AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER * WHY ARE THERE NO CHRISTIAN SUICIDE BOMBERS AND TERRORISTS * MENTAL ILLNESS COMMON IN SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM WAR * RELIGIOUS LIBERTY BODIES FORM NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT THE CHURCH ----------------------------------------------- WHY ARE THERE NO CHRISTIAN SUICIDE BOMBERS AND TERRORISTS The Muslim suicide bomber who struck an Iraqi elementary school reminded me of the Muslim bomber who literally crashed the wedding party at the Amman, Jordan Radisson Hotel last year. Both instances struck fear in every person with hope of life and love of children. Weddings are, after all, a celebration of life; a time when grandparents, immediate and extended family, and friends witness a man and woman exchanging pledges of support and fidelity. These pledges, which form a new entity, a new family, also provide the foundation upon which to build a new home for future children. Choosing to destroy a wedding party rather than a business meeting is, therefore, a particularly heinous act.Car bombings and suicidal attacks are now a daily staple of our news. Rarely will a news cycle end without reference to another attack on civilians somewhere in the world. Yet we never hear of a Christian suicide bomber, either here or abroad. Do Christians not love the Lord God Jehovah as much as the Muslim suicide bombers love Allah? Do Christians lack the devotion or courage necessary to take their lives in pursuit of a greater cause? To the secularists who think Christian crusaders and Muslim jihadists are cut from the same cloth, is there a material difference between the two?The answer, of course, is yes. A Christian kamikaze would truly be a "man bites dog" story. One reason for this truly remarkable difference in religions is their differing concepts of God. To the Muslims, Allah is one, and is powerful, just, and righteous. Although God to Christians has similar attributes, Christians believe there are three Persons in the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This difference is significant because Christians believe that even before Creation, God was relational. God the Father loved His Son, who in turn loved His Father and the Holy Spirit. The Three Persons in the Godhead similarly communicated, empathized and were self-giving before Creation. All of these attributes of personality can only be expressed within a relationship, and to Allah, there is no relationship.Nancy Pearcey in her book Total Truth notes that Christians pray to God as a personal being: They pour their hearts out to Him, as David did, and argue with Him, as Job did. Young Christians learn to sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and learn how God walked on earth in the form of a human 2000 years ago. Christians believe that a personal Being will respond in a personal way through impromptu supplication and spontaneous prayer.Muslim worship, in contrast, is very ritualistic. Five times each day, wherever they may be, practicing Muslims turn toward Mecca in worship. Moving through the postures of standing, kneeling, prostrating, sitting, and reciting from the Qur'an, they passionately demonstrate their total submission to the will of Allah. Allah demands obedience from Muslims. Singing "What a Friend We Have in Allah" would be blasphemy.The difference between Allah, who demands obedience, and God, who gives love, is stark. To some Muslims, Allah demands the sacrifice of their sons. To Christians, God gave His Son as a sacrifice for us. That's a world of difference. Source: Assist News Service ----------------------------------------------- MENTAL ILLNESS COMMON IN SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM WAR While most news reports focus on the high rates of devastating physical injuries among soldiers returning from war, a new study recently released measures another form of casualty: mental illness.The study, conducted by Dr. Karen Seal and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, says that about one third of the 103,788 returning veterans seen at USA Veterans Associations between Sept. 30, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2005 were diagnosed with mental illness or a psycho-social disorder - such as homelessness and marital problems, including domestic violence.Over half - 56% - were suffering from more than one disorder. The median was three disorders, says Dr. Seal: "So instead of treating just post-traumatic stress disorder, you're treating PTSD, depression and substance abuse." The most common combination, she says, was PTSD and depression. "That's understandable," says Seal, because soldiers face horrifying events in combat that lead to PTSD while experiencing "a lot of loss and separation that leads to depression."Post-traumatic stress disorder affected 13% of veterans in the study. That number is consistent with figures from other conflicts, including Vietnam. But Seal is concerned that the numbers on PTSD and other mental disorders have been rising since the study was completed."We just did a quick peek at more recent data and the numbers have gone up. They may surpass the numbers from Vietnam." She and her fellow authors attribute the prevalence of mental problems to the stress of guerrilla warfare, the chronic threat of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices and multiple tours of duty. Source: Science Daily ----------------------------------------------- RELIGIOUS LIBERTY BODIES FORM NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT THE CHURCH Fifteen organisations working for the persecuted church have formed a network called "The Religious Liberty Partnership". This network will meet annually, while a working group, consisting of five members, will handle cooperative action during the year. The Chairman is Merwyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, UK.The aim of the network is to coordinate efforts, inform about the needs of the persecuted church and the work of the organisations, and to pray together. Through this unique network the religious liberty bodies believe that the suffering church can receive more relevant help than ever before.Among the members are leading organisations such as Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, Christian Solidarity International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, World Evangelical Alliance together with around ten other similar organisations. New members can be included in the future.According to Johan Candelin, who represents the World Evangelical Alliance in the working group for 2007, this is wonderful news. "This is historic news as it is the first time these organisations have come together to join hands. The real winners are our suffering brothers and sisters. This development also sends a positive signal to the global church about the spirit of unity present in the meeting." Source: Elizabeth Kendal World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty
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