Can I really get 30 lashes for walking my dog???

Today in Iran a man was sentenced to 4 months in prison and 30 lashes – which means he is essentially either beaten on his back with a stick – or he is whipped with leather straps. His crime…WALKING HIS DOG IN PUBLIC!!! It seems that in Iranian culture dogs are considered unclean and are forbid being in public…are you kidding me??? In everyday life – outside of Church and Christian School we are told to be the “T” word. What is the “T” word you ask…It is one of those politically correct words that had been placed on topics that are more often than not, set AGAINST Christians. For example; if a person wants to worship the devil we are told we should be more “T” – (try to guess the word). If a person doesn’t think we should say “In God we Trust” in are pledge they say we should be more “T” of other people’s beliefs – or lack thereof. Or perhaps a person doesn’t believe in God we should not pray in their presence and be more “T” of their unbelief. If a copy of the Ten Commandments is in a place where there are ten people and nine of them are Christians – but one is not – then the Ten Commandments are removed and the Christians are told to be more “T” – Have you guessed it yet??? The word is Tolerant…It is a word I am learning to dislike more and more lately… It seems to only apply to Christians however. Christians should be more tolerant of other beliefs…but NO ONE need be tolerant of our faith and beliefs…But what does God have to say about it??? In Jeremiah Chapter 7 God speaks to Jeremiah and gives him a message to deliver to the people of Judah who are being rebellious. He tells them -

"Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. 3 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless."

God is telling them, look, straighten up and you can live in this place – a place of peace and protection directly from the hand of God – Get away from the way you’ve been living and stop putting your faith in deceptive words that are worthless and put your faith in me. Seems pretty simple…right? It doesn’t sound to me like God is being very tolerant towards the people of Judah. What is the consequence of those who refuse to turn back to God – We need only to look in the next verse –

Jeremiah 9 - 29

9 " 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.12 " 'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. 15 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.'16 "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.21 " 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.'27 "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips. 29 Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath.”

This makes it very clear to me that God does not abide by the politically correct “T” word. God does not and will not tolerate our sin, backsliding, rejection, or bitterness – he will forgive – but he will not tolerate. And I do not believe we ought to be so quick to tolerate either. I don’t mean that we should be rude – insulting – unloving – or uncaring – to those who say they are offended by us – I think we ought to say we are offended that they are offended – then they can say they are offended that we are offended that they are offended….and so on – Then pray for them.As for the guy in Iran who has to spend 4 months in prison and 30 lashes for walking his dog…I guess the guy should have been more tolerant and left the dog in his basement to go to the bathroom instead of offending someone with his unclean pup – weird hugh?