The sign is true, although I believe the church was trying to make a political point more than anything. In the same way if the church posted a sign “Jesus loves Hitler”, both statements are true in that God did love the world enough to sent His son, but if we don’t accept His love, we have to remember that John 3:16 not only contains ‘good news’ but also ‘bad news’ in that if we don’t believe and accept God’s love we will perish and not have eternal life.

The question is did the church who put up the sign bring glory to God through doing so?

The sign does state God’s love for sinners, although those who do not have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will not understand this. Imagine someone driving past who lost a relative or friend in September 11, without understanding God’s unconditional love, how will they ever be able to contemplate God's love for this murderer?

I believe if the church wanted to bring glory to God they could have made it clearer that God does hate sin, and we are told to hate what is evil (Romans 12:9), but that it is through God’s mercy that we will receive salvation if only we repent from our sins, and that is what those who do not have a relationship with Christ need to understand more than anything.

I think if we go back to 1788 we might notice that the inception of this country by white people was essentially non-Christian. This was despite Willaim Wilberforce and friends ensuring missionaries were aboard the ships of the first fleet.

However history tell us that when Wilberforce fought the slave trade he was fighting string elements of the church who had vested interests in the slave trade.

The Anglican church in the UK admitted its role in the slave trade this year as the world celebrated 200 years since it abolition in the UK. However as many of us know the view of many of the missionaries that came here were inline with maniline England where the black man was seen as inferior to the white man.

In the 21st century very little has changed as shown by Australia's last ranking amongst countries with indigenous populations. Also indigenous health was reportedly 20 years behind the rest of Australia. Many migrants who have come here over the years are aware of this history regarding indigenous Australians. So there is a sense that large elements of Australian society have kept the indigenous issues off the scale to the point we are dealing with issues that we should not be at all.

As I said if we go back ton 1788 all is not well and God is aware of this as are many of the other religious groups in Australia. In Islam they have a very powerful ally in Anthony Mundine for two reasons. First Mundine had a Christian upbringing and second he has the potential to establish a black indigenous Islamic nation within Australia.

Now we cannot blame Osama for this situation but we must have a very close look at ourselves and the message we are sending to our non-Christian community. With the Cronulla riots last year, John Howard and his people tried their best as did the police.

The Islamic community had an outreach which culminated in Tafe classes at St George Tafe on Islam for non-Islamic people. Yet not one single church leader said anything about the Cronulla riots. This is strange considering the Christian God is the moral standard of the universe. All racism and all violence are first acts against the God who was here in 1788 or at Cronulla last year and second it is against the image and likeness of God who also was here in 1788 and at Cronulla last year.

I think we have more serious issues to deal with them silly existential attempts to convince people that they have something unique to say. If we the Christian don't wake up to ourselves we will have an Islamic indigenous nations we are not suppose to have. Islam has no universal for love like the Trinity is to the Christian.

Here love and communication were always occurring so love has meaning. In Islam, Allah was alone before creation and so love cannot work and niether can anything else relating to personality. God is love = God the Father loves God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; God the Son loves God the Holy Spirit and God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit loves God the Son and God the Father.

Remove all of the God bits and love has no meaning as exemplified by our post-Christian postmodern 21st century.

Whether people like it or not, it's the truth.

Hi Sheridan

I think that what the sign says cant be argued against...if osama turned to christ.

To say that Jesus loves osama is like saying "thats ok osama. keep doing what youre doing coz Jesus loves you"
Jesus loves sinners who repent for their sins. john 3.18

god bless you all.

- becki

Hello Sheridan,

I'm an avid Open House listener. Keep up the good work. Here's my five cents.

As I'm sure you know, it has been remarked by some commentators that this sign is potentially misleading and offensive to victims of terrorism, but that there is also some degree of truthfulness to it.

September 11, 2001 shattered my naivety about human nature. At the time I remembered thinking that most people are inherently good, at least by man's definition. In the days and weeks after those events, as the story of the attacks and how they were planned and carried out emerged, I wondered if it was possible for some people to be irredeemably evil. In spite of the evil and suffering he has caused, as hard as it is for us to comprehend, Jesus does love Osama Bin Laden and his ilk. It's a challenge and reminder to look at such people through God's eyes rather than our own.

Hypothetically, if Bin Laden woke up tomorrow, renounced his particular brand of Islam and its teachings, and accepted Christ, then there would be a place for him in the kingdom of God, regardless of his past. As much as it churns my stomach to even contemplate it at this point, he would become my brother in Christ. It's not my place to decide who is and isn't worthy of God's mercy. The fact of the matter is that none of us actually deserve it. All of us are sinners, but God, in His mercy, provided Jesus to give us salvation, and not the wrath we all deserve.

Blessings to you and your listeners,

Ross

Hi Sheridan,
Love your ministry. May God bless your work abundantly.
Regarding the boards on Bin Ladin: My initial reaction was "oh boy! This is going to open up a hornets nest!" However isn't it good that so many people got talking about God instead of mindlessly going about their own business, never thinking about Him. Sometimes negative things can provoke thought in the hearts of those seaking. Hopefully someone will see the difference of the unconditional love of our God compared to our judgmental attitude. In the end anyway justice will be done by Him. How glad I am that this is in His hands and not ours! Not much is required from us to be able to live forever, enjoying that love. Compare Luke 24:39-43 for forgiveness of the repentant sinner.

Hi Sheridan

Firstly, what the sign says is true. It is a fact that is cannot be disputed.

It is a comment that every follower of Christ must agree with, however those in the community who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord may, I'm afraid, only be pushed further away as the death of so many people at Osama's hand are fresh in the memory of many.

Deep in my heart, I know the statement to be the unquestionable truth of Jesus. Did it bring non-Christians closer to following Jesus? I'm not so sure!

Thanks again for a fantastic programme.

Warm Regards
Andrew