violence Archives - Colin Dye

Double Standards: criticize Mohammed and get killed, mock Jesus and get away with it…

Colin Dye — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:30:28 +0000

I would imagine that most of you have heard about the killing of the US ambassador in Libya and the riots and killings all over the Muslim world in reaction to the movie made on their prophet Mohammed.Blood has been shed and hatred has been stirred up. Much analysis has been given by the media and the complexity of this topic is such that it cannot be fully covered here.

The Libyan embassy in flames, the US ambassador killed in reaction to a movie that ‘misrepresented’ Mohammed

Two things I would like to say on this: first of all that it is wrong to kill whether it is in the name of religion or not. Secondly, what really strikes me here is the disproportionate reaction we witness when one criticizes Islam or indeed its prophet. Few months ago it was the case of the Danish cartoons, today it is a YouTube video and a caricature of Mohammed in a French newspapers and in almost all cases precious lives are being lost on the altar of religious fanaticism.

Today I stumbled upon another article…funnily enough there is not so much talk about it. It says that “the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in the US says his organization will protest a photography exhibit at a New York City art gallery on Thursday because of a photograph that will be on display which shows a crucifix submerged in a jar of the artist’s urine.” And it goes on to say “The timing is done to basically take the middle finger of the artistic community and put it right into the face of Christians”

The controversial photograph, titled “Piss Christ,” will be featured in the “Body and Spirit: Andres Serrano 1987-2012” exhibit in Manhattan starting Thursday. The photograph was taken in 1987, and Serrano has said that it is “meant to question the whole notion of what is acceptable and unacceptable.”
Fair enough, there are some people out there who will see in this some artistic value, probably even some philosophical and political questioning on the notion of “Free Speech”, but let me ask you the question, what would have been the reaction to a photography exhibit of a Koran immersed into a jar of urine…? Inevitably, this would have caused much stir and an almost certainly a violent backlash.
Why are we not more vocal when our Jesus is being mocked, ridiculed, blasphemed? Why don’t we fight? What is the appropriate response to offense?

Let’s take a look at Scriptures: what does Jesus tell us to do when people offend us? He tells us to love them.

^43??You have heard that it was said, ?Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.? ^44?But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ^45?that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ^46?If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ^47?And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ^48?Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5

Jesus also tells us :

?My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight? (John 18:36)

The kingdom of Christ is not identified as a visible kingdom. It is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It extends through the preaching of the gospel, not through bombs and bullets, violence and bloodshed.
However, I prophesied recently that persecution was coming to the UK and Europe mainly, and we need to be prepared for it. Opposition to the Christian faith is definitely intensifying. Different influences seem to be coming together that could soon combine to produce a perfect storm of difficulty for followers of Christ in our region of the world.Militant atheism, secularism and false religion seem to be working together in an unprecedented way with one ultimate aim ? to weaken the influence of Christian churches and push the Christian faith to the margins of our society. The aim of militant Islam is to become the dominant religious force in the nation and it will not rest until Britain becomes an Islamic state.
We love the Muslims, and it is wonderful to see so many of them finding the joy and freedom of salvation in Christ through our ministry in London and further afield. But we must never forget that the Quran teaches the supremacy of Islam. To be a good Muslim you must believe that there is only one true religion ? Islam. All others must be overthrown or subjugated. This is the clear teaching of the founder of Islam and of all its major religious texts.
It is time to become a ?radical christian?. Our faith is rooted in the person of Christ ? his teaching, his example and his work of redemption. Jesus came to save a lost humanity. This is our only hope and we must proclaim his message of salvation clearer and more boldly that ever.
We must be more than ever vocal about our faith. But preaching alone is not enough, we must show the world the doctrine of Christ and live as true, radical disciples of Christ. At root, Jesus? message was about love ? love to God and our neighbour. The truly radical Christian takes the words of Jesus and lives them out uncompromisingly. This is the ?extremism? we should be known for.

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When peace comes to a city

Colin Dye — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:13:27 +0000

Earlier this month, London witnessed an unprecedented wave of violence and social disorder. Scriptures tell us that the only answer to this unrest is the Shalom of God.

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Is violence ever the answer?

Colin Dye — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:58:47 +0000

Calm has been restored to the streets of UK cities. Last night saw greater numbers of police on the streets taking tougher measures against the rioters and looters. The situation was also helped by greater vigilance and some robust acts of self defence both on the part of shop keepers and that of the general community. Magistrate Courts were open throughout the night, mostly referring those under arrest to the Crown Courts where tougher sentences can be imposed.
The civil unrest has divided the nation. Most are simply shocked and appalled, but others equally angry are speaking up for the looters. The Prime Minister condemned the ?sick” elements in a society gone wrong. Others are blaming the riots on society itself which has produced the levels of social deprivation leading so many to take part in acts of lawlessness.

Is violence the answer?

The tough talkers scorn the mayhem by labelling its perpetrators as ?thugs? and ?feral rats? who are taking their ?sick revenge? on society. Those with a more liberal social outlook assert that the ugly scenes are ?hardly surprising? given the frustrations of the ?ignored underclass? at the core of the riots. Given the opportunity, such people will certainly steal a large screen TV or a pair of designer trainers – ?that?s just the way it happens?. They have no decent home and no prospects. They are voiceless and powerless, victims of a society that has forgotten them. To some, acts of arson, vandalism, looting and maiming are ?understandable?, ?excusable? or even ?justifiable?. Others, are just plain angry and want the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
In this atmosphere of indignation is no co-incidence that seven out of ten top sports items currently on sale are baseball bats. Amazon reports that its sale of aluminium bats have increased by 6,000%. Violence breeds violence. Justice is one thing, but angry retribution only sets up a fresh cycle of misunderstanding and hatred. We must all take a long look at our society and begin to fix it.
In the weeks and months to come, there will be much debate as people position themselves on either side of the divide. Government policies will increasingly come under attack from its opponents. Community workers will speak out on behalf of the under-privileged. Counter arguments will be marshalled, pointing to the breakdown of the family, lack of discipline among the young and the need for a return to values of personal responsibility and respect for authority.
Either way we must take a long, hard look at ourselves and the kind of society we have made. There will be no quick fix. No one-stop solution. Long after every visible trace of the riots and looting has been removed, the scars will remain. It is easy to destroy, but much harder to build. Easy to hurt and difficult to heal. Those on either side of the argument must listen to the viewpoint of the other. We cannot solve this by needless perpetuation of the ?us? and ?them?. We are in it together.
Christians must take their share of the responsibility. We have allowed ourselves to be marginalized for too long. The self-imposed policy of non-engagement with society must end. We must take our gospel out there, where it really counts. By word and deed, we must become part of the solution and not just pontificate about the problem.
The Christian gospel is rooted in compassion and finds it highest expression in self-sacrifice. Jesus did not come to arm the poor to fight against the rich. Neither did he come to boost the complacency of those who are wealthy. He did not lead a just war against the Roman Imperialists. He did not raise a rabble army against slavery and injustice. But, neither did he give us a mandate to withdraw from these issues.
Jesus? death on the cross was supremely an act of sacrifice in which he paid the price for our sins. Society cannot ignore the dark side of human nature and the Christian story of redemption points us all to the only solution. Changed hearts lead to a changed society. In Christ, anger is turned into forgiveness. Violence is transformed into determination to build a better future for all.

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A spiritual issue

Colin Dye — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:29:09 +0000

Ugly scenes of violence, rioting and looting have spread across the length and breadth of the capital

A spirit of lawlessness has broken out over London. Following the protest last Saturday by the family and friends of a suspected gang member killed by police, violence, looting and arson has spread across the city. I spent last night guarding my property situated 500 meters from one of West London?s flash points. Similar scenes were witnessed in Birmingham and Liverpool.
Residents, shop keepers and London?s general population have been gripped with fear. Police and government officials are working out how they can reinstate law and order. Simultaneously, community workers, media analysts and social commentators are presenting their take on the root cause of this lawless vandalism.
Some point to the disaffection of London?s youth and the alienation of certain sections of the community. Despite the unprecedented scale and intensity of the criminality some are blaming the police for their failure to maintain order and to protect the public. Others are saying that the root cause is poverty, unemployment and general social deprivation. The Coalition Government?s cut backs are the root cause, according to those eager to discredit their economic policies.
Labels are flying about – ?sheer criminality?, ?thuggery?, ?wanton destruction? – as the Home Secretary vows that all offenders shall be brought to justice. Evidence points to a level of organized action on the part of the looters. Gangs were apparently working to a strategy to create confusion and to overwhelm areas with large numbers of looters knowing that simultaneously the same things were happening in many places across London. Despite the 6,000 police officers on the streets last night many of the raiders had a free hand for up to 2 hours. Twitter and Blackberry Messenger networks, used to such good effect in the Arab uprising in Tunisia and Egypt are now being used to direct looters to the places they can attack with impunity.
As a minister of the gospel, I am appalled. The London I love and serve is being destroyed. But my biggest concern is that our leaders do not have a handle on the real source of this outburst of lawlessness. The problem will not be solved by political or social action alone. Neither will the problem go away simply by stepping up robust policing in the troubled areas. The problem at root is spiritual. Lawlessness as well as being part of fallen human nature is a spirit.
The further our society drifts from spiritual values, those values found in the Christian gospel, the more the constraints on people?s behaviour will be removed. The culture of ?me-ism? will continue to influence people?s actions. Every opportunity will be taken for people to grab what they can and blame someone else.
The gospel stresses personal responsibility and self-discipline for the good of others. It shows people the way to deal with lawlessness and to love others with the love God has shown us. When will our society turn back to the only solution?

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