Christianity, Eschatology and Terrorism

They really are sinking to a new low in their anti-Christian bigotry:

A strange title, admittedly, at least to non-Australians. But those who live here probably know what I am referring to. It has to do with some wild, reckless and defamatory comments made by some officials in the Queensland Police Department, and the mainstream media.

Late last year three individuals in rural Queensland killed two police officers in a deliberate ambush. Now Deputy Police Commissioner Tracy Linford said this was religiously-motivated domestic terrorism, and she tied it in to a particular view of biblical eschatology. Part of an ABC online article says this:

“What we’ve been able to glean from that information is that the Train family members subscribe to what we would call a broad Christian fundamentalist belief system, known as premillennialism,” she said. Deputy Police Commissioner Linford said the trio saw police “as monsters and demons”. She said the COVID pandemic, climate change, global conflicts and social disparity contributed to their belief in their system.

 

“Whilst the behaviour was similar in some respect to sovereign citizens, we don’t believe this was connected to a sovereign citizen ideology, we believe it’s connected to the Christian extremist ideology,” she said. “There was a belief that Christ will return to the Earth … and provide peace and prosperity. But it will be preceded by an era, or a period of time of tribulation, widespread destruction and suffering. They started preparing for the end of days.”…

 

However, police are working with the FBI in the United States over people who commented on the Trains’ social media posts. She said Christian extremist ideology has been linked to other attacks in the world, such as the Waco massacre in the 1990s, but this was the first time it had occurred in Australia. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/wieambilla-police-shooting-religious-terrorist-attack/101983612

Good grief, there is so much errant nonsense and malicious slander going on here. Indeed, whenever you have the police and the media wading into the deep waters of theology, you know we are going to have a real hatchet job – and a confused and malevolent one at that.

First of all, these folks would not have a clue what premillennialism is if it bit them on the bottom. Yet here they are, throwing this term around and smearing millions of Christians in Australia and worldwide. By suggesting that it is something cultic and connected to terrorism is the height of religious bigotry and vilification. I thought we had laws against that sort of stuff.

As I just said on a radio interview, the premil understanding of the end-times is just one of several that Christians can hold to. And it is not a prerequisite for salvation, like belief in the deity of Christ is. While the return of Christ is our blessed hope and an important Christian teaching, the various views of how exactly it will transpire is really a secondary matter.

Christians can and do disagree on these things while still remaining fully biblical Christians. In that sense these various views are optional extras and not core doctrines that must be adhered to. Many evangelicals are pre-mil, while some are post-mil or a-mil. Those who have no idea what I am talking about will find this explained more fully elsewhere, as in this two-part piece:

https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/11/30/on-the-millennium-part-one/

https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/11/29/on-the-millennium-part-two/

That some nutters and extremists can use certain teachings on the end-times – or anything else for that matter – and twist them to justify actual cultic and violent beliefs and behaviours can happen anytime, anywhere. But to smear the entire Christian community over the actions of three whackos is a case of unfair anti-Christian bigotry and blatant vilification.

Multiple millions of Christians hold to the pre-mil position and they do NOT go around laying traps to kill policemen – or anyone else. It is ludicrous and evil in the extreme to even make any such connections. Given that Christ taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, Christianity is the exact opposite of what these sorts of folks were into.

And tying the Waco cult into this whole issue is more irresponsible calumny. But the media of course loves this sort of stuff. Anything to attack and condemn all Christians will do, whether using a Texas cult or one from Queensland. In fact, the glaring double standards of the media here is abhorrent.

If a devout Muslim shouting Allahu Akbar kills infidels in Australia (something that HAS happened, and more than once), the lamestream media will come up with every excuse they can find. ‘Oh, this has nothing to do with Islam. He was mentally ill. This was not religiously-motivated terrorism.’ They will always try to exonerate these folks.

But anyone with the remotest connection to Christianity will be targeted big time, and their faith (or claims to faith) will be trumpeted far and wide. But this anti-Christian bigotry has been going on for ages. Indeed, as Martyn Iles of the ACL reminds us, “In Ancient Rome, the authorities blamed Christianity for the evils of their day because they either hated it, or were totally ignorant concerning it. I guess history can repeat.”

Yep, nothing new under the sun. Anti-Christian bigots are gonna hate and tell porkies about Christianity every chance they can get. They have turned it into an art form. Real Christians of course are praying for the families of the two police officers that were killed, and are even praying for the conversion of these three.

Biblical Christianity is far, far removed from what this trio was up to. But you would never know that, judging from most of the media and some of our police officials. And just keep this in mind: if a top cop came out and said the same things, but about Muslims or some other group, they would be hounded by everyone far and wide, and likely charged under state religious vilification legislation. But don’t hold your breath waiting for any apologies from these folks.

And just wait for more attempts to classify Christianity as a whole as a terror group that needs to be closely monitored if not shut down altogether. That is in fact the end game for many of these Christophobes.

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22 Replies to “Christianity, Eschatology and Terrorism”

  1. Today’s edition of The West Australian put an outline of premillenianism alongside details of the murderers. Typical ignorant media

  2. Dear Bill,

    Thank you for the article. The Roman Catholic Church teaches about the ‘end’ times and the second coming of Jesus but teaches that only God knows when that will be. This is unlike some so-called ”Christian’ sects who I will not name who think it is going to happen any time now and in the past have even put a date on it. However, the private revelations of seers in the Catholic Church over the centuries have also spoken about the end times and what might happen etc. Not all these revelations have been approved and faithful Catholics are not required to believe in any of them. For example, more than one seer has referred to the three days of darkness. As you say there will always be some who will become so obsessed with the idea of the end of the world that it can lead to tragedies such as happened in QLD. Also an event such as the plandemic only fuels their already unreasonable obsession with the ‘end times.’ However it is grossly unfair and even ignorant to lump all Christians together over the Biblical teaching of it. Mind you I am not at all surprised that this has happened because even a basic knowledge of Christian belief is sadly lacking in society in general and amongst the members of the police force it would be no different. In WA for instance, for police officers to be ordered to go into Churches DURING Mass to check on whether people were wearing masks shows a GROSS ignorance of Catholic belief which has existed for centuries.We have Eucharistic miracles to prove the sacredness of these beliefs such as the Miracle of Lanciano and the police could have waited while Mass was over.For the police force to be used in this way was SCANDALOUS and totally unnecessary in my opinion. In no way was it justified and cannot possibly do anything to promote respect for the police. In fact it would have done quite the opposite amongst devout Catholics but that does not mean that they would resort to killing policemen. The police have only succeeded in making themselves look more ridiculous and ignorant with their statement about this tragedy and now have even more egg over their silly faces.

  3. It is quite galling how MSM just pick up and run with something – especially anti-Christian somethings. I am so sad to be roped in with people who obviously have no understanding of our faith.
    Thanks again Bill for your great explanation
    Vicki

  4. This incident draws to mind the very good book by Rod Dreher, “Live Not by Lies”. And with all the World Pride paraphernalia everywhere, the powers that be will increasingly find biblical Christian faith to be subversive and dangerous to ‘community standards’.

  5. THIS incident contains the EXACT SAME FEDERAL AGENCY ERRORS listed by investigators post WACO, TEXAS (1993) when Federal authorities descended on the Branch Davidians leaving 88 men, women and children DEAD.

    Doomsday styled armed isolationists have a DEFENSIVE worldview – not an AGGRESSION worldview. You leave them alone, they leave you alone. When the ATF and FBI arrived to lay siege to the Branch Davidian Farm they were fueling the prescripted vision of the isolationists. The ATF and FBI were blinded by their OWN fundamentalist concept of law enforcement and ZERO understanding of WHO they claimed as “their enemy”.

    The Branch Davidians went into town every other week to run errands and the Waco Sheriff even fished every other weekend with David Koresh. There was ZERO need for a show of armed federal force such as the ATF/FBI used in taking down their usual enemies Mafia, criminal gangs and Islamic terrorist compounds.

  6. Hmmm… the Hal Lindsey view of the end times ie the dispensational premillenial, pre-trib rapture position, posits that those left behind will be attacked by the government and their enforcement agents ie the police, not that Christian’s will attack the police, if these people attacked the police as alleged it was out of a rejection of biblical theology including the dispensational position not because of it.
    And David Koresh’ Branch Davidians (much like the QLD government and Police’s branch Covidian Movement) was a slavish cult founded in the rejection of Christianity and her creeds!!

  7. The father of the Train brothers was a pastor. At the time, he said that he worried that they had chosen a different path. It appears that the shooters had rejected Christianity and are now being stitched up for their allegedly Christian views.

  8. If I was a Queenslander I would be contacting my local member and demanding to know what disciplinary action was to be taken against the mindblowingly ignorant and bigoted deputy commissioner of police. This sort of clear promotion of hate speech is totally unacceptable. It’s the equivalent of blaming KFC for a planned murder from someone who ate fried chicken. The complete and absolute irresponsibility of the deputy commissioner’s statenent is simply intolerable.

  9. Israel Folau is black listed from rugby for posting a bible scripture:
    That is hate speech says the world;
    He should show more wisdom said the church leaders.

    Margret Court is threatened with losing her sporting honours and told she is not welcome on our national airline:
    She is a bad role model and spreads hate says the world;
    She should show some restraint said the church leaders.

    The churches are closed down and a couple of pastors thrown in jail for inciting worship:
    It is for the safety of the community says the world;
    We must all do our part said the church leaders.

    Three people are murdered including 2 police officers:
    This is domestic terrorism stemming from fundamental christianity says the world;
    The church leaders shuffle their feet and look nervously sideways as they worry about their reputation.

    The bible must be re-written to remove sin, repentance, holiness and righteousness:
    The Bible is destructive hate speech cries the world;
    We really need to be more inclusive, tolerant and seeker friendly says the church leaders.

    Riot squad police raid Christian homes in search of “Traditional” Bibles:
    These fundamentalists are dangerous and must be re-educated with their children put in to care – cries the world;
    These fundamentalists are dangerous and must be re-educated with their children put in to care – cries the church leaders.

  10. I understand many police offices are Masons. Maybe not this ignorant woman because I think Masonic lodges are for men only. Now how is that for discrimination! Anyway really weird things happen in these lodges. There have been a number of exposés.

  11. Thanks Bill, the Qld police may have given Christianity a bad name but hopefully it will make people investigate the Bible a bit more so that may be a positive. Also the Qld police may be covering up other details of the shootout – the daughter of the lady shot dead by police said her mother wouldn’t use a firearm and what about the poor neighbour who came to help, who shot him dead. Sounds like the Trains thought they were going to be arrested like the police arrested people down in Victoria so they got ready for it.

  12. Can wee now expect the Palaszczuk govt in Queensland to pass a law forbidding people to hold to Premillennialism, or more broadly to what are deemed to be “fundamentalist beliefs” (whatever they are)—on police advice??
    This utterly ignorant opinion from the Deputy Commissioner could well be the harbinger of persecution in Queensland.
    It should be clear now that the Labor Party in this country is (i) the party of totalitarianism, and (ii) the party of anti-Christian bigotry, which really seeks to outlaw Biblical Christianity outright. A vote for them is a vote against Christ.
    BTW, I do not personally hold to premillennialism, but that is an internal debate within the household of faith. It is no business of the state to intervene in this or any other theological issue, still less to link it with political terrorism. Moreover, it is a view which has been held by sincere Christians since the early centuries.

  13. The battle between good and evil, the great controversy between Christ and Satan, is being fought on numerous fronts. The war in in Ukraine. The pandemic. The ramifications that families and individuals are facing as a result of government actions to counter the impact of COVID.
    However, there’s another battle being fought and it’s a global attack on truth. And although that includes spiritual truth, it’s not exclusively limited to that, but as you would all be aware, there are issues surrounding biological truth, social justice issues as it applies to gender identity, race relations, climate change, political correctness, etc.
    Now we can argue and debate these issues, the rights and wrongs, the moral implications, the societal implications, but I don’t think we, as Christians, are called to debate, and get involved in opposing the new evolving culture by fronting up against those activists from either end of the political spectrum. Remember, Satan’s ultimate goal is to stop the gospel from being preached. Hence the current talk around hate speech, the talk that implies fundamental Christians are terrorists because they believe in scripture , it’s all about intimidation. It’s all about shutting us up. But the controversy is being presented as a political issue against which we need to fight. It isn’t.
    KJV Ephesians 6:12
    12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

  14. A late reply……The devil had it out for the Trains and the Davidians. My understanding is that the Trains were about to expose paedophiles high up in the gov’t……there is mystery surrounding the event…..I was living in Melbourne at the time of Waco….and was able to call the father of 2 who died in the fire, who lived in Melbourne at the time to comfort him. Since then I have watch interviews with the survivors…Having spent 30+ years in a cult myself. I follow these events from more than one perspective.

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