The Plight of Christians in a Hostile World

A Muslim Congresswoman=elect recently posted an offensive Tweet about Vice President Mike Pence together with the words, “Jesus take the wheel!”

Her headline included the hashtag #BorderWall A picture of Mr. Pence with his eyes closed (blinked) was taken during a meeting between President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer on the subject of border wall funding. The phrase “Jesus take wheel is a familiar saying to many Christians and is also the name of country superstar Carrie Underwood’s number one song.

From what I understand, the liberal media showed little interest in the post, which went viral on social media.

This lamentable display of intolerance and disrespect for the vice-president of our Republic on the part of one of the “representatives of the people” may be shocking to some, but it is really not surprising when one understands that Muslims divide the world into the House of Islam (Dar-al-Islam) and the House of War (Dar-al-harb).

The Dar-al-Islam consists of all countries with a Muslim government and in which the Holy Law of Islam is in effect (polygamy, slavery, genital mutilation). Non-Muslims may live there at the sufferance of Muslims if they pay a special tax.

In contrast, the outside world that has not yet been conquered is called the “House of War,” (Dar-al-harb), against which a holy war (jihad) is waged.

Muslim law divides unbelievers into Dhimmis, those who have accepted the supremacy of the Muslim state and the primacy of Islam and Muslims, and Harbis, the residents of the House of War, with whom there is a canonically obligatory state of perpetual war until the entire world is converted or subjugated by force.

U.S. Code ¶ 2384 defines Seditious Conspiracy.

“If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take or possess any property of the United States, contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

Is tolerance for people whose declared objective is to destroy your way of life a wise policy?

An example of the state of war against Dar-el-harb was the terrorist attack against the French satirical weekly Charlie Hobo for its Mohammad cartoons on January 7 2015, in which the entire editorial staff was murdered.

The result? Journalist Zineb El Rhazouni has accused the publication of “going soft” and no longer willing to offend Islam. Who says intimidation doesn’t work? There aren’t many people who want to risk their lives for free speech. That is why governments under the rule of law should be especially solicitous of the safety of journalists.

The photo on the cover of this post is of Chartres Cathedral in France, one of the great monuments of Christianity and a UNESCO Heritage site.

It reminds us of the great heritage of our civilization, whose fate apparently has become indifferent to us.

A wonderful book to read is Henry Adams Mont St. Michel and Chartres, our great historian’s reflections on medieval culture.

Thomas E. Woods in How the Catholic Church built Western Civilization describes how the Church gave birth to hospitals, universities, farming, modern science, international law, the free market economy, and much more.

We don’t hear about these things because we view the Church through the lens of the Enlightenment, whose acolytes control our media and educational system..

Today it is not fashionable to say anything good about the Church.

For the sake of fairness, I have mentioned two books to show the other side of the picture.

During this Christmas season, let us reflect on the plight of Christians in hostile countries.

At one time, the entire Middle east and North Africa were Christian lands. Now most Christians in that part of the world have been murdered, converted, or have emigrated.

Here is the publisher’s description of the book Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians, Paul A. Marshall, Leia Gilbert, Nina Sheaf. Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2014.

“A woman is caught with a Bible and publicly shot to death. An elderly priest is abducted and never seen again. Three buses full of students and teachers are struck by roadside bombs. These are not casualties oaf war. These are Christian believers being persecuted for their faith in the twenty-first century. Many Americans do not understand that Christians today are victims in many parts of the world. Even many Western Christians, who worship and pray without fear of violent repercussions, are unaware that so many followers of Christ live under governments and among people who are often openly hostile to their faith. They think martyrdom became a rarity long ago. Persecuted soundly refutes these assumptions. This book offers a glimpse at the modern-day life of Christians worldwide, recounting the ongoing attacks that rarely make international headlines. As Western Christians pray for the future of Christ’s church, it is vital that they understand a large part of the world's Christian believers live in danger. Persecuted gives documented accounts of the persecution of Christians in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and former Soviet nations. It contains vivid stories of men and women who suffer abuse because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and tells of their perseverance and courage. Persecuted is far more than a thorough and moving study of this global pattern of violence--it is a cry for freedom and a call to action” .

Since they are being martyred for their (our?) faith, the least we can do is to acknowledge their sacrifice by saying Merry Christmas, instead of the insipid and politically correct Happy Holidays so as not to offend anyone.