This cute picture of a police puppy in training outraged Muslims in Scotland who consider dogs to be religiously ‘unclean’. Cards with the picture of the puppy were sent out to publicize the new ‘non-emergency’ police phone number. A Tayside Police spokesman said about the promotion:

"Trainee police dog Rebel has proved extremely popular with children and adults since being introduced to the public, aged six weeks old, as Tayside Police’s newest canine recruit.

‘His incredible world-wide popularity - he has attracted record visitor numbers to our website - led us to believe Rebel could play a starring role in the promotion of our non-emergency number."

Response: Leave it to the Muslims to be outraged and offended by a cute puppy. Cartoons, teddy bears, piggy banks, and now puppies. Is it too much to hope that Muslims might consider that others view things different than they? Must everyone else in the world change and accommodate their Islamic non-sensibilities?             *Top

Here is the case of Varsha Sabhnani, a millionaire, Who just was sentenced to 11 years in jail for enslaving and torturing two Indonesian female maids in her Long Island mansion. Her husband, Mahender, will also receive a jail sentence. The Sabhnani’s held and confiscated the passports and virtually enslaved two domestic servants for 3 years in one case and 6 in the other.

Response: Slavery and Indentured servanthood was supposed to have been eliminated in the 19th century in America. However, folks from 3rd world countries who immigrate to the US want to bring some of their illegal practices with them. This case is really just the tip of the iceberg.

There are many cases of Asian women being turned into prostitutes in order to pay their way to this country. Some Muslim immigrants have been known to bring their extended families to America (read-polygamy & servants). Slavery is still tolerated in many Muslims countries and cultures.

There has been at least one case of Muslim slavery uncovered in California and many cases of forced Asian prostitution.  This type of illegal culture clash should never be tolerated or excused in America of the 21th century.            *Top

Dr. Ahmad al-Mu’bi, a Saudi Arabian marriage official, said last week on Lebanese television that it is permissible for baby girls as young as 1 to marry.   When asked about the appropriate age for sex for the first time? he said that: "This varies according to environment and tradition.”

In the interview, He also said that the Prophet Muhammad is the best guide in these matters. He took Alisha for his wife at age 6 but did not have sex with her until she was 9.

Response: This is one of those stories of incredible culture clash that gets buried by the Western press in the name of political correctness and religious toleration. After all, no one wants to be found guilty of ‘Islamophobia’.

In Texas, they are concerned about the FLDS Church members marrying off 12 and 13 year olds and the whole nation was horrified at the practice. But apparently in some Islamic dominated countries, marriage at 7,8 or 9 seems to be acceptable, or even 1 year olds in Saudi Arabia? This really is outrageous!            *Top

The Pew Forum released on Monday (6/23/08) the results of an extensive poll of 35,000 Americans concerning their religious views and practices.

First the ‘good news’: 92% of Americans profess to believe in God or some kind of ‘higher power’. 80% believe in miracles, and 66% in angels and demons. The vast majority show a toleration for the large variety of religions in America.

Second–the not so good (for Christian leaders): A large segment of the population mistrusts organized religion. Most of those committed and involved in a religion do not consider it to be the only path to salvation or heaven. Even evangelical Christians surprisingly fall within this category. There is a general ignorance or rejection of the more exclusive dogmatic claims made by the religions or churches that Americans are affiliated with.

In an article in Tuesdays USA Today, Cathy Lynn Grossman quoted Rice University sociologist Michael Lindsay saying that TV’s Oprah has become more of a spiritual leader and a greater influence in America than any of the "religious" leaders:

"Rather than religious leaders setting the cultural agenda, today, it’s Oprah Winfrey, … The impact of Oprah is seen throughout this survey. She uses the language of Bible and Christian traditions and yet includes other traditions to create a hodgepodge personalized faith. Exclusivism (one religion has the absolute and exclusive truth) has gotten a bad name in America today."

Cal Thomas responded to the survey from an Christian view point in an article: "Do They Think Jesus Was a Liar?"  First Cal quotes Jesus:

Apparently they must think Jesus was a liar, or mistaken, when he said: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” Look it up.

Then he finishes his short article with the following response:

If there are many paths to heaven, Jesus suffered and died for nothing. He could have stayed in heaven, sent down a book of sayings and avoided crucifixion. Orthodox Christians have always believed – and their Bible teaches them — there is only one path to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ and him alone. One can believe whatever one wishes, but you can’t be considered a Christian without believing in this fundamental doctrine.

Here’s a link to the complete Pew report.

Response: I’m solidly with Cal Thomas on this. His response is mine. Christian Churches in America have a lot of work to do with their own people. Seeker sensitive services and ‘watered-down’ preaching has obviously not got the job done. This really is a failing report card for American preachers.            *Top

In December, we reported that China would soon be opening a new Bible printing plant that would be the largest in the World.

  Now here are more details about the plant in a LA Times story about Nanjing Amity Printing Co., soon to be if not already the largest producers of Bibles in the world. They are cranking out 12 million Bibles a year in 75 different languages, mostly for domestic use in China, while 25% are for export.

Response: It is an interesting article. Also, it’s incredible that an atheistic government, that in the not so distant past use to burn Bibles and religious literature, is now involved on such a grand scale in printing Bibles and making them available to their citizens at discount prices in state-run book stores. How the times have changed. Now if the authorities would only stop persecuting the underground house churches and leaders.            *Top

Gay marriages started to be performed legally in California this week due to a recent ruling by the California Supreme Court. The Justices disregarded the wishes of the vast majority of California citizens who had passed an earlier measure that defined marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman.

However, there is a constitutional measure which will be voted on in November that would reinstate traditional marriage as the law of the state. Now Gay activists are petitioning and demanding that the court to stop the "California Marriage Protection Act" initiative from going before the people for a vote.

Response: The original ruling was nothing more than judicial tyranny at its worst, in overturning the will and vote of the citizens of California. Gays already had equal protection under the law in California and full legal recognition for domestic partnerships and ’same-sex unions’.

Now the activists are asking the court to completely disregard the democratic process and the initiative provision within the California constitution. This goes way beyond the original intent of achieving equal rights.            *Top

According to a federal investigation, textbooks at a private Islamic school in Northern Virginia teach students that it is permissible for Muslims to kill adulterers and converts from Islam,and that Muslims are permitted to take the lives and property of those deemed to be ‘polytheists.’ Other passages in the school’s textbooks claim that ‘the Jews’ continue to conspire against Islam.

The Islamic Saudi Academy teaches more than 900 students in grades K-12 at two campuses and receives most of its funding from the Saudi government. Last year, The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the school be closed amid concerns that it was promoting violence. The recent investigation seems to support that contention.

School officials denied the the school was teaching or justifying violence in the name of Islam. The following is taken from the school website:

ISA not only promotes respect and mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and Americans while keeping within the Muslim faith, it strives for its staff and students to uphold tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassion, qualities that represent the best of both American and Arabic cultures.

Response: Care should be taken by authorities to make sure that no radical Islamic schools are allowed to teach and encourage violence in the name of Islam, and raise up a new generation of indigenous terrorists.

The Constitutional right to freedom of religion in America was never intended to include or encourage illegal action and should never be allowed to become a suicide pact.            *Top

Cases of Islamic polygamy are beginning to surface all across the Western world where there are Muslim immigrants. Even though polygamy is against the law in most Western countries, authorities are either in denial or ignore it entirely since the marriages were not performed in their country, or were not ‘officially’ registered, and there is no legal paper trail.

Here is one case that came to the surface in Toronto with the typical non-response from the authorities.

Aly Hindy, a controversial Toronto imam, performed the marriage. He is said to have "blessed" over thirty polygamous unions. Hindy offers only defiance to those who question his illegal actions:

"This is in our religion and nobody can force us to do anything against our religion, if the laws of the country conflict with Islamic law, if one goes against the other, then I am going to follow Islamic law, simple as that."

Since this polygamous marriage and others are not officially registered with the government, authorities have decided to do nothing.

Response: What other illegal Islamic practices will be tolerated in Western countries in the name of ‘cultural and political correctness’. What about killing ‘apostates’ and family honor killings, will they eventually be sanctioned in the name of good cross-religious relations? Probably not, but one does wonder where religious toleration will find its limits in Western societies.

*Top

Attorney Generals from Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas met together to address concerns over the FLDS Church and other polygamous sects. The participants declined to be specific over what was discussed. However, all 4 states have major FLDS communities which have been known to be involved in polygamy and child bride marriage.

Response: It is good for the law enforcement folks from all 4 states to get together and discuss some of the prevailing issues raise by polygamous religious groups like the FLDS. Many times when the law is informed about a specific problem the ones involved are moved quickly to a compound in another state before officials can respond. There needs to be greater cooperation between state officials.

There are a number of important issues that need to continue to be addressed. Care needs to be taken insure freedom of religion while combating legal violations and child abuse. Authorities need to address the child bride problem without taking all the young children away from their families as was recently the case in Texas.

*Top

Here is an article on the Baptist Press which lists a number of ways that the National Geographic distorted the truth in their portrayal of Judas as a ‘hero’ in the supposed "Gospel of Judas". Apparently, the translation which was done by their ‘dream team’ of experts was not entirely accurate.

  Also, the TV show was publicized at the time in a sensational way that seem to imply that the New Testament understanding of Judas as a villain was now being questioned with the publication of this new supposed ‘Gospel’. However, all the scholars were in agreement to the fact that the new ‘Gospel of Judas’ really did not record any real historical events from the first century, but actually amounted to theological fiction from the middle of the second century instead.

Here are several articles I wrote at the time evaluating the ‘Gospel of Judas’:

‘Gospel of Judas’: Is It Authentic? -The Theological Test

‘Gospel of Judas’: Is it Authentic?-The Historical Test

‘Gospel of Judas’ -A Problem For Christians? Not!

*Top