Dr Paul Allen

And the Lord said, “ Simon, Simon . Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. So when you return to me, strengthen your brethren (brothers). (Luke 22:31-32) This story is familiar to us all. Chaos traced back to one man and his diabolical plan, Osama Bin Laden and his hate of the western world, and especially Christianity. Due to his mastermind of despicable acts, he became what is known as a “high value target.” He was a wanted man for what he did and what he represented. A High Value Target (HVT) is defined, as a target the enemy commander requires eliminated for the successful completion of a mission. The elimination of HVTs is needed to seriously downgrade important enemy functions throughout the friendly commander’s area of interest ( United States Dept. of Defense definition). In other words, an HVT is the target the enemy commander requires for the successful completion of a mission. We all k

Image via Wikipedia By Albert Mohler. The news that a huge stash of digital pornography had been discovered on the computers taken from Osama bin Laden ’s compound was big news, but it should not have been a big surprise.  As Scott Shane of The New York Times  reports, the discovery “could fuel accusations of hypocrisy against the founder of Al Qaeda , who was 54 and lived with three wives at the time of his death.” Well, he would hardly be the first married man caught with a porn stash, but in this case, Osama bin Laden had repeatedly accused the United States of immorality, with specific reference to pornography and sexualized images. In 2002, bin Laden released a ‘Letter to the American People,” in which he attacked American sexual mores. In his words: There is considerable truth in his criticism of America’s sinfully-sexualized and pornography-drenched culture, of course. Americans should be humiliated that we are known for such cultural exports to other nations. And yet, it tur

Image via Wikipedia Since President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was dead,  Internet skepticism  has been on a  steady and troubling rise . So much so that the White House had  considered   releasing  gory photos of bin Laden’s body before deciding yesterday  against it. It’s just as well. I am convinced providing such evidence would have done no good. Conspiracy theories and doubt would linger. It’s an unsettling phenomenon that raises questions not only about the lack of trust in government, but also about the distinctions that must be made between irrational incredulity and a Christian belief that rests on faith rather than evidence.  If I root my faith in emotional belief rather than cool-headed logic, how am I different from “birthers” and “deathers?” Two recent articles written before last weekend’s Pakistan mission have provoked me to thought. In the first,  Discovery Channel’s Benjamin Radford  addressed why “birther” conspiracy theories linger eve

Image via Wikipedia God ’s emotions are complex—like yours, only a million times more. Right now, your emotions about bin Laden are not simple, i.e. not single. There are several, and they intermingle. That is a good thing. You are God-like. In response to Osama bin Laden ’s death, quite a few tweets and blogs have cited the biblical truth that “God does not delight in the death of the wicked.” That is true.                                      It is also true that God  does  delight in the death of the wicked. There are things about every death that God approves in themselves and things about every death that God disapproves in themselves. Is God Double-Minded? This is not double talk. All thoughtful people make such distinctions. For example, if my daughter asks me if I like a movie, I might say yes or no to the same movie. Why? Because a movie can be assessed for its 1) acting, 2) plot, 3) cinematography, 4) nudity, 5) profanity, 6) suspense, 7) complexity, 8) faithfulness to t

Image via Wikipedia Understandably, news of Osama bin Laden 's demise at the hands of U. S. Navy Seals provoked cries of celebration. The mastermind of terror, even against civilians (indeed, against fellow Muslims) has been brought to justice. But what kind of justice? In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, President George W. Bush authorized " Operation Infinite Justice ." Especially after his comment that "this  crusade , this war on terrorism, is going to take a while," however, the mission was renamed "Operation Enduring Freedom." Reportedly, the name-change was  due at least in part  to the concern raised by  Muslims  that only God can execute "infinite justice." One would have hoped that the change had been provoked instead by  Christian reaction. Islam, of course, is not just a religion; it's a cultural and even geo-political reality. As such, its strict adherents excoriate co-religionists like Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im who c