Contrary to LLAP...

With the passing of Leonard Nimoy this week, a lot has been circulating around the internet about the Vulcan hand sign and its meaning to those of the Jewish faith. The Israel Project has posted a video of Leonard Nimoy and his explanation on their Facebook page.

Kevin Kallsen and George Conger at Anglican Unscripted have their take on "Live Long and Prosper" (LLAP) and how the church has gone off the path by preaching a similar message for the past several decades.

Today's Gospel reading contained material that appears to proclaim something quite contrary to the Gospel of LLAP,

Then Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." - Mark 8:31-38

Instead of "Live long and prosper" we hear something to the effect of,

"Expect to suffer and die for Jesus. This life is not all that there is to it."

Indeed, that is exactly what Christians throughout the world have been doing recently, living and dying for their faith.

Not much has changed over the past 2000 years as the Facing Islam blog documents week after week.

"More than 200 Assyrian Christians have been kidnapped by the terrorist organization ISIS, and prayers have gone out around the world for their safe return. Two members of the Assyrian Church of the East spoke with The Christian Post about the situation in Syria and the loss of several religious artifacts at the hands of ISIS. 

Jennifer Griesenauer and her aunt, Toni Abraham, who live in the United States, have watched in horror as members of their faith are systematically being targeted for kidnapping and execution. This week it emerged that ISIS fighters also destroyed religious artifacts, reaching new levels of destruction and animosity."

 The cross sure seems heavy at times.