The Greatest Threat In the World
I truly agree with my late friend Dr. Munroe when he stated: "The greatest threat to the world is religion". Nuclear weapons, terrorism, SARS, shifting governments, military coups, and AIDS are simply tools used by religion. Remember this one thing: More wars have been fought in the name of some type of religious group, whether it be Islam or Christianity, more than any other influence in this world.
Millions have died over the past 2000 years under the destructive hand of religious zeal. Misplaced and misguided religious passion has produced such historical scars as the Crusades, the Inquisition, ethnic cleansing and the horror of the Holocaust. By the way, the Crusades were about making those who weren't "Christian" to become "Christian"; something that Jesus--nor the apostles--never demanded or forced on others. We all have the power of choice--free will. Jesus had one message, "The Kingdom". In fact, Jesus was so filled with His purpose from His Father, that after He had fasted forty days and been tempted of the devil in the wilderness, His first and only message was the Kingdom. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Now the question arises: Why is religion so powerful and controlling? Why is it more powerful than politics, military arms, and scientific advancement? Because religion is not just a social, cultural, political or ideological factor. Instead it finds its power in the personal chambers of the soul of the individual. Embrace this: Within the soul we discover the source of the private motivation that forms perceptions and behaviors. Man is more willing to die for the sake of his religion than for any political, social or ideological reason.
When Jesus the King came preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, it was an invitation to reclaim what we had lost. Even after He recruited some of His disciples, His message was still the same. It wasn't on healing or raising the dead. Those are the attributes that come with the kingdom. Read Acts 11:19-26 Remember, Christ never called His believers "Christians". The people of Antioch first called them that name.
Matthew 4:17
~~W.R. Luchie
I truly agree with my late friend Dr. Munroe when he stated: "The greatest threat to the world is religion". Nuclear weapons, terrorism, SARS, shifting governments, military coups, and AIDS are simply tools used by religion. Remember this one thing: More wars have been fought in the name of some type of religious group, whether it be Islam or Christianity, more than any other influence in this world.
Millions have died over the past 2000 years under the destructive hand of religious zeal. Misplaced and misguided religious passion has produced such historical scars as the Crusades, the Inquisition, ethnic cleansing and the horror of the Holocaust. By the way, the Crusades were about making those who weren't "Christian" to become "Christian"; something that Jesus--nor the apostles--never demanded or forced on others. We all have the power of choice--free will. Jesus had one message, "The Kingdom". In fact, Jesus was so filled with His purpose from His Father, that after He had fasted forty days and been tempted of the devil in the wilderness, His first and only message was the Kingdom. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Now the question arises: Why is religion so powerful and controlling? Why is it more powerful than politics, military arms, and scientific advancement? Because religion is not just a social, cultural, political or ideological factor. Instead it finds its power in the personal chambers of the soul of the individual. Embrace this: Within the soul we discover the source of the private motivation that forms perceptions and behaviors. Man is more willing to die for the sake of his religion than for any political, social or ideological reason.
When Jesus the King came preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, it was an invitation to reclaim what we had lost. Even after He recruited some of His disciples, His message was still the same. It wasn't on healing or raising the dead. Those are the attributes that come with the kingdom. Read Acts 11:19-26 Remember, Christ never called His believers "Christians". The people of Antioch first called them that name.
Matthew 4:17
~~W.R. Luchie