Twisted madmen

I was talking with a friend the other day who happened to catch a cab in Newark not long after the terrorist attack. He noticed that the cab driver was Arabic, so he asked him where he was from. The cabbie hesitated and then said he was from Afghanistan. He went on to say that he hated the Taliban for what they did to his 14 year old daughter. She was caught with fingernail polish on her nails, so they cut off her left hand as punishment. He was fortunate enough to have the means to escape and be able to move his family to the United States as a refugee. I watched a special about the Taliban the other night. It showed a woman being beaten by two men using whips. Her crime? She accidentally allowed her veil to slip and expose her face when two men walked by her.
It showed the Taliban’s place of executions. It was formerly a soccer field. They hung a man from one of the goal posts and it showed another woman being shot in the head as she knelt on the soccer field. When asked about using a soccer field for executions instead of for what it was intended, the Taliban leader said that if someone would provide them with aid, they would be able to afford to build another facility for executions, and resume using the soccer field for playing soccer.
Terrific logic they use, isn’t it?

Throughout history men have distorted religious values to justify their acts of evil. Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for performing miracles on the Sabbath. Imagine that! Rather than violate the Sabbath, these compassionate great religious leaders of the day would prefer that someone stay blind. Jesus was crucified when these “religious” leaders demanded it in the name of “religion”.
Unfortunately God often gets the blame for misguided people’s actions that are performed under the guise of religion. David Koresh and Jim Jones are two examples of people whose twisted fanaticism not only led many people to their destruction as followers, but turned others against Christianity. The logic being: “If this is what Christianity/religion is all about, I want no part of it.” God is not organized religion.
Madmen twist religion to work their evil and do it in God’s name.
Unfortunately too many people end up losing their salvation either by becoming caught up in the false religion, or by being turned off to God because of these false prophets and their twisted logic. Always remember God is love. Those who truly represent Him will espouse God’s true nature. Read the Bible daily to learn the truth. Preachers that do not preach what you read should be avoided like a poisonous snake.
God is love.

_________________________

Matt.7:15
Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves.
You will know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes from
thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Even so, every good tree bears
good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit.