Samantha Lewthwaite, the White Widow

Samantha Lewthwaite may have finally succumbed to her own brand of terroristic violence.  It’s unknown at this point, but it’s thought that Samantha may have been killed as a result of her participation in the Nairobi, Kenya shopping mall terrorist attack.  Who is Ms. Lewthwaite you ask?  She may very well be the most unassuming terrorist you’ve ever seen, one that is known to British intelligence as the ‘White Widow’.  Born in Ireland and converting to Islam as a teen, she went on to marry her (now deceased) husband Jermaine Lindsay.  Jermaine killed himself in a London suicide bombing in 2005 and took 26 innocent lives with him.  The White Widow has been on the run ever since.

She’s been accused of being a veritable mastermind of Islamic terror since 2005, purported to be working not only with the Somali terrorists, al-Shabaab, but with al-Qaeda as well.  Notwithstanding her reputation as a terrorist, the most interesting part of Lewthwaite may not be her prowess as a terrorist, but how she came to find Islam in the first place.

As a teenager, Lewthwaite, the daughter of a British Soldier, found herself disappointed with her parents’ divorce, leading her to spend more and more time with her neighbors.  Her neighbor’s home was an example of a conservative family life, an environment that apparently brought relief to a young, impressionable Samantha.  These neighbors offered contrast to her home life in other ways as well…they were Muslim.  Assumedly, because of the safe and conservative environment offered by Islam, Samantha decided to convert.  We see the genesis of a terrorist, caused by a couple’s marital strife and its horrific effect on their daughter.

Is the White Widow model really that unique?  Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding NO.  Though most Islamic converts don’t become terrorists (man or woman), we do know that statistically, single women are the largest group of Islamic converts in the United States.  For those who understand the lowly view that Islam takes of women, one must wonder…what is so attractive about Islam, especially to single women?

To understand the attractiveness of Islam, one needs to look no further than the reality that many of these women are seeking to escape.   As in the case with Ms. Lewthwaite, many women have become very disenchanted with the lack of moral discipline that seems to be exemplified in Western culture today.  Their disappointment extends as well to a highly liberalized Christian theology that’s invaded much of the church today, transforming the image of a Christian man from spiritual warrior and protector to one of an effeminate juvenile in need of protection.  Why would a single mom, struggling to make it day to day, want to continue to rely on her church, which oftentimes judges her more often than it helps her.  What faith or unity is she to have in her church when on the one hand they ostracize her, yet welcome gay couples with open arms, a clear case, in her eyes, of hypocrisy?  Is it any wonder that she’s intrigued by a religion like Islam, a religion that has the audacity to ‘invade’ her church, possibly through an ‘interfaith’ initiative, with stories of strong, masculine men who ‘take care’ of their women?  It’s quite evident to her, when observing interaction between the Islamic and Christian men, who is the Alpha male…and who’s the lap dog.  Whether these stereotypes are true is of little consequence, what matters is that in a world of despair, Islam offers women hope, a fresh start and a hand up…no matter the realities of subjugation (and worse) women face while under the specter of Islam.

Lest it be said, the heart of the church, Jesus Christ, is not at fault.  He’s the same today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow…utterly consistent.  Much of the fault, however, does lie at the feet of a Christian church that continues to yield truth and its beliefs for the whim of others.  In the interest of peace (even with those who’ve sworn to give none) we, the Christian church, have come perilously close to selling the last vestiges of what makes us who we are, continually sacrificing eternal truth for temporal comfort.

What, if anything, is the Christian church to learn from this exodus away from the truth of Christ?  First and foremost, truth isn’t always comfortable (Jesus told us that himself), but we lose credibility when we abandon it.  The church needs to be less concerned about being a social club with its own coffee and donut shop (all housed in the latest architectural marvel) and more focused on preaching and standing firm on the truth of the gospel (not to mention growing a spine).  We’re certainly not advocating that congregants go out and ‘pick fights’ with those of other faiths to prove their courage, but simply stop backing away from the truth…standing firm in truth IS enough. Second, we certainly don’t need to be advocating or promoting alternative viewpoints to salvation through Jesus…especially within the church!  As followers of Jesus, we must acknowledge that He is the way, the truth and the life.  If we believe that Jesus is who He says He is, promoting other religions as “OK” or “alternative choices” gives new meaning to the phrase, “the road to hell is paved with good intention.”  It is in this recklessness that we find ourselves denying our God and driving others away from His grace, mercy and salvation.  Shame on us, we should know better.

In this case, single women have become the proverbial ‘canary in the coal mine’, and we’d do well to mind their warning.  Do we still hear the chirping?

 

 

2 Responses

  1. as a single mother i felt rejected by my church’s scrutiny too. i however, will not compromise my faith in the Trinity and Jesus as the blood sacrifice of my salvation…i really could have used their help, but i didn’t get it
    i was talking to a man about a week ago who said he was trying to convert muslims by comparing the Christian faith with muslim faith, and literally said they were more alike than people believe, my answer was they don’t accept Christ and they don’t recognize the Holy Spirit..he replied that there is no evidence of the Spirit and i was shocked…how do we identify ourselves as Christian and not have a central core of beliefs? i don’t even recognize catholicism as Christian, because they don’t honor Christ for who He is and has done for us…there can be no core if people don’t pick up the Bible and actually read it…alas i live my faith in love, God is love, i must be love in action, but that is just me because i am a shut-in, but even i have to be on-call for Jesus…people have literally come to my door or called me on the phone and needed my witness, i was honored He chose me for that…i salute you with His love for following His narrow way and being a true voice

  2. Great article. I agree the Church has faltered after being bashed by the Marxist left for so long. but no excuses. its time for Christians to put on their big boy pants and prepare for what is coming or else we face obliteration like the churches of the East. But we’re not going to let that happen are we, Mark? Hell no!

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