A Matter of Faith

Senator Bernie Sanders 

Although I find the tedious world of American politics both

baffling and boorish, I have a hard time with someone

in a position of authority using the
 subject of  personal religious beliefs as a

 litmus test for those seeking an appointment

to work for the government.

While the United States Constitution does not allow the

imposition of religious testing for those holding public office,

the recent flap concerning former presidential hopeful

 Senator Bernie Sanders (V-I)

opposing a Christian nominee to be deputy director

of the Office of Management and Budget based

on the man's personal Christian beliefs,

is very disturbing to me.

By his own admission, Senator Sanders,

who is Jewish, considers himself "non-religious."

Under our Constitution, that is his legal right.

 However,  potential nominee Russell Vought  

 recently came under fire by Sanders,

after the latter made reference to an article written by Vought,

in which he claimed that, "Muslims do not know God

because they have rejected Jesus Christ His Son,

and they stand condemned."

Sanders asked Vought if he believed this

statement was Islamophobic.

Vought responded that he is a Christian. 

He believes that apart from Christ, a person cannot

enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mr. Vought's beliefs line up correctly

 with the Word of God which attests, 

"This Jesus is the Stone which was despised

and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become

the Head of the corner, the Cornerstone.

And there is salvation in and through no one else,

for there is no other name under heaven given among

men by and in which we must be saved."

Acts 4:11-12

The article Mr. Vought wrote was in defense of a decision

made last year by his alma mater, Wheaton College, which 

fired a political science professor, Larycia Hawkins, who posted

on Facebook that she was not only wearing a hijab during

Advent to express her solidarity with Muslims, but,

that she believes Christians and Muslims

worship the same God.

She further quoted a passage from Romans 12:18,

"...as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone."

Former Wheaton College  Political Science Professor

Larycia Hawkins (center) is seen here wearing a

Muslim headscarf to profess solidarity with Muslims.

If Larycia Hawkins wishes to live in peace with Muslims

and express her solidarity with them by donning a hijab,

she has the right, under the US Constitution, to do so.

In the same respect, Wheaton College, which believes

that Jehovah God is not the same as Allah, and that

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah,

sent into the world by the Father to save 

people from their sins on the cross, and that

no one can be reconciled to the Father

apart from Him, had every right to

terminate Ms. Hawkins for teaching

not only what is in direct conflict
 to their mission statement,

 but is one of the most damaging heresies
of apostate Christianity being taught
in colleges and universities
 across America today.

 Furthermore, the verse quoted by Ms. Hawkins

actually states:

 "If possible, as far as it depends on you,

live in peace with everyone."

Romans 12:18

I am wondering why she chose

not to fully quote this passage of Scripture.

 After all, how is it possible, for my brothers and sisters in Christ

in the Middle East to live in peace with everyone, when

the murderous forces of ISIS are crucifying them

on crosses in mockery of their Christian faith?

A Syrian Christian man crucified by ISIS

 How is it possible for Egypt's Copt Christians, murdered

during worship services by Islamic jihadists, to

live in peace with those committed to kill them?

The aftermath of a bombing at a

Coptic Christian church in Egypt

 How is it further possible for African Christians,
 who are faced with persecution and death

  at the hands of the merciless sons of Allah,
 to blissfully ignore the dangers
 they encounter on a daily basis?

Christian victim of Islamic violence in Central Africa

The answer to all these above questions is NO!
They cannot live peacefully with everyone,
especially those who hate them for 
being the followers of Jesus Christ.

Ms. Hawkins believes that Christians and Muslims worship

the same God? 

This answer is FALSE!

The Dome of the Rock

Jerusalem, Israel

On the walls of the famous Dome of the Rock, 
the iconic, gold-domed mosque

 which dominates the Jerusalem skyline, 

written in Arabic, the official language of the Koran,

are these words:

 "God is only One God. Far be it

removed from His transcendent majesty that

He should have a son."

And these words:

"It befitteth not the Majesty of God that He should

take unto Himself a son."

While the prophet Mohammad himself regarded Jesus

as a wise teacher and a great prophet, both he and all Muslims

reject the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

They reject not only His deity, but, they refuse to

acknowledge the father-son relationship between

God and Jesus.

They further reject the concept of God in Three Persons,

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Muslims reject the idea that Jesus died on the cross to

save the world from sin and death.  They deny that

human beings can only claim to be good and righteous

because Jesus was good and righteous first.

The basic Christian concepts of forgiveness

and mercy are lost on those who follow the core

mandate of Islam, which decrees that if infidels,
(or non-believers) refuse to become Muslims,
 they should be killed.

I believe the above posted pictures speak for themselves.

The true believers in Jesus Christ in America today

are coming under increase attack for their faith.

However, it is my own personal belief that

 the greatest persecution we face will not

come from atheist politicians, or even

the Muslims. The greatest challenge to

our faith today is from those coming in the

guise of Christ Himself.

We need to immerse ourselves in regular study and

meditation on God's Word, while regarding the

counsel from Paul's letter to the Ephesians

which declares,

 "Take no part in and have no

fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises

of darkness, but instead let your lives be in

contrast as to expose and reprove and convict them."

"But when anything is exposed and reproved

by the light, it is made visible and clear; and

where everything is visible and clear

there is light.

Ephesians 5:11,13