I've been informed, by someone who has glanced at this blog from time to time, that I'm only causing problems by pointing out the savage, sub-human nature of the Mohammedan "religion." Therefore, in this post, I won't say anything negative about the so-called Prophet Muhammad or his followers. Instead, in the interests of equal time, I'll allow a Muslim cleric from Egypt to explain the "truth" about my own faith, i.e., Christianity.
I apologize in advance for the content of this video, but these are not my remarks. This is what Mohammedans teach their people about Christianity ... and, particularly, about Christian women.
Very well, Imam; we're ready for your thoughtful and highly intellectual critique of our faith. The floor is yours.
It is becoming increasingly, glaringly apparent that the President of the United States, and his appointees, are pursuing an anti-Christian agenda that would do a Muslim or a Marxist proud.* The Administration is currently embroiled in a set of scandals, any one of which would have toppled any previous President; but such matters as the ongoing Benghazi cover-up and the administration's illegal wiretaps of employees of the Associated Press are not specifically aimed at Christian groups or individuals. Other actions, however, are prima facie anti-Christian in their intent and effect. If President Obama is simply trying to distance himself from the false piety of his predecessor, he's going to extraordinary lengths to do it. It is more likely that he simply bears a personal animosity to traditional Christianity, and is determined to attack it at every opportunity, always using underlings, of course, so as to maintain his charade as a "Christian" himself.
Item: As reported in a recent post, the family of Uwe and Hannelore Romeike left their native Germany simply because they wanted to home school their children, who were being bullied and taught in a manner offensive to the Romeike's traditional Christian beliefs. But homeschooling has been illegal in Germany since the days of Hitler, and the parents soon found themselves facing harassment and fines (the equivalent of around $10,000 USD). Naively believing that the United States was still a free country, they moved here in 2008, and in 2010 were granted political asylum by a United States Immigration judge. In May of 2012, however, the Board of Immigration Appeals, part of the Department of Homeland Security, ruled that the Romeikes had no right to asylum, and must return to Germany. The family waited for a year for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the BIA's ruling. Within the past week, the Court sided with the Obama Administration, and said that the Romeikes had to go. This was after the CIA, the FBI, and the DHS, had all decided that the Boston bombers, who were militant Muslims and not homeschooling Christians, did not constitute a threat to the "security of the homeland." The people of Boston might not agree that the Romeike family is particularly sinister by comparison. The Romeikes are appealing to the Supreme Court.
Item: One of the other current scandals, the Internal Revenue Service audits of conservative and Republican groups, which is outrageous enough in itself, has now been revealed to have involved Christian individuals and organizations, too, and in particularly egregious ways. When communicating with Christian anti-abortion groups, the IRS even demanded to know the content of one group's prayers. (The group's activities included standing across the street from abortion clinics, praying, but not exhibiting garish signs or accosting individuals at the clinic. At one time in America, this was known as "freedom of assembly" and "free speech.") The IRS questionnaire to this group included the following:
When questioned on this specific point during the ongoing Congressional inquiry, Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller (who has since been fired, so that the President can distance himself from his own administration's misdeeds), had this to say:
Item: The IRS scandal, however, was not confined to anti-abortion or "Tea Party" groups. The IRS also audited the Rev. Billy Graham, his son Franklin, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Franklin Graham's universally-respected relief organization, Samaritan's Purse. This prompted Franklin Graham to write a letter of protest to the President, and share the letter with the Politico website. The motivations for these bullying tactics were apparently twofold: the BGEA had encouraged voters to "support candidates who base their decision of biblical principles and support the nation of Israel;" and both Grahams had publicly endorsed Gov. Romney's candidacy, although as private citizens, not speaking for their organizations.
The IRS subsequently made a public apology for targeting such groups (although it is unknown whether the President replied to Franklin Graham's letter), but Obama himself refused to make any apology, or even comment on the matter, except in hypothetical mode: "if this happened, it would be outrageous," etc.** Once upon a time, there was another Democratic President who famously declared that "The buck stops here." The incumbent, however, simply sent forth his feckless, stammering Press Secretary, who was quickly called out by one reporter on Obama's equivocation:
Although depressing, it is not surprising that a President would use the IRS against his enemies; it's been done before, and will be done by other Presidents. But why does President Obama seem to consistently assert himself against Christians? The Romeike case had nothing to do with politics, or elections, or the IRS. President Obama's State Department does not attempt to protect such Christians as Saeed Abedini or Asia Bibi from persecution, even when the United Nations or the ACLU speak out on their behalf. President Obama has now been in office for nearly five years; and, especially since his reelection, has demonstrated time and again his contempt for Christianity, and the followers of Christ.
I wish the IRS would ask me for the content of my prayers! I'd tell them that I pray for the health and well-being of the President and his family, and that God would grant him wisdom and strength - - - and that God would save his soul, and those of his underlings. I don't pray for revolution or resistance; I pray that the government would leave me and my fellow Christians alone, so that we can live our lives and serve our Saviour in peace. (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2)
I am not "railing" against the President: that would be contrary to scripture. I honor his office and pray for his soul. But when he strikes out against Christians, or God's nation, Israel, the Bible does not obligate me to be silent.
One more thing, a personal note to my fellow Christians: Please, let's not start yammering about "persecution." In America, we're not being persecuted yet; there are millions of our brethren around the world who are suffering the real thing, and we should pray for them, more than we do for ourselves. Persecution has not yet come to this nation; but when it does, it will likely come from someone not unlike President Obama.
*No, I'm not claiming, as some do, that the President is a Muslim. That his economic policies are informed by doctrinaire Marxism, however, is a more likely assertion.
**Newly discovered information indicates that the President not only knew about the IRS audits in advance, but either suggested or agreed to them.
In a recent post, we discussed the hatred and fear that so many people have of God's word, the Bible. Using a certain "conservative" television personality as an example of such Bibliophobia, we addressed the fact that people throughout the Western world, primarily unbelievers, can't even bear to hear the Bible quoted, and we mentioned that many professing "Christians" have similar attitudes.
But that's the Western world, where people are pampered, spoiled, and educated beyond their intelligence. Although Muslims hate God's word, and Jews have little use for the New Testament (I apologize to my Jewish friends for mentioning them in the same sentence with the Mohammedans), others in less "developed" areas than the West do not have the same hatred of the word of God. Although they may not yet be Christians, they have a deep-seated, God-given yearning for the truth - - - a yearning which puts many of us to shame. (Others are certainly Christians, but have never owned a copy of the Bible in their lives.) For example, I'm a Bible believing Christian, saved according to John 1:12 and John 3:3-7, and I genuinely love the Bible .... but you wouldn't always know it by the way I spend my time. If you're a Christian, look at your Bible, over on the table or the desk, and look at your television, and look at your computer: which of the three occupies more of your time? Which of them do you go to with eagerness, or at least for relaxation or recreation? If you're like me, the answer might not be comfortable.
But here's a group of people who haven't been raised with three or four Bibles gathering dust on the shelf. They happen to be Chinese; they could just as easily be African, or from some other area. They've just received a shipment of Bibles from a missionary group. Look at their reactions. Study their faces. I wish that I could translate their comments, but the faces tell the story.
Is this how you and I treat the Bible? An interesting question.....
Here's another example, like "God Only Knows," of a rock & roll singer (or singers) creating a song that completely transcends the genre. But Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley, 1936-1959) was more than a mere rock star; he is almost universally considered to be one of the genuine architects of the genre, because of the musical innovations he made in popular culture: in those terms, he was more influential than Elvis Presley, although Presley achieved stardom a bit earlier. Holly's innovations came in the form of overdubbing, the use of strings, and some other rather sophisticated techniques: he was one of the first stars to write his own songs, and the first to produce and arrange them himself. He is primarily remembered for such up-tempo rock & roll hits as "Peggy Sue," "That'll Be the Day," and "Not Fade Away," a driving, thumping cacaphony which would, a decade later, be the first hit record for an upstart band called The Rolling Stones. But in this song, he showed a gentler and infinitely more mature side. This song could have come from one of the musicals or Cole Porter or Ira Gershwin, and, as noted, was written, arranged, and produced by Holly himself. He wrote it for his wife; he would die in a plane crash a year later.
But we're going to overlook chronology in this post, and save Holly's original for the end, because it's quite simply the best, and has never been improved upon. For those unfamiliar with the song, here's a passable introduction, by the Chinese singing star Susan Wong:
I was a child during Holly's brief career, and my introduction to the song came when it was covered, in 1965, by the English duo, Peter and Gordon, some of the stars of the early 60s "British Invasion." (Peter Asher was the brother of Jane Asher, an early inamorata of Paul McCartney, and later became head of A & R [Artists & Repertoire] for the Beatles' Apple Records; Gordon Waller had a mediocre career in music publishing, and died in 2009.) Their cover of the song was very successful in England, and reached #14 on the American charts; it seemed to be a nice song, but in retrospect, does not impress, although the following is an excellent remaster of their original recording:
Far superior, at least in my opinion, is this cover by the country singer Martina McBride; unlike Peter and Gordon, she doesn't ham it up, or try to "oversell" the song:
Now, that's how a "country" rendition of "True Love Ways" should sound. Alas, the definitive "country" version, which grates on my eardrums like sandpaper, was Mickey Gilley's 1980 cover, which went to #1 on Billboard's Country charts. I include it only grudgingly:
Ugh. Country music can be very good, but this song does not lend itself to Gilley-esque treatment. "True Love Ways" has been covered by such disparate artists as Joan Jett, Johnny Mathis, Jackson Browne, and others; but, as already noted, nothing can approach the original. Sit back and enjoy the song as its author intended it to be sung; it's lovely, and certainly the best entry in Buddy Holly's canon: created by a creator of rock & roll itself, this is something very different:
Christians who suffer from the disease of Major or Clinical Depression are different from other people - - - and they're different from other Christians, too. Unfortunately, many non-Christians, who understand or suffer from the disease, can be more understanding and sympathetic than some of our brothers and sisters in Christ: not always, but sometimes.
In our earlier post, which really should be read before this one, we made a stab at understanding this subject, and now (and in subsequent posts) we're going to discuss it more fully. But first, we need to repeat a couple of caveats, so that we won't be misunderstood. I'm not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but I've been treated for Major Depression for twenty years, and it's quite likely that the disease affected me long before it was diagnosed. I speak only as one individual to others. I'm addressing people who have received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, according to John 1:12 and John 3:3-7, and who are experiencing this disease.
That doesn't mean I'm ignoring non-Christians with the disease, or trying to construct barriers. But let's be realistic. Different demographic groups have different experiences and different problems. Depression can be precipitated or triggered by different factors. I don't know what it's like to be black, or a war veteran, or a Native American; I haven't lived their lives, or gone through their joys and sorrows, or the societal pressures they face. But I know what it's like to be a Bible-believing, born again Christian with the disease, and that's why I'm addressing "my own crowd." Yes, everyone who suffers from Clinical Depression has many of the same problems; but in these posts, I'm speaking to my brothers and sisters. Christians with this disorder have been misunderstood, or scoffed at, or dismissed for far too long - - - by their own fellow believers. As Shakespeare said, "He jests at scars who never felt a wound!" In certain circles, when you say that a believer in Christ might suffer from a mental or emotional disorder, other Christians suddenly become very skeptical. My brethren, these things ought not so to be (James 3:10).
Because of the very serious nature of this subject, we must repeat something said in the previous post: We're talking here about a genuine physical disorder, not a "mood" or a "bad time." Everybody has those, and they can be miserable. But Major or Clinical Depression is an actual pathological problem, treatable in part by medical professionals, with very specific causes and symptoms. We dealt with the basic cause in our previous post; we'll discuss the symptoms, as described by professionals, next time. The point is that not everyone who's gloomy or temporarily depressed suffers from Clinical Depression. God forbid that these posts should plant a seed of doubt in the mind of a person without the disorder. This isn't "moodiness" or "laziness" or what pop psychologists call a "melancholic personality;" this is a chemical problem.
Before getting into the subjects of symptoms and myths surrounding Clinical Depression, we need to return to the statement in our opening paragraph. It begs the question: in what way are "Depressive" Christians different from other Christians? And what considerations are specific to Christians, that are not relevant to unbelievers?
First of all, a "reality check" for my brothers and sisters with Depression. Yes, despite what some may say, you and I have an actual disease, and it affects our lives in many ways. But other Christians have other diseases, or other physical problems; and in that respect, we're all in the same boat. It must be said, and said clearly: suffering from Major or Clinical Depression (the terms are synonymous) doesn't give us any special privileges. Just as Christians who are blind, or confined to a wheelchair, are still expected to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, as He has revealed Himself in the Bible, so are we. God understands us better than any psychiatrist (or pastor) on earth, and he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust (Psalm 103:14). But He won't let us use our condition as an excuse. Just because we have a certain disorder, we're not allowed to cut corners in the Christian life, or willingly ignore God's claims. God says, for example: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). He does not say, "Be filled with the Spirit, unless you're suffering from Depression." Again: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The verse doesn't say, "In everything give thanks, unless you're a Depressive." God knows what we can do, and can't do, and He's not unreasonable or weird. Just as He won't call a blind man to be a surveyor on a road crew, or call a paraplegic to be a professional athlete, He won't call you to be something you can't be. But when He does call you to do something, He'll enable - - - and expect - - - you to do it. To say "I can't follow Christ in this area because of my Depression" is a cop-out, and it insults and displeases your Creator.
But remember: He's not just (just!) your Saviour; He is your Creator, and if you suffer from Depression, it's because He made you that way. When Moses complained of a lifelong speech impediment, the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? (Exodus 4:11) If you suffer from Clinical Depression, you've been made in a certain way, and you have a problem that others don't have. But you don't need to feel guilty about it. It's not your fault. You didn't ask for this condition. And God will meet you where you are, as He made you, and deal with you in the way that suits Him. He may heal you miraculously. He's more likely to send you to a medical professional, for medical help. You may have to live with the disease for the rest of your life, but it can be treated, and alleviated. God might even send it into remission, as He often does with cancer. But there's hope, and He wants you to know that. And your disease doesn't make you a "second-class Christian." God has something for you to do, and He's chosen to give you this particular "thorn in the flesh" for a reason. Rejoice in the fact that God is still interested in you! If He didn't have a purpose for you down here, He'd have taken you Home the day you were saved. And when Paul begged for his own "thorn" (whatever it was) to be removed, Jesus made him a promise that applies to you and me, as well: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
I'm not just spouting "religious talk." I've lived with this disease for decades, and have the scars (inside and outside) to prove it. But God is faithful, and will help you and carry you and love you, even if "the brethren" don't understand.
How are Christians with Major/Clinical Depression different from other Christians? (I'm going to use the term "Depressive Christians;" it may not be a clinical term, but it's shorter.) Well, in a number of ways. See if any of this sounds familiar to you.
First of all, most Christians in the West (America, Europe, Canada, etc.) are much too easy on themselves. This is the Laodicean Age, and they're lukewarm. They go to church, and usually avoid the really "dramatic" sins, like sexual immorality or drunkenness; but they make very little effort to apply the Biblical standards and commands to their lives in a consistent way. Depressive Christians may act the same way; they're no better and no worse, spiritually, than their brethren. But Depressive Christians are too hard on themselves. They brood over their failures and sins; sometimes they even worry about sins they haven't committed, simply because they can't imagine themselves doing anything right. They consider themselves hopeless failures, and utter disappointments to their Saviour, their brethren, and themselves. (This doesn't just apply to spiritual matters; Depressives often feel that they can't do anything right, from working a job to raising their kids.) Unbelievers often sneer that Christians are eaten up by "guilt," not realizing that guilt is sometimes healthy, like pain, because it alerts us to something wrong that needs to be corrected. But Depressive Christians sometimes feel nothing but guilt. This is not a spiritual problem; it's a pathological problem, which is part of their disease. The great characteristic of Laodicean Christianity is that many Christians go through life saying, "I'm not so bad!" (Revelation 3:14-17.) But Depressive Christians have the opposite attitude: "I'm no damned good! I'm hopeless!"
Similarly, Christians in the West very rarely "judge themselves," in the proper way, as commanded in scripture. This is a very important part of the Christian life, because if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31). Again: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves (2 Corinthians 13:5). God doesn't want us to engage in fruitless introspection, but He wants us to understand what we're doing right, and what we're doing wrong. Most Christians spend very little time doing this. But Depressive Christians "judge themselves" constantly, and not scripturally, but in an unhealthy way: they judge themselves more harshly than God does. Depressive Christians, like most people with a mental or emotional disorder, are too introspective, and often self-obsessed. That's not what God wants at all, but it's part of the disease. God wants us to see our shortcomings, acknowledge them, and move on. Depressive Christians see their shortcomings, and even imagine shortcomings that aren't there, and they're paralyzed by guilt, and they can't move on. Again, this is a symptom of a disease in their case; it's not a personal failure. But it's such a cruel and vicious cycle: because they're paralyzed by guilt and self-loathing, they sometimes can't serve the Lord as they want to serve Him; and this produces more guilt. And so many of their fellow Christians simply shake their heads, and say that they're being lazy or self-indulgent. They're not. They're suffering from a medical condition.
Again, Christians in the West pamper themselves; they take any shortcut they can find to avoid the difficult parts of the Christian life. (Christians living under persecution, as in China or Muslim countries, don't have this luxury.) They read the Bible just enough to be able to say they've read it; or they don't read it at all. Prayer is not a major part of their lives, because prayer is hard work (although they get serious about prayer when a crisis arises). And they don't witness to unbelievers at all; they don't want to be embarrassed, or cause social or professional discomfort. But when Depressives find these things to be difficult, or impossible, it's not because they're playing games; it's because they simply don't have the energy to do them. (There are times when Depressives, Christian or non-Christian, can't even find the energy to take a bath, or go to work, or talk to their spouses.) This doesn't mean that Depressive Christians are "discharged from their duties;" it means that they sometimes can't fulfill their duties, just as a man or woman in a coma can't. They do not need the judgment and condemnation of their fellow believers; they need compassion, and spiritual and professional treatment. It's easy to smirk at such a Christian, and think, "They're just looking for attention!" (The same thing is said about people who attempt suicide.) The truth is, however, that they're not looking for attention - - - but they need attention, and love, and, if necessary, medical treatment. Usually, "attention" is the last thing in the world that a Depressive person wants! They want to isolate, and be left alone. That's one of the symptoms.
Now, if you feel this way once in a while, for a short time, you're probably not suffering from Depression, and you shouldn't worry about it. Everybody has "down" times. But when these conditions continue for a protracted period of time, or get increasingly worse, then a doctor should be consulted, and you should ask God's help. You can't ignore the possibility that you need medical help; as we said in the previous post, Jesus Himself acknowledged the need for physicians, and the Apostle Paul traveled with a medical doctor (Luke) throughout his ministry. But you can't abandon the Lord, either. He's the One Who'll heal you, and your attention should be focused on Him, not on yourself. But sometimes medical treatment is required to help you focus; and if that's the case, you have nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to apologize for, and if some of the "brethren" don't understand it, ignore them! They're just ignorant. Pray for them, if you can; but don't let their ignorance add to your problems!
In our next post, we'll discuss some of the symptoms of Major Clinical Depression. For now, we simply repeat what we've said before: Hang on! Understand that God knows your condition, and loves you, and has plans for you. There's hope: because you're part of Jesus Christ, and He's part of you, and He's not going to let you fall by the wayside simply because of a problem with your brain chemistry. Jesus is the Answer: but let Jesus guide you in seeking earthly help!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).
