The Anchoress

As predicted by many, the saga of Abdul Rahman, a Muslim who dared to convert to Christianity is ongoing.

Michelle Malkin has the very distressing news (with rather intimidating photo) that some Muslims are already congregating to insure his death for being an apostate infidel.

I wrote the other day whether this situation was not a cosmic gauntlet being thrown, meant to stir complacent Christians of every stripe - and specifically the churches - into action. It is not politically correct these days to bring back the idea of “The Church Militant.” These days the only Militant Churches to be tolerated are these:

1) The Church of What’s Happening Now (with apologies to Flip Wilson), populated by trendoids and uber-secularists.
2) The Church of the Exceedingly, Nobly Sensitive PC, populated by nit-picky thought/morality police
3) The Church of Islamofascists and Their Enablers, populated by people who want to get your wife into a burqua, get your son out of the gay bars (via death) and get your forehead on the ground, facing East, five times a day, and their enablers who figure if these folks hate the West and George W. Bush, they must not be all bad.

I’m thinking perhaps this might be the cue for the re-appearance of Church Militant under the Sign of the Cross. Not as a return to inquisitional behavior, not as a tool for recruitment and conversion - but as a means of protection and sanctuary for those who are under fire by these other Militant churches - who are being hunted down and threatened with imprisonment, or death, or who are being diagnosed as “mentally ill.”

The churches had better start thinking about this, because if the trends continue as they are, they’re going to have to become protection and sanctuary (and recourse) for those who are being intimidated or coerced into conformity by governments or political organizations with threats upon their lives, families or livelihoods.

My son Buster and I were talking about the sons of Abraham the other night - about Sarah’s son, Isaac and Hagar’s son, Ishmael, that both were his sons, and blessed by God, but that the Covenant remained with Abraham and Isaac, while Hagar and Ishmael were apart from it.
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So Sarai said to Abram: “You are responsible for this outrage against me. I myself gave my maid to your embrace; but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy, she has been looking on me with disdain. May the LORD decide between you and me!”
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Abram told Sarai: “Your maid is in your power. Do to her whatever you please.” Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
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2 The LORD’S messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur,
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and he asked, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I am running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
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But the LORD’S messenger told her: “Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
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I will make your descendants so numerous,” added the LORD’S messenger, “that they will be too many to count.
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3 Besides,” the LORD’S messenger said to her: “You are now pregnant and shall bear a son; you shall name him Ishmael, For the LORD has heard you, God has answered you.
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He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; In opposition to all his kin shall he encamp.”

Okay, not exactly exemplary behavior by anyone involved in the story. Abraham spew his seed into Hagar, then Hagar copped an attitude of superiority because she’d caught the seed. Sarah got ticked off and beat her.

The battle in the Middle East has raged on in one way or another, ever since.

We are all children of Abraham, that is true. Catholicism displays its Judaic heritage with every chanted psalm and incensed altar. We Christians are “joint heirs,” adopted children and so Abraham is our father, too - and we share in the Covenant he made with God. And it feels, increasingly, as though this family squabble is reaching a flashpoint.

This report states that Rahman is seeking asylum.

An Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has appealed for asylum in another country, the United Nations said Monday.

“Mr. Rahman has asked for asylum outside
Afghanistan,” he said. “We expect this will be provided by one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to this case.”

I’d like to see the US do this. I would hope that the UN is not involved, because that den of tyrants cannot be trusted to ensure Rahman’s safety.

But I wouldn’t be unhappy to see the Vatican provide this man with sanctuary, either.

Michelle says we should be the first to offer Rahman asylum. I agree. But frankly, if we are not first, I won’t be surprised. We have an awful lot of pans on fires, right now. It might be diplomatically sane for us to allow an ally to take Rahman. No matter who takes him on - and pray someone does - there will be retribution by the Islamofascists.

A flashpoint, for sure. But one me must not shirk.

UPDATE: Michelle spies a report that seems to indicate either that Rahman is on his own, or that he has a private protector we’re not going to know about.

UPDATE II: In the Payback-is-a-b*tch category - thanks to the publicity surrounding Rahman’s case, some Muslims are now becoming curious about Christianity. The Holy Spirit works in ways we can’t begin to fathom. All I know is, this story is far from over, and heaven alone knows where things will end up. Everything is fluid. Everything is moving…”God’s spirit moved across the water…” Let Him work. Instapundit says if the report is true, it serves ‘em right. Heh.

UPDATE III: O How I Love Jesus reports that Now Algeria is taking on the issue of converts to Christianity. And not in a good way.

Related: Abdul Rahman’s Fate is Still Not Clear
Also covering: Stop the ACLU.
Jack Lewis
Ace
Sigmund Carl and Alfred. (Read this, also at his site.
Dr. Sanity
neo-neocon
Most Certainly Not
Anglican.TK