Is Rifqa Bary Really in Danger for Her Life?

There is an interesting story that is getting a lot of attention here in Orlando about a young girl from Ohio that is accusing her Muslim family of threatening her life because of her conversion to Christianity from Islam. Rifqa Bary, a 17 year old high school student from Columbus, recently fled to Orlando to live with a Christian family who befriended her on the Internet.

You can catch up on some of the details in this article from the Orlando Sentinel. I honestly don't know what to think of this story. Many evangelical Christians have joined Rifqa's cause and believe her story of seeking to escape a strict Muslim family that is not accepting of her Christian faith. (In fact, while writing this post, I received an invitation from a friend to join a "Saving Rifqa Bary" group on Facebook.)

While I would like to believe that there is no truth to this story and that this is just another example of a teenager telling a tall-tale in order to exert her independence, I also know that what she is accusing her family of is not out of the realm of possibility. The reality is that in many parts of the world those that come from Muslim backgrounds that become followers of Jesus may very well find their lives in danger.

According to Open Doors USA, seven of the top ten countries that are most notorious today for the persecution of Christians are Muslim-majority nations. This certainly does not mean that every Muslim that has a family member convert to Christianity will act violently towards them. But I have been concerned how the local Orlando media has been so quick to dismiss Rifqa's assertions as a child's make-believe. For example, Mike Thomas, an Orlando Sentinel columnist whose writings I often enjoy, almost mocks even the possibility that Rifqa may be telling the truth.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there has been a growing bias towards Muslims in the U.S., many of whom are law-abiding, tax paying American citizens. And many Christians have been guilty of not extending to their Muslim neighbors the same kind of courtesies that they would expect in return. However, this not does not mean that this young girl should be ignored. What she charges is serious and should be investigated.

If she has not been telling the truth, then she needs to face the consequences of making unfounded claims such as these. But if what she has been saying is true then we have to ask ourselves if we going to continue to allow people freedom of religious expression or if that is something that parents can decide for their grown children.

An Update on the One Hundred Push Ups Challenge

A few weeks ago I wrote about a workout regimen that I was in the midst of called The One Hundred Push Ups Challenge. The program is simple: Start with how ever many proper form push ups that you can do and by following the recommended program, you should be able to do 100 consecutive push ups in just six weeks.

Well, I just completed my last workout of the sixth week. All that is left is my final test. Although I've seen dramatic improvement and am doing a lot more pushups than I ever thought I'd be able to do, we'll see if I will be able to do the 100 when I perform the final exhaustion test on Sunday.

But if I'm not able to get there this weekend (I'm hoping I can do at least 75-80), I'm not giving up. I've made it too far to turn back now, even if I fall short of my six week goal. I'll repeat the Week 6 plan and will hopefully be able to get there next weekend if I can't do it now. As you can see from this chart, I've made some pretty good progress. In my first workout on July 20th, I only did 35 push ups in my total workout. Tonight I did 231 total!

My wife and kids have been supportive throughout the process and I've enjoyed seeing several of my friends follow suit and try the program. In addition to this workout plan, I've also changed my eating habits significantly and have lost 15 pounds in the last three months, as well adding at least a few pounds of muscle.

I'll be posting my results from my test on Sunday on Twitter @scottmcrocker and on my Facebook account. Thanks for those of you that have encouraged me on this journey!

Adultery is Big Business on the Internet

I guess it was only a matter of time before this happened but the website AshleyMadison.com has learned that there is big business in adultery. In seven short years, the website, whose tag line is "Life is Short. Have an Affair", has made over 20 million dollars in its promotion of adultery.

Its founder, Noel Biderman, really doesn't see a problem with what he's doing and thinks he's only providing a service for something that's in demand. But, of course, he doesn't quite feel the same if things struck close to home for him. Look what he says in a TIME magazine article:

"Humans aren't meant to be monogamous," [Biderman] says. So would this free-thinking CEO mind if his own wife used his site? "I would be devastated," he says."

It is no big news that there is a lot of money to be made in sin. And with sites like the aforementioned now available on mobile devices, it makes cheating all the easier. The homepage on the website boasts that you can "Join free & change your life today. Guaranteed!" I'm sure that those that will use this site have their lives changed but I doubt it is for the better. It may be free but it sure is costly.

The CEO of the company enjoys getting rich off of other peoples' broken marriages but admits he wouldn't want his wife to become a member of his own website. With as much good that is offered on the Internet it's sad that there is so much more garbage that leads to destroyed lives. A fulfilled life will not be found through sites that promote cheating and marital unfaithfulness. So if you're struggling in your marriage, I encourage you to visit this site instead.

(Thanks to Breaking Free for bringing this to my attention.)