Everybody Fatwa!
A commenter critical of Christians in India pointed to an article, which this blog, Sepia Mutiny, discusses. The article in the Hindustan Times (free reg) says
The commenter writes,
The article goes onto say, "The forum expects over 2,000 Christians for its "prayer crusade" at Cannosa Convent in Mahim on May 10 where they plan to burn effigies of Dan Brown and show some of the objectionable clippings of Tickle My Funny Bone — the other movie they are protesting against."
If there are news articles reporting this event on May 10th, especially the effigy burning, please send it to me.
I have to acknowledge that some believers are more mature than others and believe the Bible when it says about our war in 2 Corinthians 10 "3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We wage our war against arguments and pretensions not people and not with physical weapons. Ephesians 6:12 adds "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So for the believer in Jesus, who obeys him, we don't physically struggle against our fellow humans, but against their anti-Christ arguments, including Dan Brown's, with truth and logic and persuasion and prayer. Prayer is key, because only the Holy Spirit can ultimately bring about change in our opponents' hearts. We want to win them to our side, not send them to eternal destruction, but woo them to eternal life.
Although extreme to my ears, if these Catholics want to fast, which is part of prayer, until they die, in protest of this blasphemous movie they are not being violent against anyone. If, and this is a big "IF," they burn an effigy, they are making an attention gathering statement, but again they have not acted violently. George Bush gets burned in effigy all the time around the world. It's done so much its shocking effect is mostly worn off. If one guy, who may or may not be a Catholic, puts a price on Dan Brown's head, the guy would be put in jail in this country. If he is a believer, hopefully, someone will show him some passages in the New Testament to enlighten him on Jesus' method.
HAVING INFLAMED passions and sparked heated debates across the globe, Da Vinci Code is set for a run-in with controversy in India. Days before the film based on Dan Brown's bestseller hits cinemas in the country, the Catholic Social Forum has called people of all faiths in Mumbai to fast unto death from May 12 if the government fails to banBBC version of article, India Catholics target Da Vinci.
the "anti-Christian" film. If that were not enough, a former corporator Nicholas Almeida, has done a Haji Qureishi, announcing a reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who "brings the author dead or alive
before him".
The commenter writes,
In India, the Catholic faithful are going further . In Bombay, demonstrations call for the banning of the movie, and one former city official has even gone so far as to put a bounty on Dan Brown's head:So here is my response. the Catholics are calling for a "fast unto death" and a former city official is willing to pay for Dan Brown's audience, dead or alive, similar to a Mr. Haji Qureishi, who wanted the Danish cartoonists killed (with a reward as incentive). Now the article doesn't say the former official is a member of this Catholic society.
It would be interesting to read blogger's articulated response and bragging about chrisitan way of peaceful "aggression".
The article goes onto say, "The forum expects over 2,000 Christians for its "prayer crusade" at Cannosa Convent in Mahim on May 10 where they plan to burn effigies of Dan Brown and show some of the objectionable clippings of Tickle My Funny Bone — the other movie they are protesting against."
If there are news articles reporting this event on May 10th, especially the effigy burning, please send it to me.
I have to acknowledge that some believers are more mature than others and believe the Bible when it says about our war in 2 Corinthians 10 "3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We wage our war against arguments and pretensions not people and not with physical weapons. Ephesians 6:12 adds "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So for the believer in Jesus, who obeys him, we don't physically struggle against our fellow humans, but against their anti-Christ arguments, including Dan Brown's, with truth and logic and persuasion and prayer. Prayer is key, because only the Holy Spirit can ultimately bring about change in our opponents' hearts. We want to win them to our side, not send them to eternal destruction, but woo them to eternal life.
Although extreme to my ears, if these Catholics want to fast, which is part of prayer, until they die, in protest of this blasphemous movie they are not being violent against anyone. If, and this is a big "IF," they burn an effigy, they are making an attention gathering statement, but again they have not acted violently. George Bush gets burned in effigy all the time around the world. It's done so much its shocking effect is mostly worn off. If one guy, who may or may not be a Catholic, puts a price on Dan Brown's head, the guy would be put in jail in this country. If he is a believer, hopefully, someone will show him some passages in the New Testament to enlighten him on Jesus' method.
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