists they are. What they are thinking and practising is what the Koran actually teaches, just as Christian fundamentalists get to the core of the what the Scripture says. It is a plain fact that is often forgotten in the almost universal despising of ‘religious fundamentalism’ that the many Christian fundamentalists have not produced a single terrorist. That’s because if you take the Bible literally you cannot get around the fact that it urges obedience to state authorities and above all a peaceful approach to others founded on love, even when they are enemies.
The Koran is corrupt, Satanic and far from peaceful in its intent. The Islamic fundamentalists witness is to the insatiable evil that their hollow system really is.