Don't show you are a Christian!

That is the advice of the Swedish special court for immigration, when they want to send back a Christian couple to Iran, according to Dagen . According to the newspaper, the Court (and apparently the Immigration Service itself, as they want to sent the couple back) thinks it is no big problem being a Christian in Iran, as long as you hold a low profile. They seem to know little about Christianity, as Christ calls upon his followers not to keep a low profile. The Great Commission and the central place that has in Christian faith seems to be unknown for them. How can one be a Christian and not talk about what changed ones life with friends, relatives, collegues, not gather in places to pray and worship?

There is no freedom for Christians in Iran. I thought everybody knew that. If Sweden thinks freedom of religion is important (as politicians say all the time) it seems clear to me that people like this couple should be granted to stay. While Sweden as a nation should do all that is possible to support democracy in countries like Iran.

Sending back people who fled because of their Christian faith to a country where they can be sentenced to death for their conversion from Islam to Christianity could be seen as helping third part to persecute people for their faith. Let us hope that Sweden will be more decent than so.

Missing link between Christianity and Judaism?

Under this title the newspaper Dagen reports on Israel Knohls (prof of Biblical Stdies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem) presentations concerning Gazon Gavriel, a recently discovered Hebrew text on stone from shortly before the birth of Christ. Dagens source is an article in New York Times. The text, found near the Dead Sea, is an apocalyptic text ascribed to the angel Gabriel. According to Knohl, the text confirms his theory that the thinking of a suffering and slain Messiah, raised again from the death, was already found in Judaism before Christ became active as a teacher. The text reads at a point: “In three days you shall live (an idiom for come to life again), I, Gabriel, command you.”, adressing a "Prince of Princes". The new thing in Knohls interpretation is the word live (hayeh), which is spelled in an unusual way, but in a way occurring just in this period of time. The original publishers could not read this particular word.

Knohl thinks the text in this case may be about a certain Simon, killed by Herods army, an interpreteation apparently challenged by others. But that is not the important point. The important point for him is, that the concept of a slain an resurrected messiah was not unknown at Christs time. According to him and others, this should shake our basic view of Christianity, and, as Daniel Boyarin from Berkeley says in the articles, see a threat to the uniqueness of Christianity, others may have another view.

I find the stone very interesting a look forward to more discussions about it. By the way, one may wish to read Knohls own article in Haaretz which came already in April (apparently missed by both Dagen and NY Times) which is far more elaborate than the other two articles. If Knohl is right and the concept of a slain messiah was already more or less common in (parts of) Judaism I see no problem for Christians. No threat. Contrary, many theologians recognize the concept of a suffering messiah in Old Testament texts, the most wellknown being Isaiah 53 (Yes I know there are other interpretations as well). Many texts are interpreted as prophetic texts pointing to Christ. Of course, one can explain the texts in different ways, they may well have more than one interpretation at the same time. But if Christians are right saying that the suffering and death of Christ as well as his resurrection are foresaid in the Old Testament, it is not at all suprising to discover that the concept of the slain messiah was alive within certain parts of Judaism. It would rather be expected.
I cannot see that the discovery would pose a problem for Christianity as a swedish blogger states (http://omreligion.blogspot.com/2008/07/jesus-en-i-mngden.html). It rather clarifies a connection between Judaism and Christianity that many of us already knew is there.

Secularized Sweden

The newspaper Dagen writes that a new survey was published by Kairos Future, showing clearly what we already new: Sweden is one of the most secularized places in the world. A survey was done among 22500 people (16-50 yrs) from 17 countries. In the US, 75% believes in God. In Europe only 38%, and within Europe Sweden is even much lower. Even fewer see religion as important for their identity. In all kinds of questions, religion ends up very low on the list, says one of Kairos people.
The survey shows also, that young people may be concerned about e.g. environmental issues more than about money, but their behaviour is more centred on materialistic issues than on values.
See http://www.dagen.se/dagen/Article.aspx?ID=154449 (swedish) and http://www.kairosfuture.com/en/international/projects/globalyouth