As hate and cancellation roil over U.S. campuses, there are others that shine love and peace. At the end of the day, isn't that what most of us hope for Peace and Love? Respect, dignity?
The Tale of Two Campuses (click here for the audio/podcast version). In the Phoenix area of Arizona you can find two of America's largest campuses. Arizona State University (145k+, around 80,000 across campuses) and Grand Canyon University (118k+, 25k+ on campus).
Over the weekend of April 26-28 of 2024, one campus (Arizona State) was in turmoil. 72 arrests. The other (GCU) in peace, no arrests.
Source: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/asu-pro-palestine-protest-timeline/
At GCU, no hate raging. In fact, peace and harmony during 5 graduation ceremonies and aptly playing during some of it, "Amazing Grace".
Is this boasting? I hope not. Yet as most of us know, mainstream news loves to cover chaos. For that gets clicks. Peace, love and harmony: boring.
Is GCU perfect, not by any means. The feds are going after them. Why? For anyone striving to center on Christ, you do become a target. Interesting to say the least. The feds chose GCU and Liberty (two of the largest Christian universities) to try and find something wrong. Fair to say one could pick just about any campus and find more wrong.
Back to GCU, you will find 25,000+ flawed students on campus plus staff. Flawed? You know I have to go there. Rom 3:23. Yet most on that campus are aware of it. Hence, most of them know they need something larger than themselves to help with their flaws and maintain peace and grace. Rom 8:1. Hence, why you are seeing peace there right now.
Atheists, we can't show you God. We can only show you results of what peace and harmony looks like when parts of our society follow God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And for as wack as that may sound to some of you, what's more wack? Peace, love, harmony or turmoil? So using some basic logic, something is working and something is not.
"But religion causes so many wars some of you will retort." I'll actually agree with you to a degree. Religion has created a lot of war. So has selfishness and the drive that all must believe what someone believes. Was Germany fueled by religion as they wiped out millions of Jews, Russians, French, Polish, British and the list goes on? No, they were fueled by the desire to create a master race and dominate the world and for their hatred of a religion. Side note, as much as some love to throw out the Nazi label. If you hate Jewish people, want to move them out (river to the seas) you and the Nazis are in lockstep.
WW1, Not fueled by religion.
Japan, WW2? Not fueled by religion.
Korean War? Not fueled by religion.
Vietnam War? Not fueled by religion.
9/11? Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Attack fueled by religion, Muslim extremists and hatred of our freedoms and support of Israel. Doubt me. Look up their mission statements. Check out Hamas' mission statement.
That's a crucial important note. If you are pro Hamas, you are pro hate. You are anti freedom and anti choice.
As for Muslims, I do know some peace loving Muslims. Did you know about 20% of Israel is Muslim? Muslims choosing to live in Israel. For the most part in peace and harmony. Let me restate that, Muslims choose to live in Israel. Muslims also choose to live in the United States and enjoy freedoms like the rest of us.
Speaking of peace and harmony, going full circle. Do you hate war? Killing? Injustice? Ironically, that is what fuels many of the protests. it's hypocritical that some can be so outraged about Palestine and Israel but not Russia and Ukraine. It simply shows me which side you are on.
In all fairness, some just aren't fully educated. Are our best schools truly our best schools still? Forgive them Father for they know not what they do. Let me make a defining statement, IF we truly followed Jesus Christ's words, there would be no war...no mass shootings either. We get attacked because the attacker is not following Jesus Christ's words: Love, love, love, Matt 22: 36-40. If you get struck, turn the other cheek Matt 5: 38-39. Pray for your enemies, do acts of kindness...Matt 5:44
And yes, there are times we must defend ourselves. God bless our soldiers that defend our freedoms, our ability to freely speak and protest for that matter. Freedom to choose our religion or none at all. No force feeding. For the further left or right you go, they want to control and force feed. Think Iran or Palestine for that matter and forcing religion down throats. Or further left, you get anti-religion yet ironically it's own form of religion/ideology: Marxism, Communism and forcing people to accept their ideology as Gods. Restricting your rights and freedom to think.
As for occupiers, Israel called that land home for thousands of years. That is not a debate. That is history. They finally got some of their land back after having 7+ million people slaughtered by the Nazis.
Speaking of history, does anyone else see that evil has attempted to wipe out the Jewish people since the dawn of time? When you are antisemitic, you best look in the mirror on which side of history you are on.
Is Israel perfect? Of course not. Rom 3:23. Yet let us not forget the horrors committed by Hamas on October 7th that created all this latest chaos.
Corrections? Comments? We are not afraid. For getting Real and pursuing Truth means we tackle tough subjects. Hey, even us FriDudes don't always agree. Nor do familes and marriages. Since we are flawed, sometimes we do need correction. You can comment on the Contacts Us page at FriDudes.com
Okay, palate cleanser, ending on a prayer note. Heavenly Father, forgive us for at times we know not what we do. And at other times we know exactly what we do. We are flawed, Rom 3:23 hence all need your most gracious gift of Rom 8:1. I believe you have us on this broken planet as a test. We get tastes of heaven (love and loved ones, great food, etc.) and we get tastes of hell (life without you, brutality, injustice, unfairness, etc.). Then we get to choose your gift or not. We get to choose to be more loving or not. An eternal life with you or without. I choose you heavenly Father your gift of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Listener, if you are not sure. Rom 10: 9-10 is crystal clear.
Romans 10:9-10 New International Version 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
If you are sure. How are you doing at selling it? Who have you encouraged lately toward a life of love with Jesus Christ? For those not sure, dig more into these episodes. Better yet, read the Book for yourself and judge it. Start in John or Matthew (my fave). Then go to Acts and Romans and keep going. Oooh, good final reminder. Versed ones, you know the Saul to Paul transformation. In those protests or in your own family is a Saul that can become a Paul. Anything is possible with God. Now go and love.
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