TURNING UP THE HEAT: JIHAD THREAT OR "ISLAMOPHOBIA"? ROBERT SPENCER AT TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MISSOURI

 

JIHAD THREAT OR "ISLAMOPHOBIA"? ROBERT SPENCER AT TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MISSOURI 

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/04/video-jihad-threat-or-islamophobia-robert-spencer-at-truman-state-university-april-13-2017; 

 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Here is the notorious exercise in “hate speech” that Left-fascists did their best to shut down. Will any of them find any actual “hate” in it? Of course not. Last Thursday evening, I spoke at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. When they heard that I had been invited, Left-fascists first called for me to be physically attacked, and then tried to get university officials to cancel my appearance. The university placated the fascists by inviting Faizan Syed of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to speak just before I did. Syed gave a canned dawah presentation filled with half-truths, deceptions, and detours, along with a liberal amount of the usual defamation and ad hominem smears against me that feature in Hamas-linked CAIR and Leftist “Islamophobia” fearmongering rhetoric.
Syed’s speech was enthusiastically received by the audience, which was filled with members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and many non-Muslim students (including males) wearing hijabs in solidarity with their supposedly oppressed Muslim friends. (I wonder if they would doff those hijabs in solidarity with Aqsa Parvez and the other Muslim women and girls who have been murdered for not wearing the hijab. Somehow I doubt it.)
Just before I began speaking, Truman State University officials turned up the heat in the room, which had been perfectly comfortable during Syed’s address. They refused to turn it down when we requested that they do so, so the room was sweltering by the time I began and much hotter still by the time I finished. The audience was almost completely hostile. They didn’t disrupt my remarks, as the MSA had instructed them not to; for which I would thank them except that I believe it should be taken for granted that unpopular and unwelcome opinions that are nonetheless based on sound reasoning and evidence should be given a fair hearing on university campuses. They did ask a series of hostile questions, rolling their eyes, shaking their heads, and chuckling at my answers. This video, alas, is cut off, and doesn’t contain the full Q and A period.
Unfortunately for the Truman State students, Faizan Syed with all his slick falsehoods and character assassination, and all their contempt and hatred for me and the truths I tell, will not make the realities they deny go away.
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SEE PREVIOUS ARTICLE:

 Truman State University in uproar as Thought Criminal Robert Spencer set to speak on campus

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/04/truman-state-university-in-uproar-as-thought-criminal-robert-spencer-set-to-speak-on-campus

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SEE ALSO:

 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/838/044/217/demand-truman-state-university-cancel-robert-spencer-event/ 

DEAR CHRISTIAN MASON: A RESOURCE FOR ADDRESSING MASONRY IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH

DEAR CHRISTIAN MASON: A RESOURCE FOR ADDRESSING MASONRY IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH 

BY SETH DUNN

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/11/dear-christian-mason-a-resource-for-addressing-masonry-in-your-local-church/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Unfortunately, Masonic membership in autonomous evangelical churches is widespread.  The sin of Masonic association often goes unnoticed or unconsidered in many local churches.  For those Christians who are convicted by the Holy Spirit to address the sin of Freemasonry in their churches, the following letter is provided as a resource.  It can be tailored and addressed to members of the Masonic religion who are members of any local church.
Dear (Name of Mason),
It has come to my attention that you are a member of (Name of Masonic Lodge). I have come to conclude, along with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a number of other Christian denominations, that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity. I was distraught when I learned that you, a member of my own church, were involved in Freemasonry.
I am obligated by scripture to take the uncomfortable step of showing you, (Name of Mason), your sin. I ask that you repent of the sin of being involved in Freemasonry and immediately renounce your membership in (Name of Masonic Lodge).
As a faithful Christian, I can do no other thing. The Lord Jesus said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” I understand that you may be taken aback by my actions. Perhaps no other church member has ever approached you asking you to renounce Freemasonry. It could be the case that the other members of our church are,ignorant of the unbiblical nature of Freemasonry. Having researched the matter myself, I can no longer say that I am unaware. The Apostle James wrote, “to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” I am in the position of knowing about the nature of Freemasonry. So are you. Thus, we both must do the right thing. There is a sentiment among some that many Freemasons simply see the craft as a harmless fraternal organization and have not fully considered its spiritual claims ramifications. I do not share this sentiment. The unbiblical claims are simply too harmful to Christian witness
Freemasonry requires that oaths be taken to be initiated into the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees. These oaths are fairly described as barbaric and involve binding oneself under the penalty of having one’s throat cut “ear to ear” and having one’s “tongue torn out by its roots”. These oaths violate the command of the Lord Jesus who stated:

“make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

To even enter the most basic degrees of Freemasonry, one must disobey Christ. This is not an acceptable action for a member of the body of Christ. It is sin. This oath swearing in itself puts Masonry at odds with Christianity. That’s to say nothing of the extrabiblical story of the death and raising of Hiram Abiff.
The secrecy of Freemasonry is inherently antithetical to Christianity. The Lord Jesus told his followers that they are “the light of the world. “ Jesus said, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Freemasons claims to have the “light” of Masonry, yet they keep it secret from outsiders, even members of their own churches.
Freemasonry claims that it “makes good men better.” This can’t be so. Scripture teaches that there are no good men. Jesus Christ said: “There is only One who is good; No one is good except God alone.” Scripture, through the Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah, teaches that “there is none righteous, not even one.” It is the policy of Freemasonry that no particular religion or faith is required or excluded. Thus, Freemasonry as an institution teaches non-Chrisitans that they are good and can get better through Masonry (and outside of faith in Christ). This both denies the effects of the Edenic fall and power of the gospel.
If there is any remaining doubt the Freemasonry denies the scripture then consider the words from Akin’s Lodge Manual and Masonic Law Digest which are meant to be addressed to new Freemasons:

“As you are now introduced into the first principles of Masonry, I congratulate you on being accepted into this ancient an honorable Order: ancient, as having subsisted from time immemorial; and honorable, as tending in every particular, so to render all men who will conformable to its precepts. No institution was ever raised on a better principle, or more solid foundation. Nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down that are inculcated in the several Masonic lectures. The greatest and best of man, in all ages, have been encouragers and promoters of the art, and have never deemed it derogatory to their dignity to level themselves with the fraternity, extend their privileges, and patronize their assemblies.”

The Church of Jesus Christ was raised on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone of the church. This is the most solid foundation of any institution. The Bible is God’s Holy word and contains better maxims than any man-based teachings. The statement above from Akin’s manual is antithetical to Christianity and no Christian should be able to say it good conscience. None should believe it. No prophet or apostle has ever been a Freemason (from time immemorial). Nor was the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not true, then, that “the greatest and best of man, in all ages” have encouraged and promoted Freemasonry.
Akin’s manual also implies, through its funeral service language, that non Christians can make it to Heaven through their virtuous living. This is denial of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the the Ephesians:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It is also a denial of the clear words of Jesus, no one gets to the Father except through Him.
The verdict is clear. The Craft is antithetical to Christianity and an affront to our local church. Jesus Christ said, “nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” The secret things of Masonry have been brought to light.
Please renounce Freemasonry and repent of your sin.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)

WHY WE SHOULD MOURN FOR THE COPTS, BUT NOT ASSUME THEY'RE CHRISTIANS

 

WHY WE SHOULD MOURN FOR THE COPTS, 

BUT NOT ASSUME THEY'RE CHRISTIANS

BY GIDEON KNOX

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/09/why-we-should-mourn-for-the-copts-but-not-assume-theyre-christians/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

In an atrocious display of terror and depravity, Coptic churches were bombed in Egypt. An explosion in Tanta killed 27 attenders at St. George’s Coptic Church, and a second explosion killed 17 in Alexandria at St. Mark’s Coptic Church. The Egyptian government announced three days of mourning, and we should mourn with them.
In Luke 13:3, Jesus had just received word that Herod had butchered Jews in the temple. That act of terror was eerily similar to what was experienced today in Egypt. People not deserving to be butchered like animals were indiscriminately murdered in a place of worship. Jesus’ response to hearing about the tragedy no doubt shocked the crowd, still reeling over the loss of life and drowning in a tidal wave of justifiable compassion. Their blood had not yet dried, nor their bodies cooled. Jesus’ response was, “Repent, lest ye likewise perish.” Jesus lived by the example given as exhortation in 2 Timothy 4:2, preaching both in season and out of season (or as more fluid translations render it, both when it is convenient and inconvenient).
An article like this one is bound to receive criticism for insensitive timing. We simply refer to the example of Jesus Himself, a sympathizing High Priest, who didn’t put truth in time out through an extended moment of silence.
Who are the Coptic “Christians?”
Until the murder of 21 Egyptians in February of 2015, the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention listed the Coptic Christians as an “unreached people group” in need of Evangelism. After that event, in Southern Baptist leaders were publicly mourning the death of our “brothers and sisters,” and after Pulpit & Pen linked those articles at the IMB accordingly, the organization scrubbed all references and deleted all articles relating to Coptic Christians and their status as spiritually lost (link).
Whether or not you believe the Coptic believers are Christians depends on what you believe the true Gospel is and how you believe one is justified before God. If you believe that being a Christian is not a matter of ethnic or cultural affiliation and hold that one isn’t a Christian unless they’re justified, then in the most simple of terms, Coptic believers are not Christians for the exact same reason Protestants don’t believe Catholics are Christians. Coptic believers do not hold to the authentic Sola Fide Gospel of Jesus, and if they die while still holding to a salvation of merit, they will die in their trespasses and sins, and receive the due penalty thereof.
This may sound harsh, but this position is the position of historic Protestantism (and we believe, orthodox Christianity).
As we explained in The Great Evangelical Copt-Out in 2015, the Greek Orthodox Church (of which, the Coptic believers in Egypt are a part) teaches that salvation is not found by faith alone through grace alone. Asking whether or not Coptic believers can be saved by the Gospel of the Protestants, the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of the Southern United States (chosen as representative of official Coptic belief because it is in English), the website states…

Believing in our Lord Jesus Christ is just the very first step towards salvation. The dogma and the sacraments are not a formula but are the means by which we have a life with the Lord. There are some sacraments that are essential for Salvation. Baptism, which is considered by the Protestants to be just a sign of accepting the faith, is essential. The Lord Christ said it clearly, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:16). Baptism here is not to be a sign but the threshold to a new life without which one cannot enter the kingdom of God; as our Lord explained to Nicodemus “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Eucharist, repentance and Chrismation are also necessary (link).

The Coptic believers hold to a salvation in which faith in Christ is just the “first step towards salvation, holding that sacraments are necessary to salvation, including the Eucharist and “Chrismation” (being anointed with special oil, a unique superstition of the Greek Orthodox faith.
They also provide a question on their official website, asking what is necessary to go to Heaven. This is their response…

All seven church sacraments are essential. We touch all of them on our path to heaven through the church.

1. Baptism (the gate of the path of salvation)
2. Chrismation (anointing of the holy Myron Oil—oil which includes remnants of the spices laid upon the body of our Lord Jesus when He was in the tomb)
3. Confession (with repentance)
4. Holy Eucharist (Communion)
5. Unction of the Sick
6. Holy Matrimony (no one is obliged to marry, but without holy matrimony, the next generation would be alienated from the church)
7. Priesthood (without the priesthood, none of the other sacraments could be administered)

It is clear that the official doctrine of the Coptic Orthodox Church is a different gospel, a works-based gospel, the type of gospel condemned by Paul in his epistle to the Galatians when he wrote, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)
This article on the salvation of the thief on the cross, written by Shenouda III, 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, expressly to refute the Protestant confession that justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, is another example of the differences between the Protestant and Coptic understandings of the gospel. In the introductory paragraph, we read:

”Protestants, in their attempt to emphasize that salvation is not dependent on human achievements, say that good works play no role in our salvation, and to stress the point that salvation is not due to human merit, say that evil works will not affect the salvation of a believer! Thus, their views regarding salvation turned into a heresy that needed to be refuted.

We want to be clear that, in pointing out the gospel differences between historic Protestantism and the Coptic Orthodox Church, we do not wish to minimize the deaths of these Egyptians nor the guilt of their murderers. But we strongly believe that we must maintain Gospel clarity, as well.
A significant portion of evangelicals are increasingly under the impression that the Greek Orthodox are to be considered Christians. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and its president, Albert Mohler, recently had a Greek Orthodox lecturer, Rod Dreher, promote Monasticism in his book, The Benedict Option, at the Louisville campus. The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary recently promoted a debate they’re hosting in which the “Christian” side is performed by a Greek Orthodox believer. Daniel Akin, president at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Bart Barber (who is speaking at this year’s SBC pastor’s conference) both made tweets today assuming the Christianity of the Greek Orthodox believers martyred in Egypt.
There is simply no possible way to affirm the Christianity of the Greek Orthodox who hold to Greek Orthodox doctrine. Salvation is found in faith alone. There is no such thing as justification by martyrdom.
Please pray for the victims of this terrible tragedy. Pray that justice will be done to the perpetrators, and whatever degree of peace might be possible come to the victims’ families. We don’t have to consider the Copts brothers in Christ in order to mourn with them and for them, as we well should.
May the Gospel come to them. And might they be saved.