Gaddafi’s Evangelical Advocate: Ray Comfort
Muammar Gaddafi doesn’t exactly remind you of Jesus. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened up my inbox on April 4 and saw that Ray Comfort, a star in the evangelical world as co-host of The Way of the Master with Kirk Cameron, sent out a short piece titled, “What You May Not Know About Gaddafi.” What followed was what amounted to a press release for that lovable, grandpa-like Libyan dictator who, Comfort apparently believes, is being given a bad shake.
“He [Gaddafi] then promoted non-violent protests and said he believed that if a leader lost the popularity of his own people, he should peacefully step down. He also considered himself to be one of the people, and that’s why he preferred to be called ‘colonel’ rather than ‘general,’” Comfort writes.
With spin like that, Comfort could make a nice living as a freelance propagandist for every rogue leader around the world. Every single headline out of Libya since February 15 discredits this characterization of Gaddafi. He is a dictator, though Comfort does not call him that, and he has decided that it is worth subjecting his country to civil war and destruction to continue being one. The only way he has “promoted non-violent protests” is by instigating them with his bloodthirsty and power-hungry rule.
Facts absent from Comfort’s piece include Gaddafi’s role as a leading state sponsor of terrorism in the 1980s that included killing Americans, most notably in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the 1986 bombing of a disco in Berlin. He has ruthlessly slaughtered his own people at home and has sent assassins to hunt down his enemies abroad. He reacted to this year’s popular uprising with brutality — even machine-gunning mourners at his victims’ funerals. “Peacefully stepping down” is not an option for him. The U.S. alone has frozen $33 billion of his regime’s assets, money that could have helped alleviate the poverty of his people but instead went to fund the lavish lifestyle of Gaddafi and his inner circle.
Maybe Comfort recognizes the obvious. That when Gadaffi is replaced, it’s going to be with someone that is absolutely worse for Israel and the US by orders of magnitude that we can’t even fathom.
The inability to recognize this seems to have spread from the NYTimes crowd to others among us.
You’re right about Gaddafi’s role in terrorist bombings in the 1980s. But the part about killing his own people is complete fiction. The Libyans of Tripolitania are with Gaddafi, who spends the lavish income from the oil fields (located mainly in Cirenaica) on schools, universities, roads, hospitals, infrastructure, farming development and water pipelines. He abolished polygamy and women in Libya are educated and emancipated. A lawyer friend of mine who has an office for international trade in Tripoli tells me his employees were all women: in an Arab country! The article by the Evangelical preacher that you read probably has news straight out of the country. 99 per cent of the news that the Western media picked up in the first days of unrest came from the rebels in Benghazi and stationed in London. They are the tribes that have always warred with the tribes of Tripolitania, and now they figured they would have the West come in and do the job for them. The West, of course, is only too glad to bomb its way to Libyan oil and business. Hence the shameful oxymoron “humanitarian war”. Such humane bombs they are getting. I live in Italy, and so far we have had to cope with shiploads upon shiploads of people fleeing Tunisia, not Libya. We expect Libyans to come eventually, if the French don’t stop bombing them. Meantime they are fleeing Tunisia, where supposedly they are now “free”… You see, you can’t judge the Arab world by simplistically believing every AP or Reuters news you get. Libya is assuredly not a democracy, but the other side is infiltrated by al-Qaeda: in the coastal cities that are known to have sent dozens of men to fight the US in Iraq. Besides, pray tell,where do you find democracies in the Middle East other than Israel?
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you 100%.
I wonder why no one remembers a bizzare shooting in London at a demonstration against Ghaddafi (Qaddafi, Kaddafi), when shots from the Libyan embassy in the center of London left a British police woman dead.
Mr. Mauro,
Perhaps the reason you have yet to read any Christian condemnations of Rev. Comfort is that this is the first any of us have heard of it–and, perhaps more importantly, because Rev. Comfort is not exactly a mover-and-shaker among the world’s 2.3 billion, and this country’s 240 million, Christians. As a conservative (but not Evangelical or fundamentalist) Christian, I really couldn’t care less what this pastor has to say about anything.
That said, I will hazard a guess as to why this pastor might be defending al-Qadhafi (besides your point about his simply using the Libyan dictator as a cudgel with which to beat the US over the abortion issue): he was a heretic in the Islamic world and about as far from a practicing, normative Muslim as you can get.
But perhaps that is greatly overestimating Comfort’s knowledge level.
Occidental Jihadist,
I agree with your post completely and will go one better on the why. I claim to be an Evangelical Christian, and I have no idea who this guy is. I know it’s popular in media to portray Rick Warren, Pat Robertson, and the late Jerry Falwell as the mentors to us all, but it’s simply not true. But at least people know who they are. This guy doesn’t even register on my radar.
But I’ll assure if this letter true, Mr. Comfort would be summarily booed off any Evangelical stage.
For right now all we have is this “quote”.
“The U.S. is now embroiled in a third war — this time with this man, trying to clean up his nation — while we have the holocaust of abortion (over 50 million murdered in the womb) in our own. Pray for America.”
I think the writer is misunderstanding the quote. I read this as Ray saying “The US is trying to clean up Libya” NOT Gaddafi trying to clean up his nation.
Other than that I would like a link to Comforts actual full statement.
That would really be helpful.
Thanks
David
Frankly, as between the President of the Sudan and Gadaffi, well it’s like being up to your neck in manure and having it thrown at your face. Both are just as evil.
When Arabs kill Arabs the civilized world should simply get out of their was and sell arms to both sides. Unlike Saddam’s Iraq, Libya was no threat to any other nation in the area. We should not be anywhere near there and there should be no boots (or shoes) on the ground.
Simply stay away and let them kill each other!
I have felt for many, many years that the US should STAY OUT of any conflict going on WITHIN a country’s borders. If a Country invades another Country…then we should get involved through NATO ONLY.
The only quote given from the email supposedly quoting from Ray Comfort comes up in a simple google search under various other taglines. Did you confirm that this was actually written by Mr. Comfort? Can you link to the source material?
http://alexpascual.tumblr.com/post/4385738276/what-you-may-not-know-about-gaddafi-in-1969
http://anthonywdaniell.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/what-you-may-not-know-about-gaddafi/
Reply without links:
The only quote given from the email supposedly quoting from Ray Comfort comes up in a simple google search under various other taglines. Did you confirm that this was actually written by Mr. Comfort? Can you link to the source material?
Mr. Mauro..could you provide the source of your information? Can’t seem to find it anywhere…
I could not find the email he sent out from LivingWaters.com (otherwise I would have linked to it). Here’s the text from his newsletter with a section at the top, “This Week With Ray…”
What You May Not KnowAbout Gaddafi
In 1969 Muammar Gaddafi seized control of Libya through a bloodless military coup. He then promoted non-violent protests and said he believed that if a leader lost the popularity of his own people, he should peacefully step down. He also considered himself to be one of the people, and that’s why he preferred to be called “colonel” rather than “general.” In 1971, he offered to merge Libya with Sudan, but the Sudanese President refused, saying that Gaddafi had a split personality–”both parts evil.” The U.S. is now embroiled in a third war–this time with this man, trying to clean up his nation–while we have the holocaust of abortion (over 50 million murdered in the womb) in our own. Pray for America.”
Here’s a link where someone copied the relevant portion of Comfort’s newsletter: http://alexpascual.tumblr.com/post/4385738276/what-you-may-not-know-about-gaddafi-in-1969
You got reposted on the Wall Street Journal political page, yet you still have not given proof that this text originated with Ray Comfort. I find nothing on the living waters website, and the Alex Pascual blog link makes no mention that the text was from Ray Comfort, and the other Anthony W Daniell wordpress link I provided actually claims it was written by that blogger (posted APR 5, Also no mention of Ray Comfort.)
Send me an email, I’ll be happy to forward Comfort’s newsletter to you.
NO BS Send us the link! If the link does not work your bad!!! Your credibility is evaporating!!! Also, you mentioned REBELS in your post, which indicates violence and CIVIL WAR!! aaain civil wars onside looses usually quite bloodily!
Ryan…
Please try to get in touch with Ray Comfort. I don’t know the man, so I don’t expect anything, BUT
I do expect accuracy in reporting from Pajamas Media…
Send me an email, I’ll be happy to forward Comfort’s newsletter to you.
I have seen the Ray Comfort’s Living Waters email newletter from another source. It is exactly as presented in the alexpascual link, and described by Ryan Mauro. Regardless if this was penned by Mr. Comfort, or he was passing along something he read, the newsletter implies that it is his own words and he is passing it along as such. There is no link as it is an email newsletter. I’m sorry for implying any bad intentions by Ryan.
I suggest we read the article in the link provided and determine if the critique is justified from that.
Plus the email was dated April 4th 2011, so it predates the two blog postings linked.
Hi Dave, no offense taken. I can fully understand the desire to see an original link given the ridiculousness of the article. Glad you were able to find a copy of the newsletter.
I don’t believe Gaddafi is a vampire but if you just happened to be staying at a medieval castle in the Carpathian Mountains and left your room to find a bathroom at midnight with a candle and saw Gaddafi walking around in robes with some weird cap on his head would you ask directions to the bathroom or would you start shivering and start thinking how much you love your wife and how you wish you’d apologized to your brother for that time you ripped his copy of X-Men #28 in half and start wondering if you saw anything in your room that looked even remotely like a hammer and a stake and whether you could maybe burn his eyes out with your candle and make a run for it?
Unlike most of those commenting above, I’m a huge fan of Ray Comfort. I’m an evangelical, pentecostal Christ-follower, have read extensively of Ray’s writings, and respect him immensely. Ray’s ministry is hard hitting; he pulls no punches about evil, the consequences of God’s judgment, His wrath, and His punishment upon those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There is nothing that Ray would excuse about Gaddafi.
I suggest that anyone interested in Ray’s ministry and the tenor of his views and preaching go to his website: http://www.wayofthemaster.com/. Listen to the free messages: “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and “True and False Conversion.” I dare say they’ll change the way you view your faith and perhaps your perspective of Ray Comfort.
Mr. Mauro
I must say I am totally skeptical of your article. If you are basing your entire premise on an internet mailing of a “newsletter” you are on very weak ground. I never believe anything anyone (even a pastor) sends me in an email.
Knowing a little about Mr. Comfort, though, not caring much for his Way of the Master series, and not knowing you at all, I have no axe to grind except the axe of truth. Something does not seem right here…sort of like the Bush ANG letter…it doesn’t fit what is known about the man. But who knows, people say and write crazy stuff all the time. And people repeat internet rumors all the time.
My sense is that this will end up being a “fake” newsletter and that you will end up retracting this article…but I might be wrong. One thing is for certain, I wouldn’t write an article about how wrong you are.
Please see the above commentator who has also seen the newsletter and has confirmed that it was indeed written by Ray Comfort. I would be happy to forward you it if you email me.
Post the email as a .jpg.
We want to see it. Did you call or write Ray Comfort?
Pretty weak strawman arguments you setup.
So tell me Ryan…what bothers you more:
a)An evil man like Gaddafi as Ray pointed out or
b)a legalized “Constitutional right” invented by 7 unelected black robe judges that murders babies.
Take your false righteous indignation to DU where it belongs.
What Evangalical apologists like this probably don’t know or conveniently forgot is that the Ghaddafi regiem financially supported the “Children of God” cult back in the ’80′s. They were all over here in the Philippines back then using what they called “flirty fishing” whereby their female members would seduce men into joining the movement.
“evangelical apologists”? Not sure what you mean there as I’ve not seen any evidence that any “evangelicals” support Gadhafi. If, and that’s a huge if…as there is no coroborating evidence other than an internet mailing…Ray Comfort does he appears to be the only one.
Abortion Personified
We rationalize it in every way imaginable. Cousin Jane had an abortion, that doesn’t make her an evil person. It’s just tissue anyway, why make a big deal of it? Scientists call it a “product of conception,” it’s not like it’s a real baby!
They say familiarity breeds contempt, which may sometimes be true. “They” don’t often say that repetition of the most contemptible acts breeds complacency and acceptance, but that’s equally true. Virtually no one says aborting innocent, pre-born infants is a good thing. We prefer to resort to the excuses of cousin Jane, the “just tissue,” and the clinical “product of conception” defenses.
Psychologists call those subterfuges avoidance and denial, the all too common effort to avoid and deny ugly truths.
One of the ugliest truths in society today is the reality that aborting babies is barbaric and inhuman . . .
(Read more and see video at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=4137)
I have read that article myself, and I think most people somehow have completely missed the point.
Gadafi, just like Hitler was a nice guy, probably a family guy, he may have been popular, well liked and thought he could rule his country effectively because he was one of the people. Did you know Hitler was a good family man who didn’t drink or play up as such. Now if I was to say this in a article does that mean that I am saying “see Hitler was a nice guy” or am I saying “watch out for the nice guys, but with beliefs that will destroy everything” Ray comforts point is exactly that and if you don’t believe me ring his office and ask his staff. I back Ray 100% on this one. He is a Christian who believes what the Bible says about the heart of man ‘that it is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, who can know it’ Gadafi is no different, looks good on the outside but corrupt on the inside. Just like the rest of us.