Lamar Howell's Weblog

In Alexander Dumas’ book The Count of Monte Cristo someone said that King Louis XVI’s followers had commmitment, dedication, and enthusiasm, but that those qualities were not enough. Napoleon’s followers had those qualities and one more: fanaticism. And that is why they would triumph.

Fanaticism implies a willingness to die for one’s ideals. That is something Christians in America do not have. It is indeed something radical Muslims have, and it will take only one act of terror to strike fear into ordinary American citizens, and the threat of further terror to galvanize America into a police state.

American Christians have no antidote for this because they see Christianity as a cozy sub-culture rather than an over-arching worldview which will shape the values of our future as a nation. We have chosen co-existence with other religions rather than obedience to evangelize their adherents, so we have lost the war already. It is only a matter of time before the prevailing sentiment will be “tolerate all, offend none,” a view which will be promoted, and eventually enforced, by shadowy government watchmen.

Economics and politics will not be the final determiner in this nation’s future. Any nation’s future is shaped by either religious or anti-religious ideology. In a time of crisis, ideology based on one’s deepest beliefs about morality will always triumph over consumerism and hedonism, even political expediency.  That is why Islam will have the effect of paralyzing Americans with fear. Islam as a religion may not prevail numerically, but it will be the wrench that will bring freedom’s machinery to a screeching, sudden, and permanent halt.

We could change all this if we would take it seriously. I pray that we will.

Postscript:

Last year I had a closed vision while attending a church service. I saw a great eagle flying with resolute purpose and pride across the Atlantic toward Great Britain. Instantly a huge lion stood up in England and let out a terrifying and long roar toward the eagle. The eagle stopped in mid-air, turned back toward the US mainland, and with alarm and a fearful eye flew rapidly back to the east coast. As it moved over the mainland to the center of the nation, arrows flew up toward the eagle from every state in continental United States. The eagle lifted its wings and flew up to a high mountain out of sight, hidden from the inhabitants. I somehow knew the eagle would be hidden for a long indeterminate period of time.