Current Events & Trends: Islamic State leaders seek to spread terror to the West
While the world collectively gasps at the horrific violence employed by the recently declared Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East, including beheadings of captured Westerners, to date there hasn't been much tangible fear throughout Western nations. The Islamic State's control over large parts of Iraq and Syria seems in the West to be still far away—especially with the West now conducting attacks against IS positions.
This may be changing, however, after police in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales foiled a terror attack in which Islamists had planned to "carry out public beheadings in Australia" (Michael Sin and David Stringer, "Beheading Plot Thwarted in Australia Terrorism Raids," Bloomberg News, Sept. 18, 2014). Thankfully averted in time, a successful beheading by Islamic terrorists in a prominent Western nation like Australia would spread terror throughout the Western world.
According to a report in The Australian, the threat isn't past either: "The Islamic State has called for terrorist attacks in Australia and elsewhere" (Mark Schliebs, "Islamic State Leader Calls for Attacks on Australia in New Audio Message," Sept. 22, 2014).
In London, an 82-year-old woman was beheaded Sept. 4 by a Muslim convert ("Woman Beheaded 'With Machete' in North London Garden," The Telegraph, Sept. 4, 2014) and in Moore, Oklahoma, a recently fired Muslim convert beheaded a 54-year-old female coworker Sept. 25 ("Police: Woman Beheaded at Oklahoma Workplace," Associated Press, Sept. 26, 2014). Such individual acts are being called for by jihadist leaders in addition to concerted plots.
The report in The Australian quotes IS leader Sheik Abu Mohammed al-Adnani as announcing the call-to-arms by saying, "If you can kill a disbelieving American or European—especially the spiteful and filthy French—or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war . . . then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be."
Throughout this issue we've shown the moral degradation of Western society as demonstrated by the sins of abortion, sexual immorality and the rejection of God and His influence in daily life. In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 God presented the people of Israel with the choice between obedience with blessings and disobedience with curses.
He told them that if they chose to disobey Him and live sinfully they would live in fear: "I will even appoint terror over you" (Leviticus 26:16). The blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience also apply to nations like the United States and Australia, where people have knowledge of God and should know better than to live sinfully.
God wishes for His people to turn away from these destructive lifestyles and come to have a relationship with Him based on respect and love. Until the nations reject these sins and humble themselves to repent and turn to God, they will live in terror of unknown enemies and an uncertain future. You can do your part in overcoming this fear and uncertainty in your own life by turning to God and rejecting sin today. (Sources: Bloomberg News, The Australian, Associated Press, The Telegraph [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: November - December 2014
Course Content
Rudolph Rangel III
Rudy Rangel attends the Cincinnati East, Ohio congregation along with his wife Judy and two children.
Darris McNeely
Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.
Peter Eddington
Peter serves at the home office as Interim Manager of Media and Communications Services.
He studied production engineering at the Swinburne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and is a journeyman machinist. He moved to the United States to attend Ambassador College in 1980. He graduated from the Pasadena campus in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and married his college sweetheart, Terri. Peter was ordained an elder in 1992. He served as assistant pastor in the Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, California, congregations from 1995 through 1998 and the Cincinnati, Ohio, congregations from 2010 through 2011.
