Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

Fire and Fury, Will Korean Christians Survive?

Last updated on: August 10, 2017 at 6:32 pm   by Robert Hunt

Fire and Fury, Will Korean Christians Survive? 2017-08-10T18:32:03-06:00 Robert Hunt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

a war on the Korean Peninsula? I wonder.

Dallas’ own Robert Jeffress has once again weighed in on foreign affairs. His exact words, as reported in the Washington Post. were: “God has endowed rulers full power to use whatever means necessary – including war – to stop evil.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/08/08/god-has-given-trump-authority-to-take-out-kim-jong-un-evangelist-advisor-says.) This was his positive endorsement of the “fire and fury” comments of Trump a day earlier.

Now when Jeffress says “take out Kim Jong Un” by any measures (including war) I wonder if he’s considered just what “war” actually means. Because what it means in this case is the death of millions of people.

I don’t say “innocent” people because Jeffress may not believe that the civilians in North Korea that would be killed are innocent. Perhaps he believes that they are fully supportive of the murderous regime that keeps them in a vast prison on starvation rations.

But of course a “fire and fury” attack on North Korea wouldn’t just harm North Koreans.

Seoul, South Korea’s capital, is home to some of the largest Christian churches in the world, and a rapidly growing Christian population. It is also within artillery range of North Korea’s very substantial army just to the north. In a military conflict between the US and North Korea the city of Seoul would be turned into a mass grave amid the rubble of its churches. It will be worse, of course, if North Korea already has nuclear tipped missiles pointing at Seoul – which is a far easier target than Guam or the US West Coast.

And many if not most of the rest of the South Koreans that will die without the assurance of salvation. Are they so guilty of something that they deserve to be destroyed before they have a chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ?

Jeffress has claimed that most Christians don’t really understand international affairs. One wonders if he has a grasp on geography. Does he imagine that there will be no consequences for Koreans, and Korean Christians if the US engages in “fire and fury such as the world has never seen.”

So let’s talk about the real world for a minute Dr. Jeffress. The material necessary to create a nuclear bomb is either purchased from abroad (meaning North Korea has nuclear armed allies) or created using massive banks of centrifuges spinning highly radioactive gas into its constituent isotopes. An attack on such a facility inevitably releases millions of cubic feet of unbelievably poisoned gas that drifts with the wind and falls upon the just and the unjust alike. Quite likely Americans in Alaska among others.

And if Kim Jong Un manages to detonate one or more of his warheads? Even worse. Or if his unnamed ally weighs in? Even worse.

The problem with assigning to Donald Trump the role of protector of American Christian civilization is that it inevitably makes him the destroyer of non-American Christians as well as all those inhabitants of the vast cities of Asia whose lives would be destroyed in a cloud of radioactive gas that is the inevitable result of the thermonuclear war that would ensue.

Fortunately even Trump is more reliable in his moral judgment than Jeffress. Despite his bluster he has real military advisors who can point out the consequences of the actions that his so-called spiritual advisor has endorsed. The US military, although it will ultimately follow orders, will no doubt offer strong opinions before a conflagration is started that will almost instantly result in the death of the 10’s of thousands of young Americans stationed on in South Korea. Fruitlessly one might add, since in kind of war that will ensue all those ground based troops will die before they can raise their rifles or start their tanks.

Did I mention the Christians in China? How will the Communist Chinese government react toward its Christian minority when not one but many prominent American Christian pastors urge war against its ally and client on the Korean peninsula? Think of what happened to the Falun Dafa but a thousand times over.

I only include as a closing note that Jeffress interpretation of Romans 12 is  specious and reveals how little he understands either the Bible or the US constitution. In a democracy the president is not a “ruler” in the sense of Romans 12.

Trump was no more appointed by God than God “anointed” him through the hands of his self-proclaimed spiritual advisors. The rulers in the US are the citizens of the US. It WE who were appointed by God to govern our nation. Trump is our servant and if we live long enough we can get rid of him as I hope we do.

As for those who claim to anoint Trump as God’s ruler? They appear to have forgotten that there is only One anointed of God to rule over the principalities and powers of the world – and that is Jesus Christ. The other who makes that claim? Well Dr. Jeffess is an expert in the Book of Revelation. Perhaps he can answer that question.

Uncategorized

Previous Post



August 5, 2017

Romans 1 and Same-Sex Relations

Next Post



August 16, 2017 Jews, Muslims, and Christians Restoring American Ideals


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Identity Christian Muslim Relations Home Page Inter-Religious Dialogue Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 May 2010




TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Rahab was a prostitute who helped the Israelite spies in Jericho.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Related posts from Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

Interfaith

Atheism as Religion, not its Antithesis

Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

Interfaith

Atheism and the New Conditions of Disbelief

Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

Interfaith

The End of a Privileged Place

Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

Interfaith

Uncertainty is Our Only Hope

Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian

Did Prayer Cure His Cancer? Or Was It...

At 4 AM one morning, Joshua W. Brown’s wife awoke to a...

8 Ways a Near-Death Experience Rewires the Soul

Does Consciousness Survive Physical Death? After 50 Years of Research, Dr. Raymond...

Holy Longing: What Our Restlessness Is Telling Us

“One can find so many pains when the rain is falling.” -John...

The Making of a Dumbass

  What this is NOT about.  This blog is definitely not about...

Who Told You That?

Who said the Israelites were God’s chosen? That’s right, they did. Who...

The Spirit World Is the Real World: God...

A Monk’s Wisdom on Body and Spirit I sit with Brother Martin...

view all Progressive Christian blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube