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ATLAS EXCLUSIVE: ROBERT SPENCER: IS FREEDOM WORTH DEFENDING?

Monday, May 28, 2012

ATLAS EXCLUSIVE: ROBERT SPENCER: IS FREEDOM WORTH DEFENDING?





Is Freedom Worth Defending?

By Robert Spencer


Muslim threats last week led Lady Gaga to cancel her planned concert in Indonesia. Because of their disapproval of Lady Gaga, some conservatives in the West have applauded this, noting that Christians there opposed her as well, and asserting that any non-Muslim society with a healthy regard for decent values would not allow to her to perform, either. Society, some argued, should hold the good, not freedom, as its highest value.


Left unexplained, however, is how a commonly accepted understanding of "the good" is to be arrived at, and particularly how such an understanding could be restored in 21st-century America without imposing an authoritarian regime of some kind. Also, one wonders if proponents of such ideas would object to the intimidation and particularly to the death threats that ultimately led to the cancellation of Lady Gaga's Indonesian show.


Sharia states are oriented toward the good, not freedom, as their highest value. How would the ideal state of these authoritarian Western "conservatives" be different? A young Saudi imam said it a few years ago: “Your leaders want to bring your freedom to Islamic society. We don’t want freedom. The difference between Muslims and the West is we are controlled by God’s laws, which don’t change for 1,400 years. Your laws change with your leaders.” Jihadists routinely deride Western freedom as libertinism: “In essence,” one explained, “the kufr [unbelief] of Western society can be summed up in one word which is used over and over to justify its presence, growth, and its glorification … Freedom. Yet what such a society fails to comprehend, is that such ‘freedom’ simply represents the worship and enslavement to desires, opinions, and whims, a disregard for what is (truly) right, and a disregard for the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.”


While many of us might deplore the depravity of today’s pop culture, we should not let Islamic moral critique put us on the defensive. In reality, the freedom at which the jihadists sneer is an essential component of any genuine morality. “Australian law guarantees freedoms up to a crazy level,” remarked the controversial former Australian mufti Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali—but without freedom, even “up to a crazy level,” morality is hollow. The secular West, with all its irreligion and debauchery, provides the only authentic framework for genuine virtue. Without the freedom to choose evil, choosing good is not a virtue. It’s nothing more than submitting to coercion. Islam’s moral critique likewise founders on the divine sanction given to violence in the Qur’an and Islamic tradition.


Violent coercion is a fundamental element of Sharia law, with its stonings and amputations. Ayatollah Khomeini admitted this without apology: “Whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for the Holy Warriors!” Dinesh D’Souza wrote eloquently on this point in 2004: “Consider the woman in Afghanistan or Iran who is required to wear the veil. There is no real modesty in this, because the woman is being compelled. Compulsion cannot produce virtue; it can only produce the outward semblance of virtue.” He mocked those who imagined that a cleanup of American pop culture would lessen the force of the jihad: “Some Americans may be tempted to say, ‘The Muslims have a point about Jerry Springer and Howard Stern. If they will agree to stop bombing our buildings, in exchange for us sending them Springer and Stern to do with as they wish, why not make the deal? We could even throw in some of Springer’s guests.’”


Yet by 2007 D’Souza had joined those he had earlier derided, claiming that the failure to throw Springer and Stern to the wolves was creating more jihadists: “When you make America synonymous with permissiveness, when you dismiss serious moral offenses with a no-big-dealattitude …you are driving the traditional Muslims into the arms of the radicals.”


It is true that the jihadists’ presentation of themselves as holy warriors fighting Western blasphemers and libertines is a potent recruiting tool. But the proper response to their critique of the West is to challenge them on their own ground: to point out that the Judeo-Christian tradition, with its principle of individual freedom as a prerequisite for virtue, offers a superior vision of God and the world than that offered by Ayatollah Khomeini and his sword as the key to paradise. Yet it necessarily involves tolerating some who exercise their freedom in ways to which some might object – even Lady Gaga.


Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book, Did Muhammad Exist?, is now available.


Atlas Shrug 2000 ~ Pamela Geller


Posted by Pamela Geller on Monday, May 28, 2012 at 12:38 PM

MORMONS, CATHOLICS, BAPTISTS & JEWS COME TOGETHER TO PLOT DEFENSE PLAN FOR ‘RELIGIOUS LIBERTY’

Conservative faith leaders of all stripes gathered on Thursday in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of religious freedom in America. This event is the latest in a series of developments that were sparked by the Obama administration’s controversial contraceptive mandate. What started as a Catholic protest against the regulatory structure has expanded to include people of all faiths.

(Related: University of Notre Dame Sues Obama Admin Over Contraceptive Mandate)

Little did the federal government suspect that its new regulations forcing religious groups to provide birth control free of charge would create such a wide-ranging firestorm among divergent faith communities. Religion News Service has more information about the collaborative effort that is underway:

Like-minded religionists of several denominations — including Southern Baptist leader Richard Land and Baltimore Archbishop William Lori — gathered in Washington Thursday (May 24) to organize a response to what they see as the sorry state of religious freedom in America today.

“We must all be willing to stand up and tell the government ‘no,’” said Land, who heads the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “Secularists don’t like people of faith because the ultimate authority for us is not the state. The ultimate authority is God.”

Sponsored by the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s American Religious Freedom Program, the daylong summit attracted conservative Catholics, Baptists, Orthodox Jews, Orthodox Christians, Mormons and others, almost all of whom painted a dismal picture of religious freedom.

While there were some stark calls, like Land’s, for religious freedom protections, the 350-person group also called for civility in addressing liberty-related issues. The contraceptive mandate was the main topic on the agenda, but the faithful delved into other subjects that they fear could come under attack. These issues include the freedom for believers to abstain from workplace activities that contradict their views and for religious groups to continue to have the freedom to hire people they so choose.

Earlier this year, the Obama administration lost a Supreme Court battle surrounding religious employment issues. While the federal government sought to challenge the long-held ministerial exemption, the Supreme Court, for the first time, recognized its existence and constitutionality.

Considering these developments, there’s no telling how faith communities will react throughout the 2012 campaign. While conservative churches may move against Obama, at least on policy (tax law forbids churches to advocate for or against candidates), more liberal faith supporters may rally around him. Either way, it seems the contraceptive mandate has rallied people of diverse faith views to at least come to the table and chat.

The Blaze

BECK ASKS IF TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE SLIPPING AWAY FROM AMERICAN SOCIETY

In the wake of Hustler Magazine’s shamelessly misogynistic attack on Blaze contributor S.E. Cupp, Glenn Beck took time out of his Wednesday evening broadcast to discuss the degradation of society and why leftists are all too eager in their push to purge all presence moral standards from the public square. To illustrate his point, Beck reviewed a modern-day interpretation of the Ten Commandments.

Watch below:

Most people can recite at least some of the Ten Commandments, many of which seem clear-cut in their goals. Other tenets, however, may not be as obvious.

“You shall not make for yourself any graven image or false idol,” for example, can be applied to anyone society places too great a significance on. Often, people place almost God-like importance on human beings — President Obama being one of the most recent, and perhaps best example. While only a mere mortal, a cult of personality has been built around Obama, raising him to a status few have before have enjoyed. Some might argue that, for believers, the president can do no wrong. This scenario has been repeated at other points in history when it comes to those with a “celebrity” status.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.“ Beck explained that this commandment is mainly focused on the importance of ”respect” — for oneself and others. The recent, liberal use of the “F word” among even members of the Obama administration demonstrates how even those in the upper echelons of society are losing respect for themselves and the people who elected them to lead.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” In other words, resting and take time to reflect on family and what is truly important in life lends to the enrichment of the individual. Perhaps even this act can be perceived as a “selfless” one.

While some commandments, like “thou shall not murder,“ ”steal“ or ”commit adultery” seem obvious from a moral and ethical standpoint, one that bears specific mention given the emergence of Occupy Wall Street, is “thou shall not covet.”  Indeed it can be argued that the entire basis of class-warfare is predicated on one’s deep-seated coveting of that which belongs to another.

Regardless of one’s religious or non-religious bent, the Ten Commandments are, for the most part, universally accepted as the cornerstone of any ethical and moral society. And while the current societal trajectory seems to be rejecting each of the above values, Beck said that individuals can still choose to accept the commandments as code to live by.

“You won’t find any of these things at Occupy Wall Street,” he concluded.

The Blaze

Bible Company CEO Sets Out on $4.5 Million Mission to Bring His Message to the 2013 Super Bowl

Jim Fitzgerald’s dream of craftily digitizing the Holy Bible for mass digital consumption has been realized. For nearly a decade, Fitzgerald, 65, worked to create a video-book version of the New Testament, complete with narration, music and gorgeous scenes that were shot both in Israel and Rome and more.
It was in 1994 that the visionary first launched his company, The WatchWord Bible, in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. While his critics initially said that his dreams were impossible, Fitzgerald has defied all of the odds. Already, 500,000 copies of the digitized New Testament have been sold through Christian vendors and a special infomercial that aired between 2004 and 2006 on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
And now, to further adapt to the visual age, Fitzgerald’s company has made the unique Bible available on the iPhone and iPad for only $12.99. This, his supporters maintain, is an effort that helps further spread the gospel to a younger generation.

Jim Fitzgerald (Image Credit: Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette)

“I was told it would be impossible to do it,” Fitzgerald said in an interview with The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “They said even if we did it, people would never want to read the Bible on TV and we would never be able to raise enough money to produce and promote it.”
Now that he’s made his original goal to spread the Christian gospels a reality, Fitzgerald is prepared for his biggest challenge yet — raising enough money ($4.5 million to be exact) to pay for a 30-second commercial to advertise the WatchWord Bible during next year’s Super Bowl. The popular American athletics event is known for having crafty and entertaining commercials that people pay attention to. Fitzgerald is hoping that his company’s can be among them.
Read more...

Pastor Scott Thomas Delivers Powerful Speech in Support of Israel

01/15/2009




Pastor Scott Thomas Delivers Powerful
Speech In Support Of Israel
at Miami Solidarity Rally.


Miami Solidarity Rally
Holocaust Memorial

Pastor Scott Thomas
C.U.F.I. Florida State Director
Delivered: Sunday, January 11, 2009

It is my distinct honor to be here today representing Christians United for Israel and the millions of Christian Zionists who are standing in unwavering prayer and support for Israel and the Jewish people here, in Israel, and around the world.

For decades the world has suffered from the bloody hands of Islamo-fascists as they have conducted their pre-meditated criminal activities and inhumane atrocities around the globe. Yet, in the face of their vile attackers, no one country or people has endured more injustice, received more criticism, shown more restraint, or exemplified more character than the state of Israel and the Jewish people.

Since 2001, the world watched as Israel’s soil caught the blood of hundreds of her own men, women and children, while absorbing the impact of more than 10,000 rockets and mortars – all from the hands of these rogue, terror-hearted fanatics. And as for the remedial argument of “proportionate response,” don’t even get me started!

It is for this reason and for the sake of all that is good, just and righteous that Christians United for Israel and Christian Zionists worldwide staunchly support and encourage Israel’s right to defend her borders and her people, in response to the years of unwarranted attacks by Hamas.
Furthermore, we applaud Israel’s ongoing and relentless pursuit of peace with the Arab nations and the peace-loving Palestinian people. We join with you in prayer for a soon and lasting answer for peace.

The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787 and immediately became the established framework of our newly formed American government. History records that less than one year after the signing of the Constitution, Francis Hopkinson, a Philadelphia-born judge, poet and co-signer of the Declaration of Independence conceived and proposed the concept of hosting a parade in celebration of this newly established Constitution.

So it was, on July 4, 1788 at 9:30 a.m. that some 5,000 people gathered in a musical procession as the parade commenced in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In his many personal memoirs recounting the celebration of that day, Hopkinson wrote the following as one of the most outstanding sights he witnessed on that day:

“the clergy of the different Christian denominations, with the rabbi of the Jews, walk(ed) arm in arm," "united in charity and brotherly love."

http://www.ushistory.org/carpentershall/history/procession.htm

On behalf of Christians United for Israel, it is my sincere honor and privilege to once again extend that Christian arm of charity, love and support to you, our Jewish brothers and sisters – both here and around the world.

As we Christian Zionists earnestly seek to repent and distance ourselves from the centuries of anti-Semitism and sin-filled heresy of our past Christian founders, please know that we stand in solidarity with you and in the defense of the state of Israel. And we declare that Israel’s “right to exist” as a nation and as a people should exceed the boundary of mere “existence.” Instead, we believe in Israel’s “right” to “thrive and flourish,” both as a people and as a nation. For Zion’s sake, we will not be silent!

Read more...

Jailed Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani writes thank you letter to supporters from prison

• 
  Undated photo of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani taken while in an Iranian Prison on charges of apostasy

The Christian pastor on death row in Iran has reportedly written a letter thanking his supporters and blasting those who he said use "insulting words" against Islam in what he considers a misguided effort to help his cause.

Washington-based human rights group American Center for Law and Justice released what it says is a letter written by Youcef Nadarkhani earlier this week from a prison in the Lakan Province of Iran, where he is currently being held  for charges of practicing Christianity and renouncing Islam. If the letter is real, it is the first time Nadarkhani has been heard from in a year.

“First, I would like to inform all of my beloved brothers and sisters that I am in perfect health in the flesh and spirit,” begins the letter, which is addressed to “All those who are concerned and worried about my current situation.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05/10/jailed-iranian-pastor-youcef-nardarkhani-writes-thank-letter-to-supporters-from/#ixzz1vqSiiDWr

Obama to Black Pastors: Choose You This Day Whom ye will Serve

After making his historic remarks on same-sex unions last week, President Barack Obama led a conference call with black church pastors to explain his support for gay marriage, the New York Times reported that the call was held with "eight or so African-American ministers.

"They were wrestling with their ability to get over his theological position," the Rev. Delman Coates, a Maryland pastor who was on the call, told the NY Times.

The title of the article was "Obama calls pastors to explain gay marriage support; black churches ‘conflicted’

"Conflicted"?  There really is no reason to be conflicted.  They either believe the Bible and the tenets of the faith to which they claim - or they don't.  It is decision time -  God or mammon.  
Read more...

A line drawn in the sand -- or -- walking the plank African American clergy must decide

By Clenard Childress

Dr. Martin Luther King's book, "A Stride Toward Freedom," was considered the handbook of the Civil Rights movement of the fifties and sixties. It was in this writing Dr. King expressed the necessity for the Church to be engaged and informed about the social injustices plaguing the country. Dr. King said, "It is not enough for the Church to be active in the realm of ideas; it must move out to the area of social action." As I have related repeatedly, America is not at the crossroads, it has all ready gone down the wrong road and it's all happened while the Church in America has stood amicably by.

Race is not found in heaven but certainly plays a major role here on earth and certainly in America. It is quite ironic, no, just down right insidious that it would be the first Black president to 'draw the line in the sand' demanding the Black Church to follow in complete allegiance, in complete lockstep. 'Drawing the line in the sand' does not adequately describe the challenge to the Church, since the president has now declared his open support for Homosexual marriage; it is more like walking the plank, and just before you step into oblivion, Obama removes the blindfold.

Being fair, the president inherited Roe Vs Wade. Abortion has been a scourge on the land for nearly 40 years. Unfortunately the Black Church ignored Obama's deplorable record on the moral issues, his heartless, calloused voting record on abortion, and his ever advancing abortion agenda with many of the key Church leadership knowing the decimating effect abortion is having on the African-American community. Moreover, these last few years, much of the Black Leadership — some well meaning with good intentions — have been blindly following ...Read more...

Clenard Childress

Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr., is the senior pastor of The New Calvary Baptist Church in Montclair, NJ. He is the founder of the websiteBlackgenocide.org and president of Life Education And Resource Network, Northeast. LEARN is the largest African-American pro-life group in the US. Rev. Childress is a leader in social activism and partners with the Center For Bioethical Reform, taking the Genocide Awareness Projects to college campuses around the country.

Rev. Childress and his wife Regina have 4 children: Clenard, Thomas, Tonya, and Tia.