Religious reasons against currently approved COVID 19 vaccines

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My primary objection to gaining medical benefit when I am otherwise completely healthy is that all vaccines available in the US today are developed (during research, production and/or validation) from the cells of aborted children. I believe that all lives matter and those without an ability to defend themselves are the most needing representation. By refusing to take all the current COVID 19 vaccines, I am hoping to encourage the medical industry and big pharma to do better by not choosing to develop medicine based on the cells of children whose mothers chose to kill.

Life begins at conception

The US Federal government health division and the medical industry states that life begins at conception. Since life matters, is precious, and the vulnerable need to be represented, I believe that the harvesting of cell lines from aborted children as ethically and morally bankrupt.

US Federal Health and Human Services states life begins at conception

According to the US Federal Health and Human Services 2018-2022 strategic plan:

HHS is the U.S. Government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, from conception

https://www.hhs.gov/about/strategic-plan/introduction/index.html

American College of Pediatricians supports life beginning at conception

Moore’s 1974 edition of a human embryology textbook states that development is a continuous process that begins when an ovum is fertilized by a sperm and ends at death.  It is a process of change and growth that transforms the zygote, a single cell, into a multicellular adult human being. Moore’s 2008 edition emphasizes that development does not end at birth but extends into early adulthood. Professor Emeritus of Human Embryology of the University of Arizona School of Medicine, Dr. C. Ward Kischer, affirms that “Every human embryologist, worldwide, states that the life of the new individual human being begins at fertilization (conception).”  Even authors who philosophically lean towards not attributing the same value to human life at the one-cell stage as they do to later stages of development admit that “As far as human ‘life’ per se, it is, for the most part, uncontroversial among the scientific and philosophical community that life begins at the moment when the genetic information contained in the sperm and ovum combine to form a genetically unique cell.”

https://acpeds.org/position-statements/when-human-life-begins

Biblical Basis for life beginning at conception

My faith holds life as precious. God created all living things and, with that creation, elevated men and women as “in his image” Genesis 1:27. Other passages of scripture point to God’s unique role in creating us and how precious He considers that creation.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. … Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them”

(Psalm 139:13, 16)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Jeremiah 1:5 

“your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb.” 

Isaiah 44:24 

Paul states that God “had set [him] apart before [he] was born.”

Galatians 1:15

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Job 33:4

Given these references, abortion is the taking of a life. However, there is legal dispute as to whether this unborn life is a person. For instance, according to the National Conference of State Legislators:

Currently, at least 38 states have fetal homicide laws: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. At least 29 states have fetal homicide laws that apply to the earliest stages of pregnancy (“any state of gestation/development,” “conception,” “fertilization” or “post-fertilization”)

https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/fetal-homicide-state-laws.aspx

However, under current US Federal law, a pregnant woman can, with premeditation, kill this life even up to and including the point of viable birth in some states (e.g., New York, Colorado, New Mexico) (see this article)

All current COVID vaccines exploit the abortion of a child for the medical benefit of healthy adults

All versions of currently approved (FDA and Emergency Use) COVID-19 vaccines are developed with the benefit of cell lines derived from aborted babies (some abortions proven to be voluntary).

The Johnson and Johnson Vaccine uses PER C6 cell lines for production and manufacturing phase of their vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine also uses aborted fetal cells in development and testing.  Moderna and Pfizer used HEK 293 cell lines for research and validation of their mRNA vaccines. (https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/you-asked-we-answered-do-the-covid-19-vaccines-contain-aborted-fetal-cells)

It is against my Christian belief to benefit in any way from the sacrifice of babies, let alone in order for an otherwise healthy adult to reduce the probability of getting sick. All life is precious, particularly the life of those who are innocent and vulnerable. I understand that HEK 293 cells are used quite often in drug development and I believe that to still be an immoral act. I believe that unless people stand for their closely held religious beliefs, the medical industry will not invest in innovation that moves away from this terrible practice of harvesting cells from sacrificed children for financial, personal or social benefit.

But the Pope and Billy Graham say it’s OK…

On August 18th 2021, the Pope called receiving the vaccine an “act of love” while the Archdiocese of New York sent a letter to area priests in which they stated that there was no basis for a religious exemption for the vaccine. When addressing the use of fetal cells in production and research, the Vatican says that the evil associated with abortion is remote so it is allowed. The remoteness of the evil seems to be of some debate since the Johnson and Johnson vaccine uses cells from aborted babies in production while the others use similar aborted baby cell lines in research or validation.

Billy Graham also supports the vaccine saying “I believe it is consistent with scripture that we protect our lives and do whatever we can to save life” and that “Jesus would have made reference to and used” vaccines if they were available during his time.

These are compelling and well thought-out arguments for taking the vaccine from those who are or who are seen as leaders of Christians. However, I have two key issues with these statements:

  • The Pope seems to be compromising by creating a theoretical philosophy that suggests that evil isn’t evil as long as you are some conceptual distance from it. I find this very creative but not very compelling.
  • Billy Graham suggests that life is precious, which it is, but ignores the fact that these companies have built their highly lucrative drugs on the flesh of aborted innocent babies. I suggest that the baby’s life is also precious and must be protected.

If these people wish to take the vaccine, I have no moral or ethical standing to suggest they should not. I also have no concern for them sharing their personal belief and philosophy. Their statements and comments are worthy of consideration to anyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior.

Nevertheless, they are both created beings doing the best they can to guide and teach on behalf of the creator. I also rely on the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and prayer to guide me. If pastors and church leaders are speaking in ways that I believe are inconsistent with the teachings of the Holy Spirit, Scripture and prayer, their words have no weight for me.

I also don’t expect them to force their decisions on me any more than I would force my decisions on them.

I pray that this humble article serves as insight and information for you as you choose the best way you know how. Please make your decision based on the leading of the Holy Spirit, Scripture and prayer and do not let others pressure you.

Maranatha!

References:

A guide to human fetal cell lines from aborted children used in vaccine development
Fact checking the fact checkers: Yes, New York does allow abortions up to birth
What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines
PER C6 & HEK-293

For an excellent summary of the current vaccines and their use of tissue from aborted babies, see this: https://lozierinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CHART-Analysis-of-COVID-19-Vaccines-02June21.pdf

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/how-cells-taken-decades-old-fetal-tissue-are-used-covid-n1242740

https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/you-asked-we-answered-do-the-covid-19-vaccines-contain-aborted-fetal-cells

https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19_Vaccine_Fetal_Cell_Handout.pdf

Evidence of the End Times

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I have found myself enthralled with the latest unfolding drama in the US since the most recent presidential election. Every day, I read something newly shocking about our federal and local government decisions and choices. Celebrating partial birth abortion laws, celebrating and encouraging sinful behavior, sanctioning and funding terrorism both domestic and foreign are just a few of the most recent shocks. Then, on top of that, we are hearing Christian religious leadership promoting one world religion with statements that all world religions are “Meeting God In Different Ways” and that all people in the various world religions are “Children of God”. Those same leaders are calling Fundamentalism (the belief in absolute truth) a scourge.

Furthermore, our government gives the free, advertising-based services owned by an elite set of young men and women in California the complete authority to arbitrate truth. If you say anything they don’t agree with, you are banned. If you mention the new COVID-19 vaccines in any way that might be interpreted as questioning it or sharing unflattering facts, you are banned. If hate groups post to your prayer page because they hate what you stand for, your prayer page is banned. If you encourage citizens to make their voices heard, you are permanently banned (or for at least 2 years but likely more).

Then, the new race philosophy of “Critical Race Theory”, derived from the Marxist class division philosophy is becoming the new institutional orthodoxy. This anti-white racist philosophy leads people to make surprising choices like the white schoolteacher who decided she was being racist by teaching Spanish to her students and, consequently, canceled herself.

With all this happening, my first reaction is to document and try to make sense of what is going on. I analyze the different sides of the stories, I roll the decisions and data through my brain and come to the conclusion that this is CRAZY! How could all this be happening? How can people, generally rational and intelligent people, come to these conclusions and make these choices?

Today, I was praying about this and felt 2 answers from God. First, I felt he said “It is good you don’t understand these things.” That, to me, meant that I shouldn’t be agreeing with these things but to refuse to accept them. Second, through a study my wife has been doing through Revelation and Daniel, we heard a pastor say “The answer is in Revelation 17:17”.

For God has put it in their hearts to execute His [a]purpose [b]by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.

Revelation 17:17 New American Standard Bible

As I prayed about this today, I realized that one clear explanation for this irrational behavior is that it fits into God’s plan. He is arranging these things to happen before He returns. These things must pass so that people realize that their plans for a utopian society, as a form of salvation, are fruitless and foolish. I realized that I was fighting against God’s plan by trying to document and make sense of all that was going on. We are living in the “End Times” and God is alive and working. I never dreamed that I would be living to see the unfolding events in Revelation; but I think I am. Now, instead of trying desperately to make sense of what is going on around me, I pray that God’s will be done and that He gives me boldness to proclaim the Gospel to those he places in my path. I also pray that this is a comfort to anyone who reads it.

God is on His throne. He is not sleeping or on vacation (1 Kings 18:27) during all this craziness. He is allowing this craziness so people recognize the foolishness of playing God. He is arranging these things to bring about the events found in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Please read and study Revelation. God gave us this book because he wanted us to recognize the things that were coming so we would not fear but be prepared.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and [a]communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and [b]keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Revelation 1:1-3 New American Standard Bible

May Jesus’ peace be in you….

John 3:16

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According to https://biblegateway.com, the most popular verses searched over the last few years are: John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11.

(Joh 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

(Jer 29:11) ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

New American Standard Bible Version

Let’s look closer at John 3:16 by understanding the context of the passage. Before this passage, Jesus was answering a question from Nicodemus, a Pharisee.

Joh 3:1-15 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; (2) this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (3) Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (4) Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” (5) Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (9) Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” (10) Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? (11) “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. (12) “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? (13) “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. (14) “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; (15) so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

New American Standard Bible Version

Nicodemus begins with a statement that humbly acknowledges Jesus as coming from God because of the miracles he performs. Jesus explains that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again. Nicodemus expresses confusion about the concept of being born again so Jesus explains that to understand heaven, one must be born of the Spirit and not of flesh. Without that rebirth, even the most advanced teachers of Israel will not understand his teachings until Jesus is lifted up and becomes the way of salvation for all.

With this backdrop, Jesus then explains God’s plan for salvation.

Joh 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (17) “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (18) “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. (20) “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (21) “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

New American Standard Bible Version

It is easy to see why John 3:16 and even 3:17 are so well loved. Jesus explains that his coming was not in judgment but out of God’s love for the world in order to save it through Him. This speaks of love without judgment. What’s not to like about that? Everyone seeks love and few hold the same affection for being judged. Even unbelievers like these verses because it seems to offer unconditional acceptance and love no matter what they believe or don’t believe. Unfortunately, Jesus doesn’t stop there even though most who quote these verses today do stop there.

Jesus next explains why God didn’t send him to judge the world. God didn’t send Jesus to judge the world because the world already suffers judgment. “He who believes in Him is not judged but he who does not believe has been judged already.” Jesus isn’t sent to judge because the world and everyone in it has already been judged. Jesus brings the only way for salvation from the already existing judgment. Jesus light comes into the world as the only means to be saved. Unfortunately, as Jesus continues, those who do evil hate this light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. They avoid his truth and, consequently, avoid the truth.

Jesus took on the wrath of God for all our sins in breaking God’s law. He accepted God’s judgment and curse for our wrongdoing. We have all fallen short of God’s Law (Romans 3:23). Let’s seek His light, our only hope of redemption. Life comes from fath (Hab 2:4). Let’s abandon our own ideas about how mankind will save this world from judgment because this world is already in judgment. Our only hope is in Jesus as our savior.

Unforgivable Sin

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Jesus came to save us from our sins.

Joh 3:16-17 NASB “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (17) “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

That is His promise but He also made a statement about sin that even He, the Messiah, cannot forgive.

Mar 3:22-30 NASB The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The scribes accused Jesus of serving Satan and casting out demons who were tormenting the possessed through Satan. Jesus used miracles to demonstrate his authority from heaven but the scribes attributed this witness work as coming directly from Satan, not from God. Jesus used this grave error as a moment to teach that even his salvation power has limits.

(23) And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? (24) “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. (25) “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. (26) “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! (27) “But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. (28) “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; (29) but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”– (30) because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus first cuts at the ridiculousness of the accusation. Why would Satan engage with Jesus to defeat himself? Jesus also explains that by casting out demons, He is plundering Satan’s property. Satan, the strong man in Jesus parable, isn’t in league with the plunderer. Instead, Satan must be subdued in order for the plundering of his property to succeed. The scribes statement fall short of even the simplest analysis.

Next, Jesus teaches the spiritual severity of those who make this accusation. He begins with stating Amen (truly I say) “all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men and even blasphemies they utter but blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness.” Making a blasphemous utterance is forgivable but holding belief that the person of the Holy Spirit is satanic is unforgivable because the person is attributing God’s Holy Spirit as serving Satan; the father of lies.

Joh 8:44 NASB “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus states that “uttering” blasphemes is forgivable but blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not. The implication applies to more than saying something out of anger or ignorance but applies to those who are believing and living out the blasphemy.

The unforgivable sin is not expressing anger at God. If it were, David, Habakkuk, and many others in the Bible would not be forgiven. The unforgivable sin is also not about the severity of the sin as Paul explained:

Rom 3:21-25 NLT But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. (22) We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (23) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (24) Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. (25) For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

The unforgivable sin is believing and claiming that the work of the Holy Spirit is from Satan. How can God forgive you through the work of Jesus Christ if you believe that the Holy Spirit represents the work of Satan?

Allah is not the Judeo-Christian God

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Allah is not same God as Christian God

1.Christians believe that Jesus is God, while Muslims don’t. Jesus being God is a basic doctrine of Christianity, (we are Christ followers and thus the name Christians) and it does not agree with Islamic teaching. For Christians, Jesus is God, and for Muslims Jesus is not God. Jesus says he is God in the Bible John 10:30 “I and the Father are One.” He also said “I am the way, the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory & the exact representation of his being.” Quran (Surah) 5:75 says “The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger. Jesus is just a messenger to them and a prophet.

Muslims may believe Jesus is a great prophet. But if they believe that, and Jesus says he is God, then Jesus is a liar or he’s crazy. So why would they think he’s a great man? Why not label him a fraud? InKoran 5:51 it says “O ye who believe take not Christians or Jews for friends…He who taketh one for a friend is one of them. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” Muslims claim God has no Son. Because the Muslims reject God as the Father of Jesus, than Allah cannot be the same as the God of the bible. According to Islam, worshiping the Christian God is not just wrong; it sends you to Hell.

2.Christians believe God is our Father and Muslims don’t. Jesus taught us to say “Our Father who art in Heaven. The Muslim God is more impersonal and distant. Our God is personal. He cares for us andloves us and wants us to do the same for others.

3.Christianity embraces the doctrine of the Trinity, of having one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Islam doesn’t. They don’t believe Jesus is the son of God and there is no Trinity. They believe the doctrine of the Trinity is blasphemous. Jesus teaches in the bible Matthew 28:19 to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

4.God made salvation available by sacrificing his Son and promises salvation by grace to those who believe. Allah sacrificed nothing and only saves if sufficient works are done Surah 2:25 “believe and work righteousness– But my question is how many works are enough? When do you know you’ve done enough? This may be the reason you see so many suicide bombers and terrorists. They fight for Allah so their salvation is secure and they don’t have to worry if they are getting into paradise or if their works are sufficient to please Allah. Christians rest secure in the work of Christ. Man alone can never be good enough because as Jesus said there is only one who does good—God alone. This is why he came to die for us. Christians believe our works will never be enough and works alone cannot save us. Only Jesus can. We are still called to love and do good works but it doesn’t earn us heaven.

5.We believe Chris resurrected from the dead—Muslims don’t believe Jesus was crucified or resurrected.

6.There is no marriage in paradise in Christian faith.(see Matt 22:30) Our joy will be God himself. We are the Bride of Christ. But faithful muslim MEN get many virgins in Allah’s paradise. Surah 56:35-38

7. Jesus treated women with love and compassion and as equals. Muslim men have permission to beat women and are created above them. .Quran (Surah) 4:34 Men are in charge of woman because Allah has made one to excel the other….so good women are obedient…Those whom (the husband) fears are rebellious, admonish them, send them to a bed apart and beat (scourge) them. Jesus treats women differently. He kept an adulterous woman from being stoned to death (Luke 7). When Jewish men wouldn’t speak to women, Jesus did. He called a woman “daughter of Abraham” when only men were¸¸

allowed to be referred to as “sons of Abraham.”

8..We are told by our love we will make disciples. Muslims are told to fight.(too many verses to quote all but here are a few) 

Surah (Quran) 9:29 Fight against those (Christians/Jews) who have been given the Scripture as believe NOT in Allah Jews say, “Ezra is the son of Allah, Christians say Messiah is the son of Allah…Allah fighteth against them. How perverse are they. 9:123 O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty unto him.”

8:65 “Exhort the believers to fight..If there be of you 100 steadfast they shall overcome 1,000 of those who disbelieve. 5:93 Fight them until persecution is no more and religion is for Allah 4:89 choose no friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; If they turn back to enmity then take and kill them wherever you find them, and choose no friend or helper from among them. 9:5 Slay the idolaters wherever you find them.

I do believe many muslims believe Islam is a religion of peace but their Quran, which is to them like the Bible is to a Christian) teaches differently. So they either don’t read it fully or don’t follow it just like some Christians don’t read Bible or follow it.

Rather than told to fight unbelievers, we are told to love. John 13: 35 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”1 John 4:7-21 Let us love one another for love is from God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.: Rom. 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Not once in the Quron does it say Allah is a god of love. But in Quron “ The worst of beasts in Allah’s sight are the ungrateful who will not believe.” But the Christian God does not want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

9. Christians & Jews recognize Abraham’s son Isaac as heir of God’s promise of offsping that would make a great nation and be blessed by God. But Muslims believe it is Ismael-not Isaac that will be blessed by Allah. (Ismael was Abraham’s illigitimate son from an Egyptian woman)
Jews may not believe in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, but Christians worship the God of Israel- the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. The Christian line is from the legitimate son of Abraham. The bible says Christians have been “grafted” from the same branch as the Jews and that’s why Christians have a closeness with the Jews and should stand by them. The bible also says no nation should turn Jews away or go against them because the God of Israel (the Christian’s God & Israel’s God) protects them.Allah wants his people to fight Jews & Christians. God revealed himself to Christians through the Jewish people. The Jews believe the Messiah is to come. Christians believe he came already and will come again at the end.

Romans 11:1-36 Paul is speaking. He is a former Jew who persecuted Christians. He is saying God will not reject his chosen people, the Jews. “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.”

Epesians 3:6 “This mystery is that the Gentiles (Christians) are fellow heirs (with Jews), members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”We are a brotherhood with Jewish people and the Muslim’s god “Allah” is against Jews and Christians. If we had the same God why would he come against himself? In Mark 3:25 Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Tragedy

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In the last month, we have seen great tragedy. I pray for those who lost friends, students, teachers, fathers, sons and daughters in these horrible acts of violence.

In Gilroy, California, 19 year old suspect Santino William Legan, murdered three — Stephen Romero (6), Keyla Salazar (13) and Trevor Deon Irby (25) — and wounded 13 when he opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 28.

On the morning of Aug. 3, 21-year-old suspect Patrick Crusius walked into an El Paso, Texas, Walmart and murdered 22 people: Javier Rodriguez (15), Andre Anchondo (23), Jordan Anchondo (24), Leonard Cipeda Campos (41), Ivan Hilierto Manzano (46), Maribel Hernandez (56), Elsa Libera Marquez (57), María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe (58), Arturo Benavides (60), Jorge Calvillo García (61), Gloria Irma Marquez (61), Margie Reckard (63), David Alvah Johnson (63), Alexander Gerhard Hoffman (66), Sara Esther Regalado (66), Adolfo Cerros Hernandez (68), Raul Flores (77), Maria Flores (77), Juan Velázquez (77), Teresa Sánchez de Freitas (82), Angelina Englisbee (86) and Luis Alfonzo Juarez (90). Twenty-four others were injured in the attack.

In Dayton, Ohio, in the early morning hours of Aug. 4, suspect 24 year old Connor Betts opened fire outside the entrance to Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon Historic District, murdering nine — sister Megan Betts (22), Nicholas Cumer (25), Thomas McNichols (25), Lois Oglesby (27), Logan Turner (30), Beatrice Warren-Curtis (36), Saeed Saleh (38), Monica Brickhouse (39) and Derrick Fudge (57) — and injuring 27 others (14 from gunfire). 

The first questions we all ask might be, why? What would make someone wake up one morning, load their weapons, get in their car and drive to a public gathering and open fire on innocent people; intending to murder as many as possible?

The perpetrators made a choice that most of us can’t even imagine. They seem to have followed a chain of thinking that glorifies darkness, hate, or revenge for some perceived wrong and decided that the best course of action is to enter a public place and randomly murder. People are shopping for “back to school” items, they are celebrating outdoor festivals; events that have happened countless times over generations. Events that have occurred peacefully for generations within the protection of less restrictive weapons laws. But these assassins have come to a personally motivating conclusion that these sweet and innocent people must die.

This thinking is so foreign and dangerous to civil society, that we must find a way to keep it from happening again. There must be some rational reason for this violence. Perhaps outside influences like TV, movies or video games; because no young man would come to these choices on their own. Perhaps the guns are to blame. Yes! That’s it, since we can’t imagine how these young men could carry out these heinous acts, it must be the guns. Let’s pour all our outrage against guns because we don’t know what else to do and this cannot happen again.

I understand why many would want to blame guns. It’s an easy answer. If we can deal with this one problem and we can prevent such horrible things won’t happen again. The slightly more cynical among us might suggest that blaming such a tragedy on a failure or perceived weakness in your opponent might give an advantage for those seeking election. I prefer to hope that we are all sincerely trying to keep this horror from happening again by using the tools we think are most likely to succeed.

However, I wonder if there could be other contributing factors. Contributing factors that might point out or own cultural decay. Maybe the problem is in our own philosophy?

Our contemporary society, in a proud arrogance, has attempted to replace God. We are worshiping gods of modernism, relativism, inclusion, climate change, progressive and enlightened thinking, secular humanism, and science. How long has it been since young people:

In short, as recent generations come up, they have received confusing and complex teaching. Rather than adopting boundaries based on biblical principles (external, immutable boundaries), today’s psychologists classify boundaries as relative.

“Boundaries are essentially about understanding and respecting our own needs, and being respectful and understanding of the needs of others,” explains Stephanie Dowd, a clinical psychologist, “and for that to work, we need to be putting a big emphasis on helping kids develop greater empathy and self-awareness.”

https://childmind.org/article/teaching-kids-boundaries-empathy/

If boundaries are dynamic constraints based on our own and others evolving needs, they aren’t boundaries any more. In fact, they are confusing and unpredictable. Where is an external moral compass or plumb-line that we can all rely on? Instead, we have to dynamically determine within the current context of interpersonal relationships, local customs and evolving laws, what is and is not appropriate behavior. Then, even when crossing well-established relativistic social boundaries such as theft and assault, adolescent children don’t suffer consequences. Rather, their records are sealed and no history of their adolescent criminal behavior is visible. We treat sin like it didn’t even happen with no consequences.

So, if you grow up in an environment where you are nurtured and not corrected, where your behavior is based on relativism, what path do you choose? When you grow up in a culture where God’s laws are regularly ignored or intentionally violated, what do you know of consequences to your actions? In light of our new enlightened philosophy, I suggest that young people make a choice that seems right to them at the moment, irrespective of what others believe. What choice can they make since there is no way to know what others believe; there is no external absolute truth any more.

As I consider our social decline over recent generations, I’m reminded of the analogy about a piano tuner. The story says that a good piano tuner tunes against a true note generated by a pitch fork or by a finely calibrated tone generator. That sets the tune of the piano to a known correct pitch. However, if you tune 5 pianos thusly; the first to a perfect pitch generator, the second to the first, the third to the second, the fourth to the third and the fifth to the fourth, the fifth piano is hopelessly out of tune. So it goes with relativistic morals.

16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 19:16-19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+19&version=NASB

Lessons from Birds

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While watching birds eating at my birdfeeder, I realized something about myself. The birds were jockying with each other to get the food they liked. Cardinals, Finches, Redwing Blackbirds, all vying for the same perch to get the tasty sunflower seeds. Each bird chasing the other away as they tried to get their meal. Bluebirds pounced on finches, finches crowded each other off the perch all desperate to get seed as if the seed were scarce and going to disappear. At no point did they understand that I provided the seed and that I would always replenish the feeders so they would all be satisfied.

That’s when I realized I treated the many blessings from God the same way. I struggle in life to get my fair share and even occasionally seek to put myself before another so I get the recognition or gifts I think I deserve. Rarely do I recognize the source of all these gifts. All I have I owe to God. I gather all I can as if His gifts were scarce. In truth, God’s blessings couldn’t be further from that.

God gives me gifts of skills, abilities and resources. When I use those gifts for His glory, He blesses me even more with joy and peace. God’s economy is not of scarcity but of abundance. Just like the birds, I focus on getting my fair share but don’t spend proper time blessing the giver.

I don’t expect the birds to come to the window and bow to me in thanks, but I think I, made in God’s image, should acknowledge the true giver of gifts and offer my thanks. Thank you, Lord.

https://www.biblehub.com/nasb/luke/12.htm

Luke 12:24“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25“And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26“If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29“And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30“For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.