Is Norwegian mass murderer a fundamentalist Christian?

By Mark Ellis
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

LOS ANGELES (ANS) -- If Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik is a fundamentalist Christian, he forgot something fundamental to the teachings of Jesus: "Love your enemies."

A variety of prominent news organizations have described Breivik as an

Norway shooter

extremist Christian or a fundamentalist Christian.

At the earliest televised news conference, a Norwegian police official, Roger Andresen, helped to create this impression when he said, "What we know is that he is right wing and a Christian fundamentalist." Additionally, Breivik's Facebook page lists his religious affiliation as "Christian."

It appears that Breivik's horrific acts were motivated by a violent hatred of Muslim immigration into Norway and other countries in Europe. His rage against Muslim immigrants finally consumed him, with many innocent victims in his wake.

If Breivik read the Bible, then he also forgot about God's love for the poor and needy, widows and orphans, and yes, immigrants. In the Book of Exodus, God gives the following command: "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt."

Similarly, in the Book of Psalms, David writes, "The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked."

When God describes his love for the "alien," he is not talking about extraterrestrials. This is a clear reference to immigrants at the lowest rung of Hebrew culture - whether documented or undocumented.

MORE

---

Mark Ellis is a senior correspondent for ASSIST News Service and the founder of www.Godreports.com.  He is available to speak to groups about the plight of the church in restricted countries, to share stories and testimonies from the mission field, and to preach the gospel. mark@Godreports.com

A New Approach to Homeless Ministry

I'm wondering if it may be time for a new approach to Christian ministry to the homeless. Maybe the conventional models that involve meeting physical and spiritual needs first are putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. Jesus stressed the importance of "relationships" above "good works."

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

Our Lord pointed out to Martha that He was not so interested in what she could do for Him. He was more interested in the relationship that she could have with him. Shouldn't the things we do, then, spring from the relationships that we have?

Don't get me wrong. Shelter, food, clothing, salvation, and discipleship are all real needs that must be met and the conventional missions and shelters are doing a good job meeting those needs. But what if there was a ministry to the homeless that placed its emphasis on building relationships, mutual trust, and a sense of community, and allowed for needs to be met based on that. I can see many possibilities of how a ministry like this could develop in partnership with more conventional shelters and missions. It could even become the ultimate screening process for both Christian and secular programs as well as the missing safety net for many who leave conventional programs with no or little support.

I don't really know, at this point, what a ministry like this might look like or how it might take shape. I would love to hear your thoughts on this vision. Your comments would be appreciated. Please help me "flesh this out."

Blessings,

Eric Lampe

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (NIV)

Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. (HCSB)

See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah). (AMP)

What are the “basic principles, elemental forces of this world” that Paul is referring to?