Download - Christian-witness.org

U n t i l w e h a i l t h e r a d i a n t d a w n i n g • A N D L I F T U P T H E G L A D N E W S O N G• Global warming• Poverty and aids in Africa.In conclusion Robinson made the remarkable discoverythat the end time scenario is all a terrible mistake becausethe writer of Revelation (not John) was a refugee fromthe destruction of the Temple writing a coded attack onthe Emperor Nero (odd that—Nero died in 68AD and theTemple was destroyed in 70AD). He was boating acrossthe Med and got holed up on Patmos where he ate localmagic mushrooms and went on a trip which produced theRevelation.As an evangelical Christian who believes we are livingin the last days, I tried not to get too worked up about it, butthought I might jot down my thoughts on some of the moreoutrageous errors Tony Robinson managed to make.“Israel exists because of end timeChristians causing it to come into beingto fulfil prophecies”Actually there were Christians (not mentioned byRobinson) who did believe and pray and work for thereturn of the Jewish people to Israel before the event—Lord Shaftesbury, William Hechler, Lord Balfour andothers. But there were other reasons (not given in theprogramme). For example:• Jewish pioneers returning to the barren land ofPalestine under the Turks and draining the swamps,planting trees and making the land productive aftercenturies of neglect (what a wicked thing to do!)• Anti-Semitism in Europe causing Jews to look fortheir own bit of space where they would not be picked onbecause of being Jewish.• A UN Declaration in 1948 backed by such rabidlyChristian evangelical powers as the Soviet Union underStalin which brought into being the State of Israel (ona fraction of the land initially promised by the BalfourDeclaration).• Incredible hard work and enterprise of Israel’s citizenscreating a viable modern state despite constant efforts oftheir enemies to wipe them out.“There is no peace between Israel andthe Arab world because evangelicalChristians are preventing it fromhappening in order to push the worldtowards Armageddon”Why—according to Robinson—they are evensupporting that “abomination” of a Wall and trying torebuild a third temple where the Dome of the Rock nowstands. Now there are Christians in America who believewe should support the rebuilding of the Temple, I admit.As I see it they have missed a big point because they alsobelieve the Temple will be defiled by Antichrist so in thatcase it is a bit more than pouring money down the drain.What got missed in the programme was anything about:• Arab invasions aimed at the destruction of Israel in1948, 1967, 1973.• Palestinian terror organisations sending humanbombs to blow up themselves and as many Israelis aspossible with the promise of 72 virgins in paradise if theysucceed (come to think of it that could have been worth amention within the issue of the evils of fundamentalismcouldn’t it?)• The fact that both Bill Clinton and George W. Bushsupport in principle the idea of land for peace. Clinton’slast fling on this one was not stopped by evil Christianfundamentalists tearing up the script, but by Arafatrejecting Barak’s offer of the Temple Mount and half ofJerusalem at Camp David in 2000 and reverting to typeby launching the second Intifada. Bush’s support for theRoad Map potentially gives more land to the Palestiniansthan Clinton proposed under Camp David.• The fact that when Israel withdrew from Lebanonand Gaza the vacuum was filled with Hezbollah and Hamasboth of whom believe in fundamental Islam and think thebest way to run the territory under their control is to useit to fire rockets at Israel.• The fact that Hamas rejects Israel’s right to exist andaims at destroying the Jewish state. Hezbollah’s hero, chiefNasrullah also wants to destroy the entire Jewish people(said so in Beirut in 2002).Perhaps I am a bit naïve but I would have thought someof these issues might be a teeny weeny bit relevant to thefact that all is not sweetness and light in the Middle East.But of course you are not allowed to criticise Muslims inthe media any more so I suppose you just have to take itall out on the Jews and the Christians. All in the cause ofjustice and even handedness.“It’s the fault of the end-timers inthe US that the world can’t solve theenvironmental problem”Americans consume 25 percent of the world’s energywe are constantly reminded. It is because of end-timersin America that the world can’t get an agreement on theburning of fossil fuels which will save the planet. Cometo think of it don’t Europeans use up a few fossil fuels?Take a trip round London’s M25 or the Paris Périphérique ifyou don’t believe me. Of course you can’t mention China’srapid and uncontrolled industrialisation because they areCommunists and therefore not end-timers.Actually it is pretty obvious that the world system basedon consumption of fossil fuels is going to crash whateveryour viewpoint. I have written a book called The Housebuilt on the Sand on this subject available for £6 includingpostage. If you want to save the planet there is a simpleway to do it.• Ban the use of private cars.• Ban air travel for pleasure trips.This way you would stop pollution of the environmentand dependency on Middle East oil which would also solvethe Islamic problem overnight.But it won’t happen, not just because of America butbecause the world is not run by the most far sighted people.So we are on the road to ruin. Sorry. But not entirely myfault or that of those who believe we are living in theend times.“The end-timers don’t like the UNwhich is the only hope of solving problemsof wars and human rights”Like it has done in its forthright condemnation of humanrights abuses in China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia?Or its magnificent efforts to stop the slaughter in Sudan?Or its stern rebuke to Zimbabwe for the oppression of itscitizens?!Do me a favour Tony Robinson. I won’t even bother tospell out why the UN is such a den of hypocrisy, but justask why its secretary Kofi Annan sanctioned and attended a“Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” in December2005 at UN headquarters with a large map of “Palestine”,with Israel literally wiped off the map, featuring prominentlyin the festivities? Why there are endless resolutions againstIsrael but nothing about the suppression of human rightsand freedom of religion (especially for Christians) acrossmost of the Middle East?23