"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."
I can't help but think of the terrible price President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & the mullahs will pay at the Great White Throne for killing one of God's children (Rev. 20:11-15). As for Pastor Yousef, he'll be in glory if the Iranian government follows through with the hanging.
In the meantime, I came across this op-ed piece by Peter Bella. I hope it causes some of you out there to pray for the Nadarkani Family. Maybe the Lord will move you to do more. I don't know. But, please be prayerful.
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CHICAGO, February 26, 2012— Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is facing execution in Iran. His crimes? He is an apostate who abandoned Islam.
He was convicted of practicing Christianity, trying to register home churches, and questioning the mandatory Islamic religious education of his children.
The pastor was given an option. Recant his faith and he can live. His faith is his life. He refused. He is condemned to be lynched.
There has been quite a bit of “concerned” diplomatic palavering over this case. So far our President has not made any strong public comments or apologies. Neither have the Secretary of State or any other high government official.
No books were burned so why condemn something as insignificant as a mere human life? The life of a many who chose Chirstianity over the violence of Islam.
Granted it is no one but the Pastor's fault that he will not save his own life by recanting. There is no reason to get upset about it. It is not like a book, even a Koran, was burned, cartoons published, movies made, or other kinds of freedom expressed.
Those must be condemned, strongly discouraged, apologized for continuously, people held accountable, or in the case of our so-called brave nation, never happen.
So it must be that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani killed. But even then, he is not some famous celebrity murderer on death row who must be saved by international protests, marches, and tearful pleadings from the beautiful, and liberal, people.
He is just a Christian. If he is willing to die for his faith, why bother? Let him die.
There is something else not happening. Christians around the world are not rioting, loudly protesting at mosques or burning them. They are not fomenting other violent acts or killing Muslims.
There aren’t even any mass protests.
There is no or very little condemnation of Muslim theocracies or autocracies. There are no scathing fiery editorials in our so-called free press condemning Iran or radical Islam for this gross violation of human rights.
There are no preachers in their pulpits spewing hell, fire, and brimstone. There are only statements of “concern”.
No one is creating phony terms like Christianophobia, and accusing Iran, or other nations of practicing that. No one is starting fake civil rights organizations. No one is demanding our president say something, or do something.
Every one is being oh so very polite, “concerned” and diplomatic. Islamophilia has taken hold in America and our government. We are silent witless enablers in the face of murder and persecution. It is the right thing to do. It is the politically correct thing to do. It is the multi-cultural thing to do. It is the civilized thing to do.
It is cowardly thing to do.
Burn some books, publish cartoons, make films, or in any way insult the so-called religion of peace or their prophet and there are riots, violence, terrorism, and murder.
It is a perfectly acceptable response, proper conduct and worthy of apologies and promises of accountability from high public officials. We must understand and respect their feelings and excuse the violence, murder, and terrorism, or threat thereof.
Insult the Pope, religious symbols, icons, or any other major religious figure; there is no harm, no foul. Burn some Bibles; oh those are just a bunch of books, no harm, no foul. Murder, execute, and violently persecute Christians, Jews, or people of other faiths, no harm, no foul.
Insult the Prophet and you better apologize toute de suite or else.
So when Iran lynches Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani you can feel proud you did and said nothing. When they take his life you can feel good that you were a the model of a politically correct poltroon.
When his family grieves, if they are not arrested and murdered too, you can pat yourself on the back for being the epitome of a multi-cultural buffoon. You were a perfectly civilized cretin.
Your self esteem will be rewarded because you are not uncouth, illiterate, and uneducated. You acted in a civilized manner while a man was brutally lynched for his faith by an uncivilized nation.
Yes, you. The media, our governments, our high profile preachers, our bobble headed activist celebrities, our pastors, and, well, all of us.
This is why evil regimes like Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, will win in end. This is why radicals and extremists will be victorious. They do what they want, let their people do what they want, and snub their noses at the world.
When they demand apologies, groveling, and prostration, we apologize, grovel, and prostrate.
Western civilization has turned into cowardly apologists for radical and extremist insanity. We bow down to the whims of violence; hoping against hope, it stops. We cave in.
We are the Kumbaya civilization. Unlike the fanatical extremist Muslims, we sit around the campfire in ecumenical love and brotherhood. They kill. We chant. They murder. We apologize. They terrorize we grovel.
Whether Yousef Nadarkhani lives, dies, or is coerced and tortured into recanting his faith, our diplomatic, civilized, and polite silence is testimony to the world that we just give lip service to freedom and human rights.
One more thing. This is not the first time America, the West, their media, and their governments were silent cowards. We were silent in the 1930s and 40s in the face of genocide.
Six million Jews were murdered before anyone spoke up.
And as the famous poem goes, who is going to stand up for you.
Peter V. Bella is a retired Chicago Police Officer, freelance writer and photographer, cook, and raconteur. He likes to be the sharp stick that pokes, prods, and annoys. His opinions are his and his alone.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com.
