Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and
my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
I abhor terrorism and utterly detest any attack on free
speech. The cowardly killings of cartoonists in France displayed the utter
depravity and despicable disregard for freedom that religious fanatics often inhumanely
espouse. To hide behind masks and be armed with automatic weapons against
cartoonists who could only defend their lives with paper and pens, was not an
act of bravery; it was satanic butchery and an evil brutality. Any so-called religious
person who celebrates this attack as a godly act of glory is only serving their
own sinful intolerance and worshiping their own wretched wickedness.
I may not have liked what the French cartoonists drew or
satirized. I may have been offended and shocked by what they published. But no
matter what they did, they did not deserve to be gunned down by
holier-than-thou religious renegades, whose absolutism and intolerance only displays
their complete ignorance and wicked inhumanity. Free speech is an unalienable right
on Earth. Those who would oppose it, through acts of barbarism and terrorism,
show the rest of the world what kind of cowardly bullies they actually are.
If we, as a free society, give in to terrorism because we
are afraid of personal, national, or international harm, then we are no longer
free. Our liberties will be violently curtailed and our cowardice will only
grow deeper until we become fearful slaves of our own self-preservation,
chained to our timidity, and doomed to our civilization’s utter denigration.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will be totally eradicated and
heinously replaced with strife, anxiety, and the paucity of hopefulness.
Questions
for personal reflection
The LORD is
my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of
my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
Prayer: Lord
Jesus, the evil that some religious people commit in the Name of God is the
worst kind of wickedness on Earth. You were crucified because of it, and
millions of people have been slain in evil ways by religious fanatics who
become satanic fiends. Grant us the strength and resolve to oppose religious
intolerance and theological evil. Give us the courage to live freely,
fearlessly, and faithfully through Your Love. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make
a comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s image is one of
John’s abstract drawings called “Monet’s Flag.” If you would like to view a
larger version, please click on this link: Flag.
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