Desecrating the Holy Book
By Alan Allegra
The recent allegations regarding desecration of the Qur'an, the
Muslim holy book, have sent shock waves through both the Islamic
and Western worlds. Muslim detainees have alleged that their
Qur'ans have been stepped on, torn up, kicked around, and
stuffed into toilets and latrines. Americans, the great
proponents of religious freedom, are repulsed by such actions,
and rightfully so. Our written guarantee of freedom of speech,
which some pundits say allows for desecration of treasured
symbols, icons, and works of art and literature, does not trump
the same guarantees of freedom of religion and ownership of
property. In other words, I can burn my own flag, step on my own
holy book, or tear up my picture of the president, but I can't
come after yours. As Jesus said, "Do to others as you would have
them do to you" (Luke 6:31).
Ironically, Christian influence gave us the Bill of Rights.
Americans can worship as they wish, or not at all, and seek to
spread that right to all men. There are two baffling, and even
troubling, thoughts about this situation: the Christian world's
desecration of its own holy book, and the world's lack of
outrage at the desecration of Christians. Let's start with the
latter.
Rampant persecution of Christians overseas doesn't make the
headlines. Destruction of Bibles is small potatoes. Every day,
hundreds of human beings are being chased, displaced, raped,
tortured, and dismembered, with entire villages pillaged for
bearing the name of Christ. Mere ownership of a Bible is
punishable by death in many Middle Eastern countries. Where is
the public outcry? Instead, in our own free country, there is
outcry over any attempt to integrate the teachings of the Bible
into public life. At one time, it was de rigueur to be a
Christian; now they are fair game. This shouldn't be surprising,
for Jesus said, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted
and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because
of me" (Matthew 24:9). So, why aren't Christians rioting over
such desecration? Jesus also said, "My kingdom is not of this
world. If it were, my servants would fight . . . " (John 18:36).
Christians await a new kingdom, when all will be put right.
Perhaps a more troubling reason Christians don't raise an outcry
is because some don't reverence their holy book. It has become
too accessible and, therefore, common. Or too controversial. Or
we've become too complacent. We have Christian radio, TV, video
games, comics, bookstores, seminars, toys, candy, jewelry,
movies, etc. Most homes have more than one Bible. Perhaps we've
become jaded to our holy book.
Living by the Bible has become unpopular. Creation, the Ten
Commandments, prayer in the name of Jesus, justice, and personal
responsibility are no longer politically correct. It's easier
just to conform to the popular culture and downplay the
Scriptures. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Watch your life and
doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will
save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16).
Perhaps complacency has become the Christian's biggest enemy. A
little dab of Bible on Sunday morning is enough to get us by, so
we don't need to attend other services. A one-dimensional God of
Love is enough to make us feel good. Sin is too harsh a concept,
so let's dilute the Word with psychology. There is a declining
interest in "stuffy, irrelevant, incomprehensible" doctrine, so
dumb down for us; just give us some principles to satisfy our
felt needs. Where strict Muslims are very careful about how the
Qur'an is translated, modern Bible paraphrases, carefully
screened to omit offensive words, become big sellers.
Consequently, questionable song lyrics, man-centered
philosophies, and Christian celebrities with unexamined
lifestyles slip under the church's radar. The recent article
entitled, "A meeting on Mary: Anglican-Catholic panel reaches
agreement on the role of the mother of Jesus" By Gene Johnson Of
The Associated Press, states, "The remaining question between
the faiths is the authority on which those dogmas are based, he
saida question to be tackled in future discussions. 'For
Anglicans, that old complaint that these dogmas were not
provable by scripture will disappear,' Carnley said during a
news conference with Seattle's Catholic Archbishop, Alexander
Brunett." It seems the authority of the Bible is being
questioned.
The Christian is not called to defend the faith with violence,
but to spread it through a life of grace and truth. He is not
called to please himself but to please God. Fundamentally, he is
called to imbibe the words of the Holy Bible so as to become
mature and able to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:1214). Let
us not desecrate our holy book by neglecting it.
Alan Allegra, Executive Administrative Assistant of Faith Church
in Allentown, Pa.
More devotionals at
http://www.faithefc.com/includes/Alan-Devotionals.htm.
