Best Religious Intolerance & Persecution

It is also the untold story of how she ran from her father’s threats to find refuge with strangers in Florida, only to face a controversial court case that reached national headlines. As much as anything, this is a story about the first freedom upon which America was built—the freedom to believe and live one’s life according to those beliefs. Rifqa’s inspiring story reminds us why we must continue to stand for faith and freedom!”. —Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council. This story will give you not only insight into what it means for a Muslim to convert to Christianity and the heavy price associated with that, but also the importance of Christians breaking through the stereotypes and reaching out to Muslims in love.”. —Naghmeh Abedini, wife of imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini. In my own experience as a child, I had hidden in a cocoon of despair and lived with the brutality of loneliness—I understand how she felt. Hiding in the Light is a testament to what happens when one ordinary person is touched by the one extraordinary Savior of the World.”. —John Stemberger, president and general counsel, Florida Family Policy Council.

#1 bestselling author and radio host Glenn Beck exposes the real truth behind the roots of Islamic extremism in Muslim teachings in this sharply insightful handbook that debunks commonly held assumptions about Islam and the dream of a renewed caliphate. After the Library of Congress was burned to the ground by the British during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson, then in retirement at Monticello, offered once more to be of service to his young nation. Jefferson, who owned the nation’s largest private collection of books—6,500 at the time—offered the entire lot to the newly rebuilt library “for whatever price found appropriate.”. Jefferson had bought these volumes, bound in leather and filled with yellowed pages that crackled when you turned them, forty years earlier when he’d been a young red-haired law student in Williamsburg. In 1765, the young rabble-rouser had become known for his strident opposition to Parliament’s passage of the Stamp Act, the latest in a series of unjust taxes imposed by the British on the colonies without representation. That is why, when he wandered into the offices of the Virginia Gazette, the local newspaper that doubled as a bookstore, one day in October 1765, Jefferson found the two-volume set so tantalizing. Islam, to Jefferson’s mind, provided a cautionary tale of what happened when a faith insisted on combining religious and political power into one. The irony of Jefferson’s observations about Islam is that they were made in service of an argument that would ensure that Muslims—along with Jews, Christians, atheists, and adherents of every other faith—would have full citizenship as Virginians, and ultimately, as Americans. Between 1776 and 1779, Jefferson drafted more than one hundred pieces of legislation, but he was most proud of number 82, which is referenced on his gravestone as “the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom.” The fiercely controversial bill disestablished Christianity as the official religion of his state. Jefferson’s legislation was nothing short of revolutionary, a first in the history of the world: absolute freedom of religious conscience and permanent separation of church and state. And as evidenced by his copious notes, Jefferson’s knowledge of the Quran and Islam had shaped his views of the importance of protecting religious liberty. In March 1786, after America had won its independence, Jefferson was serving as minister to France, shuttling between European capitals to secure commercial agreements. One of the thorniest challenges he had to confront was the growing power of the Barbary States, four North African territories that sponsored marauding pirates who were increasingly confiscating thousands of dollars in American shipping and enslaving hundreds of U.S. citizens in prisons across the Mediterranean. In London, Jefferson and his fellow diplomat John Adams met with the ambassador from the pasha of Tripoli, a man named Abdul Rahman, to resolve the growing dispute. So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah’s Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e., take them as captives). To drive the point home, the ambassador left Jefferson and Adams with a final image of what American sailors would face on the high seas. It was a law that the first who boarded an enemy’s vessel should have one slave, more than his share with the rest, which operated as an incentive to the most desperate valour and enterprise, that it was the practice of their corsairs to bear down upon a ship, for each sailor to take a dagger in each hand and another in his mouth, and leap on board, which so terrified their enemies that very few ever stood against them, that he verily believed the Devil assisted his countrymen, for they were almost always successful. From mindless security protocols, like toiletries stuffed into clear bags and shoes being removed, at airport checkpoints, to entire parts of the globe now being impenetrable to Western travelers, to an emerging nuclear arms race that threatens global stability, to shaming and silencing those of us who defend freedom of speech, Islam is on a crash course with the free world. The ultimate irony is that, fifteen years after 9/11, we’re actually farther away from understanding the threat than we were in the days following the most brutal attack in our history. This work is not meant to be a polemic, but rather an exercise in free inquiry in the tradition of one of our nation’s most cherished Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson himself ensured that the Constitution protected religious freedom, including for Muslims, Scientologists, Jews, Mormons, Catholics, and everyone else. Does every Muslim in the world share a belief in spreading a Caliphate or support the mandatory implementation of sharia law? There are, however, moderate Muslims—and while I know this comes off as being overly political correct, it’s not an exaggeration to say that they are our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our family members. A June 2015 poll of Muslims living in the United States by the Center for Security Policy showed that a shocking number (51 percent) seek to embrace sharia over the U.S. Constitution. In addition, nearly one in four of Muslims polled believed that “it is legitimate to use violence to punish those who give offense to Islam by, for example, portraying the prophet Mohammed.” One in five respondents agreed that “the use of violence is justified in order to make shariah the law of the land in this country” while only 39 percent believed that Muslims in the U.S. should be subjected to American courts. In the Middle East, for example, there are many countries where the vast majority of Muslims share the fundamentalist view that Islam is the only true religion and that it must be spread through any means necessary. It is incompatible with open elections, rights for minorities, trial by jury, and all the other institutions familiar to the Western way of life. A religion that believes in stoning and killing people who don’t share their views and values is not equal to the rest. A religion that supports the beheading of human beings in the twenty-first century simply is not equal to Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or any of the world’s great faiths. To argue that it has nothing to do with terrorism or violence is the equivalent of going back to the sixteenth century and telling Martin Luther that the corrupt actions of the Catholic Church had nothing to do with Christianity. Millions of practitioners of Islam believe that God wants us to literally stone people to death when we find their lifestyle offensive. Article 102 of the Penal Code states that men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts for the purpose of execution by stoning. What the Amnesty International report neglects to mention is the full name of the statutes that allow stoning: the Islamic Penal Code of Iran (emphasis added). Sentences of flogging and amputations continued to be imposed for a wide range of offences, including alcohol consumption, eating in public during Ramadan, and theft. Under Islamic law, at least as interpreted by Iran, you can lose a hand for things that teenagers in America do on a typical Friday night. We’re going to quote straight from the Hadith, the collected deeds and sayings of Allah’s prophet Muhammad, which form one of the primary bases of Islamic law. And we’re also going to expose the foolish, naïve, and, as we’ll learn in some cases, intentionally deceptive views of Islam apologists in the United States who have worked hard to convince everyone that there is nothing to see here. We will chronicle, in their own words, their twenty-year plan to build a new empire, or Caliphate, and expand it to the rest of the world. In doing all this and asking the hard questions we will be following in the path of Thomas Jefferson himself, who read and thought deeply about Islam. On page 113 in volume 1 of George Sale’s translation are Thomas Jefferson’s own initials beside one of the Quran’s most warlike passages: “God hath preferred those who fight for the faith [mujahideen] before those who sit still.”. Or perhaps he turned to this passage in 1801, when, as commander in chief, he finally gave the order to take America to war against the Barbary pirates, the mujahideen of the Mediterranean. As a result, every translated version of the Quran contains parentheses and brackets to give context and clarify missing pronouns. I have used the exact translation; all parentheses and brackets appearing in Quranic verses (as well as Hadith) can be found in the original text, which is available online at: http://www.noblequran.com/translation/.

Wise Sheep Among the Wolves All Christian disciples have one thing in common: as they carry the gospel across the ocean and across the street, persecution will become the norm for those who choose to follow Jesus. This book dares you—and prepares you—to cross the street and the oceans with the Good News of Jesus Christ. In light of the words of Jesus, how can modern day believers rest comfortably in the status quo? Ripken brings decades of ministry experience in some of the most persecuted areas of the world to bear on our understanding of faith in Jesus. Nik Ripken is the world's leading expert on the persecuted church in Muslim contexts.

With an easy to read question and answer format, the Catechism combines solid Catholic doctrinal teaching with meaningful exposure to Scripture and practical application. The revival of interest in the Baltimore Catechism reflects Catholics growing realization that a clear, concise presentation of the truths of the Faith is just what people young and old need to appreciate, practice and defend Church teaching. The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore was an American assembly held in the nineteenth century.

It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment--a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring. Read Radical , be blessed, and be changed.” —Johnny Hunt, president, Southern Baptist Convention, and pastor, First Baptist Church of Woodstock “ Radical will cause you to bounce on a spectrum between two words: ouch and amen. Read Radical if you’re ready to live differently.” —Gregg Matte, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Houston “David Platt’s book will leave anyone who sincerely engages with his challenge dissatisfied—and faced with a decision: What will authentic faith look like in my life? This book has the potential to revitalize churches today to practice a radical, biblical lifestyle that can transform society and reach a lost world.” —Jerry Rankin, president, International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention “The church of the Lord Jesus has been seduced by a skilled seductress: the American dream. But you’ll find here another Way, one you know to be true, because you’ve heard it before in the words of the Lord Jesus, perhaps most forcefully in the simple call ‘Follow me.’” —Russell D. Moore, dean, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary “Through solid examination of the Scriptures and compelling testimonies from believers enduring persecution, my friend David Platt pulls back the curtain on subtle dangers weakening the church in our Western culture.

“Incredibly rich with wisdom and insight that will leave the reader, whether single or married, feeling uplifted.” — The Washington Times Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone—Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged—the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible. He is the author of The Songs of Jesus , Prayer , Encounters with Jesus , Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering , and Every Good Endeavor , among others, including the perennial bestsellers The Reason for God and The Prodigal God . Kathy and Tim then moved to Virginia, where Tim started at his first church, West Hopewell Presbyterian Church, and their three sons were born.

Defining morality in terms of human and animal well-being, Harris argues that science can do more than tell how we are; it can, in principle, tell us how we ought to be. Philosophers of mind have already discovered that they can't duck the study of neuroscience, and the best of them have raised their game as a result. Sam Harris shows that the same should be true of moral philosophers, and it will turn their world exhilaratingly upside down. As for religion, and the preposterous idea that we need God to be good, nobody wields a sharper bayonet than Sam Harris. If there are more and less effective ways for us to seek happiness and to avoid misery in this world—and there clearly are—then there are right and wrong answers to questions of morality. If we could eliminate war, nuclear proliferation, malaria, chronic hunger, child abuse, etc.—these changes would be good, on balance, for everyone. There are surely neurobiological, psychological, and sociological reasons why this is so—which is to say that science could potentially tell us exactly why a phenomenon like child abuse diminishes human well-being. I think it is important for us to admit that this is not a claim about our personal preferences, or merely something our culture has conditioned us to believe. Moral truths of this kind must find their place in any scientific understanding of human experience. It is safe to say that the optimal response to this dire situation—that is to say, the most moral response—is not to throw battery acid in the faces of little girls for the crime of learning to read. They believe that they will enjoy an eternity of happiness after death by following the strictest interpretation of Islamic law here on earth. Harris: This is the phrase I use to describe the space of all possible experience—where the peaks correspond to the heights of well-being and valleys represent the worst possible suffering. Given that our experience is fully constrained by the laws of the universe, there must be scientific answers to the question of how best to move upwards, toward greater happiness. So scientists fear that answers to specific questions about human well-being may be very difficult to come by, and confidence on many points is surely premature. Anyone who thinks that gay marriage is the greatest problem of the 21st century, or that women should be forced to live in burqas, is not worth listening to on the subject of morality. Religious ideas about good and evil tend to focus on how to achieve well-being in the next life, and this makes them terrible guides to securing it in this one. You do not need to believe that the Bible was dictated by the Creator of the Universe, or that Jesus Christ was his son, to see the wisdom and utility of following the Golden Rule. The problem with religious morality is that it often causes people to care about the wrong things, leading them to make choices that needlessly perpetuate human suffering. Even the faithful can’t really get their deepest moral principles from religion—because books like the Bible and the Qur’an are full of barbaric injunctions that all decent and sane people must now reinterpret or ignore. You don’t get this moral insight from scripture, because the God of Abraham expects us to keep slaves. Q: How will admitting that there are right and wrong answers to issues of human and animal flourishing transform the way we think and talk about morality? Harris: What I’ve tried to do in my book is give a framework in which we can think about human values in universal terms. Therefore, we have divorced the most important questions in human life from the context in which our most rigorous and intellectually honest thinking gets done. Moral truth entirely depends on actual and potential changes in the well-being of conscious creatures. It seems to me that the only way we are going to build a global civilization based on shared values—allowing us to converge on the same political, economic, and environmental goals—is to admit that questions about right and wrong and good and evil have answers, in the same way the questions about human health do.

A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition. Eben Alexander, MD, has been an academic neurosurgeon for the last twenty-five years, including fifteen years at the Brigham & Women’s and the Children’s Hospitals and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. His Systematic Theology provides the core theology content for all my classes and most of the other undergraduate theology courses at the University.

In this classic book on thinking, the book describes how each of us shapes the events around us, creating our own lives. in abundance. As himself Allen describes, “ It shows how, in his own thought-world, each man holds the key to every condition, good or bad, that enters into his life, and that, by working patiently and intelligently upon his thoughts, he may remake his life, and transform his circumstances. EFFECT OF THOUGHT ON CIRCUMSTANCES 7.

In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris's recent bestseller, The End of Faith , Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. "[An] impressive and enjoyable attack on everything so many people hold dear ... Hitchens has outfoxed the Hitchens watchers by writing a serious and deeply felt book, totally consistent with his beliefs of a lifetime.

He blends his own research findings with those of anthropologists, historians, and other psychologists to draw a map of the moral domain, and he explains why conservatives can navigate that map more skillfully than can liberals. In a stunning final chapter on ideology and civility, Haidt shows what each side is right about, and why we need the insights of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians to flourish as a nation. “Jonathan Haidt is one of smartest and most creative psychologists alive, and his newest book, The Righteous Mind, is a tour de force—a brave, brilliant and eloquent exploration of the most important issues of our time. This penetrating yet accessible book will help readers understand the righteous minds that inhabit politics.” —Larry Sabato, University of Virginia, author of A More Perfect Constitution “A remarkable and original synthesis of social psychology, political analysis, and moral reasoning that reflects the best of sciences in these fields and adds evidence that we are innately capable of the decency and righteousness needed for societies to survive.” —Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University. “Haidt’s a good thing.” – The Atlantic online. “A well-informed tour of contemporary moral psychology…A cogent rendering of a moral universe of fertile complexity and latent flexibility.” – Kirkus. “[Haidt’s] framework for the different moral universes of liberals and conservatives struck me as a brilliant breakthrough… The Righteous Mind provides an invaluable road map.” –Miller-McCune.com. “A much-needed voice of moral sanity.” – Booklist "An important and timely book…His ideas are controversial but they make you think…Haidt has made his reputation as a social psychologist at the University of Virginia, where he and his colleagues explore reason and intuition, why people disagree so passionately and how the moral mind works." The book is beautifully written, and it is truly unusual to encounter a book that makes a major theoretical contribution yet encourages one to turn its pages enthusiastically.” —Christopher Boehm, University of Southern California, author of Moral Origins.

This well-researched examination of human moral impulses will appeal to liberals and conservatives alike following the 2016 presidential campaign and election. Beautifully written, Haidt’s book shines a new and creative light on moral psychology and presents a provocative message.”. — Science “A remarkable and original synthesis of social psychology, political analysis, and moral reasoning.”. —Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University. The principal posture in which one envisions him is that of a scrappy, voluble, discerning patriot standing between the warring factions in American politics urging each to see the other’s viewpoint, to stop demonizing, bashing, clobbering. “Jonathan Haidt is one of smartest and most creative psychologists alive, and his newest book, The Righteous Mind is a tour de force—a brave, brilliant and eloquent exploration of the most important issues of our time. This is the book that everyone is going to be talking about.”. —Paul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology, Yale University. This elegantly written book has far-reaching implications for anyone interested in anthropology, politics, religion, or the many controversies that divide modern societies. If you want to know why you hold your moral beliefs and why many people disagree with you, read this book..”. —Simon Baron-Cohen, Cambridge University, Author of Zero Degrees of Empathy and The Science of Evil. “Jonathan Haidt’s absorbing The Righteous Mind should come with a warning label: ‘contents highly addictive.’ Written in a breezy and accessible style but informed by an impressively wide range of cutting-edge research in the social sciences, evolutionary biology and psychology, The Righteous Mind is about as interesting a book as you’ll pick up this year.”. — The Globe and Mail. “What makes [ The Righteous Mind ] so compelling is the fluid combination of erudition and entertainment, and the author’s obvious pleasure in challenging conventional wisdom. [Haidt’s] core point is simple and well-made: our morality, much of it wired into brains from birth, at the same time binds us together and blinds us to different configurations of morality.”. — The Guardian (London). Haidt’s brilliant synthesis shows that Christians have nothing to fear and much to gain from the evolutionary paradigm.”. —Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution. “The Righteous Mind is an intellectual tour de force that brings Darwinian theorizing to the practical realm of everyday politics. “As a fellow who listens to heated political debate daily, I was fascinated, enlightened, and even amused by Haidt’s brilliant insights. This penetrating yet accessible book will help readers understand the righteous minds that inhabit politics.”. —Larry Sabato, University of Virginia, author of A More Perfect Constitution. “A profound discussion of the diverse psychological roots of morality and their role in producing political conflicts.

Millions of readers have thrilled by bestselling authors Bill O’Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln , page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history. The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor led the program to the status of the highest rated cable news broadcast in the nation for sixteen consecutive years. He holds a history degree from Marist College, a masters degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University, and another masters degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Based on rigorous research with thousands of men, Shaunti delivers one eye-opening revelation after another , including: Now, in this expanded and updated edition, you’ll find insights from the latest brain research plus an all-new chapter that shows what’s really going on when he seems to “check out.” (You’ll be surprised and pleased.). Praise for For Women Only “Shaunti’s signature message, which she has shared around the world with millions of listeners, is life changing and something every woman needs to hear. Shaunti’s message has impacted my relationships personally, and I’ve seen some amazing transformation in the lives and marriages of others.” —Holly Furtick, Lead Pastor's wife, Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC “What an important book!” —Beth Moore, Bible teacher, bestselling author of So Long Insecurity. For Women Only is a book that I believe will provide understanding and bring harmony to a lot of marriages.” —Bob Lepine, cohost of FamilyLife Today “Ready for an eye-opener? Les and Leslie Parrott, Seattle Pacific University; authors of Love Talk “Men are in agreement on this one: For Women Only is one book every husband wishes his wife would read! Read it, and you’re bound to have many ‘aha!’ moments that could revolutionize your relationship.” —Valorie Burton, bestselling author of Successful Women Think Differently and What’s Really Holding You Back? I urge churches and other groups to give her the opportunity to share this message.” —Andy Stanley, author of Enemies of the Heart; Senior Pastor, North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, GA Praise for For Men Only and For Women Only “Whenever Shaunti Feldhahn appears as a guest on the Focus on the Family radio program, we know that listener response will be enthusiastic. We’re thankful for the unique perspective she provides not only to the Christian community, but to the culture at large.” —Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family “These are the books I pass out to people as the best on the subject. There is something to learn on every page.” —Jim Burns, PhD., President, HomeWord and author of Creating an Intimate Marriage “Whatever Shaunti Feldhahn researches, read.

A revised foreword and introduction A substantially extended epilogue that shares how Nabeel told his friend David of his decision to follow Christ, how his parents found out, and much more Expert contributions from scholars and ministry leaders on each section of the book, contributions previously included only in the ebook edition An appendix with a topical table of contents (for teaching from Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus ) An appendix tackling the objection that Ahmadi Muslims are not true Muslims And a sneak peek prologue from Nabeel’s forthcoming new book, No God but One: Allah or Jesus ? Nabeel Qureshi is a speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Joyce Meyer has a knack for coining phrases-her fans call them Joyceisms -and one of her best loved is "Where the mind goes, the man follows." Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers, with her TV and radio broadcast, Enjoying Everyday Life , airing on nearly 450 television networks and 400 radio stations worldwide, including ABC Family Channel, Trinity Broadcast Network, Daystar, and the Word Network.

Lewis, the most important writer of the 20th century, explores the common ground upon which all of those of Christian faith stand together. The volume on the Blackstone edition is recorded at a higher level than HarperAudio's. Whether or not one agrees with Lewis's arguments, it is a pleasure to hear such a skillful reading of an eloquent work.