Ikea's Magic Show: Pro-family vs LGBT

IKEA Singapore, which came under the spotlight over the weekend after it touted a magic show by a pastor who has publicly opposed homosexuality, said it is in talks with the show organizers on their commercial arrangement.

The Swedish furniture company posted promotional ads on its website that members of its IKEA Family programme are entitled to discounted ticket prices for Faith Community Baptist Church’s (FCBC) Lawrence Khong’s “Vision” magic show in July.

After some netizens took to its Facebook page over the weekend to criticize its decision to support the event, IKEA Singapore said today (April 20) it recognizes that the “promotional collaboration” has “raised sensitivities” among members of the public.

“We have been in contact with the show’s organizers (today) and hope to find a resolution that is agreeable to both parties,” an IKEA Singapore spokesperson told TODAY. At press time, the ad promoting the event was still up on the IKEA Family official website.

When contacted today, an ­FCBC spokesperson said the church will probably issue a statement tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, the furniture retailer was reported to be reviewing its support for the magic show.

Mr Khong has been publicly voicing his views opposing homosexuality, ever since he appealed to the Government in 2013 to retain a law that criminalizes sex between men.

IKEA Singapore’s collaboration with Mr Khong’s show had drawn some consumers to threaten a boycott of the brand on its Facebook page, as well as some who supported its move.

One Facebook user going by the name of Sandara Tang wrote: “I am disappointed in you, Ikea, for supporting such a hateful and bigoted cause.”

Another, going by Michael Lee, wrote: “Thank you Ikea for celebrating true diversity by embracing the traditional marriage. Supporting traditional family is good for business and makes business sense. Do what is right for yourself. Make a stand for the family.”

The furniture giant says it reviewed the show's content and found that it "offers high entertainment value". The review came after public objections over its support for the pastor's magic show.

Ikea Singapore's statement reproduced in full:

“Thanks to our loyal customers for your patience while we at Ikea Singapore took time to come to an informed decision on an issue that has raised sensitivities in our community. We were concerned about the questions raised and decided to do a thorough review. We have spoken directly with the organizers, reviewed the content and confirmed that the Vision show offers high family entertainment value and, on that basis, we are continuing our promotional tie-up.

As a company, Ikea Singapore respects the diversity and equality of all people living in our community. We also respect that all individuals have a right to their opinions and personal choices, including the freedom to choose their preferred entertainment.”

Carry the Cross to follow Jesus

Malaysia protesters forced the removal of the cross on Taman Medan Church.

Churches have a right to display the cross on their buildings under the Federal Constitution and should not be forced to take it down.

“Under Article 11, all Malaysians have a right to practise their own religion and the cross is an integral and indispensable part of the Christian faith – so it comes under the rights of Malaysians under Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution,” said constitutional lawyer New Sin Yew.

He said that Article 11(1) reads that every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

Article 11(4) reads that state law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, Federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam, he added.

He further questioned the argument put forward by the demonstrators in Taman Medan on Sunday that the sight of the cross in a Muslim-majority area “challenged Islam” and could influence the young.

A group of 50 demonstrators had gathered outside a church in Taman Medan on Sunday to protest against a cross on the facade of the building. They had demanded for the cross to be taken down, claiming that it challenged Islam. It is understood that the cross was taken down by church authorities several hours later.

“You need strong and credible evidence to prove that hanging a cross outside a church would constitute propagation of the Christian faith to Muslims. It would be absurd to suggest that hanging a cross outside a building would amount to propagating Christianity to Muslims,” said New.

He noted also that the group should not have taken matters into their own hands.

“Even if the church should not use a shophouse as a church, the mob should not take matters into their own hands and ignore the whole legal system. They should report the matter to the relevant local authorities or file a suit in court and let the relevant public bodies decide,” he added.

Similar views were shared by Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Eric Paulsen, who also said the church has a right to place the cross outside their building due to Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

“The issue is much more one of local council, and if the church authorities have received the relevant approvals from the MBPJ, they have a legal right to put the cross on the building. It is quite misguided to say that because an area is majority-Malay Muslim, it is misguided to say that only their rights count,” said Paulsen.

He said that in any society, the rights of minorities deserved as much protection as those of the majority in an area, and cited an international example.

Malay Muslims weak?

The group claimed that putting up a cross in a Malay-majority area is a challenge to Islam and could influence young Muslims. "contended that the sight of the cross in a majority Muslim area challenged Islam and could influence younger minds."

“To force them to remove the symbol is certainly unacceptable and disrespectful to the Christian community,” Azmin was quoted telling reporters after this morning’s monthly meeting with state civil servants.

Tony Pua also said the Taman Medan issue is far from over, since the church had voluntarily agreed to take down the cross “under threat and intimidation”.

“The bigger issue is the fact that if the authorities do not act to protect the minorities in this country, the majority will just become big bullies and take similar actions against others who are just practicing what is protected by our Federal Constitution,” he said.

Rules and Values MY style

In a new open letter to the federal government, 40 prominent Malaysians have criticized religious bureaucrats for subverting a policy of inculcating universal values and turning it into a platform for Islamisation.

“We are not a theocratic state with religious law being prescribed as the supreme law of the land. Neither should we be forced to live by the rule of religious diktats where decrees of religious bureaucrats have legal and punitive effect,” the letter said, quoted by Malaysian Insider.

The group defended Malaysia’s constitution and the secular basis on which the country was formed, and called for a return to a civil order that was “religion-neutral”, as well as respect for 10 key universal values introduced by the government in 1982.

Former judges, ambassadors, high-ranking civil servants, activists and other prominent Malaysians are among those who signed the letter, which comes five months after a group now called the 25 Eminent Malays had called for a defence of constitutional rule and a rational dialogue on Islam.

The new open letter listed the 10 values introduced in 1982 as part of a policy to inculcate universal Islamic virtues. These were: trust, responsibility, honesty, dedication, moderation, diligence, discipline, cooperation, honourable behaviour and thanksgiving.

“It is unfortunate that the policy of promoting these 10 values has become a platform for ‘Islamisation’ by religious bureaucrats,” the group said.

They said Malaysian unity had been torn apart by political leaders, among others, using sectarian views, creating stresses that threatened “to subvert the bonds that have held all Malaysians together” as well as the federation of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

Public confidence in the legal system has eroded because “diktats of the religious bureaucrats are given an overarching significance over the constitution”.

Religious bureaucrats had halted reforms, such as the Domestic Violence Act 1994, held back for almost two years, and a stillborn law reform initiative protecting religious rights when one spouse in a civil marriage converts to Islam.

There were serious problems in the judiciary, when some civil courts had declined to make decisions on constitutional issues and had even handed over the duty to the Syariah Court.

Freedom of religion had been affected, as well as the religious and civil rights of non-Muslims whose religions were increasingly marginalised, with more non-tolerance being shown, the group said.

They urged the Federal Government to reaffirm its position on the 10 universal values.

Among the signatories were former ambassadors Albert Talalla, Lily Zachariah and Choo Siew Kioh; former senior civil servants Clifford Francis Herbert and K.J. Abraham; activist Hartini Zainudin, legal luminaries Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari, Stephen Foo Kiat Shin and Stanley Isaacs; scientist Dr Lyana Khairuddin; and Bob Teoh, former general-secretary of National Union of Journalists.

In December, 25 prominent Malays, now grown to 44, had criticised the lack of clarity about the place of Islam in Malaysia’s constitutional democracy, and religious authorities “asserting authority beyond their jurisdiction”, such as fatwa in violation of the constitution. Former senior civil servants and prominent individuals, all Malays, signed the letter.

When being secular / neutral is good!

ISIS persecution of Ethiopian Christians

A shocking new video appearing to show at least 30 Christians being beheaded and shot by ISIS in Libya has been released.

The 29-minute video, titled 'Until It Came To Them - Clear Evidence', shows dozens of militants holding two separate groups captive, thought to be in the south and the west of the country.

At least 16 men, described by Islamic State as the 'followers of the cross from the enemy Ethiopian Church', are lined up and shot in a desert area while 12 others are filmed being forced to walk down a beach before being beheaded.

This follows another video in February of the beheading of a group of 21 Coptic Christians on the beach in Libya, though that terrain was rockier than the one shown in the latest film.

It raises fears that ISIS is consolidating its presence on the 'doorstep of Europe', as Libya is just a few hundred miles from the coast of Italy.

Ethiopia was unable to confirm its citizens were killed in the footage but condemned the 'atrocious act', a government official said.

The video shows the men at the coast wearing Guantanamo-style orange jumpsuits and being held at the neck by fighters in combats with balaclavas covering their faces. The victims inland are forced to kneel as militants dressed in combats and green masks stand behind them holding rifles.

It starts with what it called a 'history of Christian-Muslim relations', which includes scenes of militants destroying churches, graves and icons.

A masked fighter in black then brandishes a pistol as he vows to kill Christians if they do not convert.

You are privileged, remember that!

People in Singapore are truly privileged as we are able to listen to the Gospel and have freedom to accept Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:18-24;Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Take ACTION now before it is too late.

The Muslim and Christian populations could be nearly equal by 2050, with Islam expected to be the fastest-growing faith on the planet, according to projections released Thursday.

The Pew Research Center's religious profile predictions assessed data from around the world on fertility rates, trends in youth population growth and religious conversion statistics.

"Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion," according to the report.

The authors predicted there will be 2.76 billion Muslims on the planet by then, and 2.92 billion Christians. Those figures would correspond to about 29.7 and 31.4 percent of the world population, respectively.

There were 1.6 billion Muslims on the planet in 2010, compared to 2.17 billion Christians.

"The number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians around the world," it added.

Hindus will be third, making up 14.9 percent of the world's total population, followed by people who do not affiliate with any religion, accounting for 13.2 percent.

The Asia-Pacific region will remain the most popular for Muslims, bolstered by a youthful population with high fertility rates.

The study predicts that India will have the largest Muslim population -- though it will retain a Hindu majority -- surpassing Indonesia.

Muslims are expected to account for 10 percent of Europe's overall population, Pew added.

If the trend continues, Islam will be the most popular faith in the world after 2070, it said.

Authors said the projections, compiled over the past six years, are merely "what will occur if the current data are accurate and the trends play out as expected."

"Many events -- scientific discoveries, armed conflicts, social movements, political upheavals, natural disasters and changing economic conditions, to name just a few -- can shift demographic trends in unforeseen ways."

The authors said religious conversion data came from only 70 countries, not including the world's most populous countries, India and China.

- Atheism on the rise -

The report predicts the number of people with no religious affiliation will make up a declining share of the world's total population, though in some countries -- such as the United States and France -- the number of atheists and agnostics is expected to rise.

Buddhism is the only faith that is not expected to increase its followers, due to an ageing population and stable fertility rates in Buddhist countries, such as China, Japan and Thailand.

In Europe, the only region where the overall population is expected to shrink, the Christian population will drop from 553 million to 454 million.

Similarly, in the United States, Christians will decline from more than three quarters to two thirds in 2050.

Islam is expected to surpass Judaism as the most popular non-Christian faith in the United States.

The researchers gathered data from more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers from 175 countries, covering 95 percent of the world's population.

The projections considered the size and geographic distribution of the world's major religions, age differences, fertility and mortality rates, international migration and patterns in conversion.

Baptism Trip North West

A baptism ceremony for Kim's daughter North West.

The reality star, 34, shared photos from their visit, which included a stop by the Church of the Holy Sepuchre — the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

An assistant to Kim Kardashian and her husband, Kanye West, says the couple paid an early morning visit to a Crusader-era church marking the traditional spot of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

Sharon Schaveet, an Israeli producer who helped organize the visit, said the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was empty during their 5 a.m. visit. A photo on Kardashian’s Instagram account showed the couple kneeling together at the church.

It was their last stop before leaving for Paris. Kardashian’s sister Khloe has returned to the United States.

On Monday night, the couple dined at a Jerusalem restaurant with the mayor. Reality TV’s first family, including their child, North West, made the two-day visit to the Holy Land after visiting Armenia.

The 15 Diseases of Leadership by Pope Francis

Pope Francis has made no secret of his intention to radically reform the administrative structures of the Catholic church, which he regards as insular, imperious, and bureaucratic. He understands that in a hyper-kinetic world, inward-looking and self-obsessed leaders are a liability.

The Catholic Church is a bureaucracy: a hierarchy populated by good-heart, but less-than-perfect souls. It that sense, it’s not much different than your organization. That’s why the Pope’s counsel is relevant to leaders everywhere.

The leadership team is called constantly to improve and to grow in rapport and wisdom, in order to carry out fully its mission. And yet, like anybody, it is also exposed to diseases, malfunctioning, infirmity. Here are some of these “[leadership] diseases.” They are diseases and temptations which can dangerously weaken the effectiveness of any organization.

1. The disease of thinking we are immortal, immune, or downright indispensable, [and therefore] neglecting the need for regular check-ups
2. The disease of excessive busyness
3. The disease of mental and [emotional] “petrification.”
4. The disease of excessive planning and of functionalism
5. The disease of poor coordination
6. The disease of rivalry and vainglory
7. The disease of gossiping, grumbling, and back-biting
8. The disease of idolizing superiors
9. The disease of indifference to others
10. The disease of hoarding
11. The disease of closed circles
12. The disease of extravagance and self-exhibition
13. The disease of existential schizophrenia
14. The disease of a downcast face
15. The disease of “leadership Alzheimer’

So, are you a healthy leader? Use the Pope’s inventory of leadership to find out. Ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 5, to what extent do I . . .

• Feel superior to those who work for me?
• Demonstrate an imbalance between work and other areas of life?
• Substitute formality for true human intimacy?
• Rely too much on plans and not enough on intuition and improvisation?
• Spend too little time breaking silos and building bridges?
• Fail to regularly acknowledge the debt I owe to my mentors and to others?
• Take too much satisfaction in my perks and privileges?
• Isolate myself from customers and first-level employees?
• Denigrate the motives and accomplishments of others?
• Exhibit or encourage undue deference and servility?
• Put my own success ahead of the success of others?
• Fail to cultivate a fun and joy-filled work environment?
• Exhibit selfishness when it comes to sharing rewards and praise?
• Encourage parochialism rather than community?
• Behave in ways that seem egocentric to those around me?

As in all health matters, it’s good to get a second or third opinion. Ask your colleagues to score you on the same fifteen items. Don’t be surprised if they say, “Gee boss, you’re not looking too good today.” Like a battery of medical tests, these questions can help you zero in on opportunities to prevent disease and improve your health. A Papal leadership assessment may seem like a bit of a stretch. But remember: the
responsibilities you hold as a leader, and the influence you have over others’ lives, can be profound. Why not turn to the Pope — a spiritual leader of leaders — for wisdom and advice?

Marxist Christians

Is it even possible to be neutral, remain secular?

We are told to be the light of the World, Spread the Gospel of Christ to all non-Christians. Yet we are told to create public space free of Judgement... I always tell my children not to be lukewarm but be passionate about one's GOAL! Such passion, philosophy and faith builds a Man, giving him purpose in life.

Acts 2:44-47, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

The more one read, the more one will lead into the word communism. Many church leaders got call-up or warned about preaching such sensitive topic but is COMMON a dirty word?

"Jesus was a communist. That is just a fact."

In Acts Chapter 4, "The Believers Share Their Possessions" verses 32-37; show us the similarity of Communism and Christian faith. Keywords here are: Common, Community, Generously, Communism, share. There is no class levels but equals who shares the faith of Christ.

We have already seen that Marxism is a doctrine based on atheism, on systematic hate and on the satanic sentence that the end justifies the means. This would be enough for any Christian to keep away with horror from Marxism.

Yet there are many Catholic priests and laymen who, facing serious instances of exploitation and injustice, have been seduced by Marxism or Communism and propose a conception of Christianity that tries to make it compatible with Marxism. They forget that Jesus, true God and true man, made it clear facing Pilate, that He didn't propose the use of human weapons.“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my followers would have fought that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from here”. (John 18, 36) Therefore, Jesus didn't aspire to temporal power, he was not a politician - Don't limit HIM!

Difference

Frederick Engels, Karl Marx’s sidekick and benefactor, eulogized that Marx’s greatest insight was, “men must first of all eat, drink, have shelter and clothing before they can pursue politics, science, art, religion and the like.”

Jesus asserted the opposite disavowing that faith is predicated on bodily well-being, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:31-33).

Biblically, body and soul are distinct. The vibrant Christianity seen throughout history even as believers endured deprivation or persecution  irrefutably contradicts the Marxian materialist stance. Libertarian pronounced, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The prodigal son didn't return with his belly full.

Marxists require secular, materialist explanations for everything, but there is no scriptural basis for these severe restrictions on permissible avenues of thought. From this irreconcilable beginning, biblical doctrine and Marxist theory diverge still further.

Marx sought to replace the Christian worldview with a vile substitute. His rejection ran deeper than the often quoted jibe, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

He admitted, “My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism.” He thought Christianity reflected a palliative used by the rich to constrain workers so they wouldn't revolt. To Marx, church and family presented obstacles to Utopia. The hierarchical society affirmed by Scripture prevented the rise of the proletariat.

Marx’s writings reveal undeniable, but antithetical parallels with Scripture, a deliberate replacement meant to expunge Christianity from society. To wit, Marx even employed religious themed legerdemain. Atheism, whether Marxist or Objectivity, relies on faith too, it just requires drastically different metaphysical assumptions.

Communism supplanted the Garden of Eden with a primitive man at harmony with nature, the genesis of environmental worship’s close ties to Marxism today. Marx even incorporated a millennial view of history as an evolving class struggle finally solved by the coming victory of the proletariat. Utopia represents Heaven, ultimately created on Earth – by man. The collectivist state becomes god.

This man centered worldview was absorbed by the academy, media, entertainment industries and much of government. They now distill cultural Marxism, aka political correctness, to credulous Americans who thought we won the Cold War.

It’s not just that our perspectives are diametrically opposite, but Bible believing Christians and Marxists also seek fundamentally different goals. God’s judgment shows no favoritism. Everyone is equal in His sight. The word liberty appears sixteen times in the New Testament. Equality among men but twice: Matthew 20:12, pertaining to salvation in a parable which defends property rights; and 2 Corinthians 8:14.

The latter alludes to God sustaining Israel in the wilderness with manna. Paul instructs those of us more fortunate to voluntarily help others requiring assistance. Exodus highlights God’s view on public property: use only what you need. Don’t unnecessarily impose upon your neighbors. Worldly governments showering favored constituents with handouts lack the divine enforcement mechanism of making hoarded manna quickly rot.

Biblically, society is inhabited by unique, sovereign individuals made in God’s image and personally accountable to Him. Equality under the law stems from equality before God which always and everywhere negates equality of results. God is no respecter of persons. Nor should justice favor particular segments even if their cause is politically correct. Justice is measured by precision to God’s standards, not by the shifting goals of secular academics.

Moses said, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute” (Exodus 23:2-3).

Nowhere does Scripture task government with equalizing wealth. Not only is redistributing private property for political purposes immoral, it also undermines the God ordered notion of accountability. Without freedom to do either right or wrong, the moral basis dissolves. Dr. Ronald

Nash observes, “Passages that oblige believers to use their resources for God’s purposes presuppose the legitimacy of private ownership.”

The Bible requires work, frugal living and honest dealings. It mandates impartial justice, sound money and property rights; plus endorses liberty and limited government – all essential elements of capitalism. Christ even used free market principles repeatedly in his teaching.

Jesus clearly appreciated price signals and the role of incentives.

The parables of the talents offer sage investment advice. It is prudent to entrust resources to those multiplying them and extract resources from those squandering them. This counters the Marxist principle of progressive taxation taking from the most productive to subsidize those wasting scarce resources. But Jesus used these essential lessons to illustrate spiritual truths, not finance.

Market based economics appear consistent with Christ’s teachings, however it is inappropriate to usurp divine authority by transforming Jesus into Adam Smith. The Bible unequivocally endorses certain elements of capitalism. And never does it disavow capitalism, only its impure application by corrupt participants; unless one equates free markets with Social Darwinism as do Marxists. But theirs is clearly neither a biblical perspective nor an accurate depiction.

Economics is not a Zero Sum Game. One’s gain does not necessitate another’s loss. Innovation, efficient profitable production and savings expand the pie. Consumption, investment and waste shrink it.

Likewise, taking several verses describing a voluntary, communal living arrangement out of context to prescribe secular socialism defies logic.

Those passages in Acts were descriptive more than prescriptive. Taking them otherwise throws out virtually everything else in Scripture.

Frederick Engels saw this clearly, “If some few passages of the Bible may be favorable to communism, the general spirit of its doctrines is, nevertheless, totally opposed to it.”

To function, economic formulas must acknowledge man’s fallen nature. Here Marxists blunder badly. Man is inherently selfish going back to Adam, who had everything, yet still wanted more. Genesis reflects the earliest commentary on our nature and it reveals what remains today: a greedy, violent bunch prone to jealousy, sloth and vice.

Communism fails except as augmented by fear (and ultimately there too), because forging “New Socialist Man” remains forever beyond the state’s grasp. Only God can change men’s hearts. Our base instincts betray us. When we see someone slacking and still taking – we produce less. When we see others taking beyond their share – we take more too. Without private property and opportunities for profit through honest toil, living standards stagnate.

Any movement must deal with realities and thus superficial similarities with other systems will materialize, but properly understood, Marxism is the absolute denial of Christianity – precisely as Marx intended. Where Marxists seize power, Christians are always persecuted and atheism is enforced, usually at a steep cost.

Communism is death but He Lives!

https://www.facebook.com/gohmengseng.freedom/posts/10205478961146613

Money making Halal Certification

Pauline Hanson said halal food funds terrorism

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson went on the attack on Sunday saying that imposing halal certification on Australians was wrong, while defending the anti-Islam protests across Australia.

Speaking to the media, Ms Hanson described halal certification as a 'profit, money-making racket' and that the public were being 'hoodwinked' over the issue. She also said that the protests on Saturday were about 'criticism, not racism'.

'It's a profit, money-making racket and has been connected with the Muslim Brotherhood in France. Why can't we have an investigation into where the money actually goes?' she claimed. When told by the interviewer that there was no basis to any of these claims Ms Hanson replied: 'Why do Australians have to pay tax for halal certification? It is a money making racket. Why do Australians have to pay extra when they buy this product?'

Ms Hanson added that an investigation was needed into halal certification in Australia. 'It's extortion that has been put onto businesses that you must pay this money,' she said. 'A Muslim doesn't need a halal certification, they can say a prayer over their food. Then it's OK.

Her comments came after protesters clashed with anti-racist activists in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday. Anti-racist activists burned an Australian flag in Melbourne while chanting: 'No right in genocide.'

Many were draped in the Australian flag and carried signs denouncing sharia law and halal certification for Australian products.

'There was no violence at the Brisbane rally whatsoever. Islam is not a race so therefore we're not talking about racism here whatsoever.

'Criticism is not racism. We have a right to have a say and have an opinion,' she said.

Xenophobia 101.

Halal food - It's just Food!

Is it allowable for a Christian to eat halal food? I love my Malay Muslim dishes...

The word halal means “permissible” in Arabic. It refers to food, objects, or actions that are allowed in Islam. Among other things, halal meat must be killed with a sharp knife and drained of blood. No carnivorous animals, birds of prey, or meat contaminated with non-permissible substances can be used. This, in and of itself, is a healthy way of preparing meat. The problem comes when Allah’s name is pronounced over the
meat during the butchering process. Many interpret this to mean the animal was sacrificed to Allah.

If you believe that such offering is not to a God but some false idol, as such there shouldn't be any issue rite?!

Paul says, do not refrain from eating because of your conscience-your conscience should understand that you are free to enjoy God’s provision (1 Corinthians 8:30) but for the conscience of the one who provided it. If a weak brother is offering, you may lead him into sin. If an unbeliever is offering, you may be seen as tacitly endorsing the god to which it was sacrificed. Either way, it doesn’t become an issue until the other person brings it up.

Halal food is no different. There is one God who provides for us. Claiming the name of a false god does nothing to the food physically or spiritually. But, like the Corinthians, we should always act out of love. If we are with others who believe halal food is wrong to eat, we should refrain out of concern for their conviction. If we are served food by someone who makes a point that it is halal, we should refrain as a quiet sign that we do not accept the authority of the false god to which it was dedicated. If we are in a restaurant or market or school or home that, we suspect, is serving halal food, we should eat and give thanks to the true God who provides.

What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” (Matthew 15:11)