Freedom Matters Today

There are two ways of viewing God. One is the religion of the soil, and the other is the religion of revelation. In one, God is a local, tribal deity, stuck in place. In the other is a God who is everywhere, for everyone, and who is not trapped by geography. Which God do you worship?

A kidnapped relative by a foreign power. What to do? In this episode, discover how Abram, the Hebrew fought a decisive war to rescue his estranged nephew Lot. Find out about his alliances, the conflict, and the outcome. The world shakes when a good man goes to war.

Was Abraham a man of peace? In his peace treaty and his purchase of the land for the burial of his wife, Abraham showed himself to be a man of peace. His life is a model for us today.

Was Abraham a good man? He was a man with a generous spirit, who showed generosity to his nephew Lot and also to the people of Sodom.

These days, Abraham has been enlisted as a slogan for the propaganda war in Gaza. Many Christians have weaponized the Bible to promote this war and rationalize the genocide. This series continues its defense of Abraham, a man whose reputation has been slandered by many, but whose story is significant for the identity of billions of people around the world.

Are the dying children of Gaza to blame for something? Many Christians say yes, because their nation refuses to support Israel. Is this true?

Today, it is said that about 14,000 children have been killed in Israel's genocide in Gaza, prompted by the events of October 7 last year. Children, it seems, are the ones who suffer around the world, innocent victims of family strife, national neglect and war. The Christians who say that God is on the side of Israel say that it was Abraham who was told that any nation to bless Abraham will be blessed, and any nation which curses Abraham will be cursed. They, are, of course, wrong, but this whole tragic story begins when two boys are born to one man, and this man fails in his duties to his wives, and to his children, and today, this family continues to endure the suffering of the children.

Are the Palestinian people cursed by God? For many Evangelical, Protestant American Christians, the answer is yes, for according to Genesis 12, all nations must bless Israel or be cursed by God. But what does Genesis 12 say? The way this chapter has been used by the Christians who stand with Israel is scandalous, it is fraudulent, and it is without merit. We are free, to stand with whomever we want, but the Bible nowhere prevents us from standing for children, women, and the victims of war. The promises of God do not contradict his character.

What are the consequences of genocide in Gaza? What is happening in this conflict and how can we understand it from a Christian perspective? What do the genocide accounts of the Hebrew Bible tell us today about the identity of God?

Is Israel engaged in Genocide in Gaza? Netanyahu invoked an ancient story and invited a cycle of retaliation. The genocide accounts in the Hebrew Bible are at the heart of Israel's identity and yet, are deeply troubling, both in terms of understanding ourselves and God.

Does God support genocide in Gaza? Why do so many American Protestants stand with Israel and against Palestinians? What is Exemption Theology and why is it important to understand what it is and what drives it? Why does America really stand with the state of Israel? Join Dr Michael J. Sutton in episode 2 of this fourth series of Freedom Matters Today, titled 'Does God Stand with Israel?' Freedom Matters Today looks at freedom from a Christian perspective.