Molotov cocktails and tear gas in Ferguson, Missouri

Exploded Tear Gas and Canister (Ντουντούκα)

Violence has been continuing in Ferguson, Missouri:

August 14, 2014

Police used tear gas and smoke bombs to repel crowds they say threw Molotov cocktails during another violent night on the streets of a St. Louis suburb in the wake of the weekend shooting of the unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown.

Hours earlier, the police chief had said race relations were the top priority in the town, where a white police officer fatally shot the black teen. Authorities have vowed to reach across the racial, economic and generational divide in a community in search of answers. …

Residents in Ferguson have complained about what they called a heavy-handed police presence that began with the use of dogs for crowd control soon after Brown’s shooting — a tactic that for some invoked the specter of civil rights protests a half-century ago. The county police force took over leading both the investigation of Brown’s shooting and the subsequent attempts to keep the peace at the smaller city’s request. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/protests-in-st-louis-suburb-again-turn-ugly/

August 14, 2014

Tensions are rising between police and residents in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, where an unarmed black teenager was shot and killed by a police officer.

Police in riot gear fired tear gas and smoke bombs late Wednesday night at hundreds of residents who were protesting for a fourth consecutive night in the predominantly-black community.

The community of 21,000 residents has been on edge since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown last Saturday. Ferguson police officials say Brown was killed after fighting with the policeman in his car, but witnesses say the teenager was shot multiple times as he and a friend were walking from a store and that his hands were raised to show he was surrendering.

The demonstrations have turned violent, with some protesters vandalizing and looting stores. Police officials have responded by deploying heavily-armed officers in military-style vehicles throughout the community, a sight that has worsened relations between residents and Ferguson’s mostly white political leadership.

The unrest has prompted school officials in Ferguson to delay the opening of the official school year from Thursday until next Monday. http://www.voanews.com/content/more-unrest-in-wake-of-police-shooting-of-unarmed-black-teenager/2412895.html

August 14, 2014

On Wednesday night, scores of police officers in riot gear and in armored trucks showed up to disperse protesters who had gathered on the streets near the scene of the shooting. Some officers perched atop the vehicles with their guns trained on the crowds while protesters chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” A police spokesman said that some demonstrators had thrown Molotov cocktails at officers and that some had tried to set fires. The police used tear gas on demonstrators, and some protesters said rubber bullets had been fired at them. Police said one officer appeared to have suffered a broken ankle after being hit by a brick.

The police made more than 10 arrests. Among those arrested was Antonio French, a St. Louis alderman, who had been documenting the protests on social media, his wife said on Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/us/missouri-teenager-and-officer-scuffled-before-shooting-chief-says.html?_r=0

While the killing of Michael Brown should be investigated, the protests and their reaction seem to be a form of ‘terror from within’ (cf. Deuteronomy 32:25). One photograph I saw of Ferguson showed a militaristic police presence at the protests (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/us/missouri-teenager-and-officer-scuffled-before-shooting-chief-says.html?_r=0) that reminded me of a police state. Violence often begets violence.

The Bible teaches:

9 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Enough, O princes of Israel! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness (Ezekiel 45:9)

9…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:9-10)

Proper justice should not lead to violence. Riots do not show love to one’s neighbor.

As far as violence goes, the Bible shows that God is against violence and that destruction will come because of it:

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled. (Ezekiel 7:23-24)

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…30…violent, proud, boasters,…31…unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

8…And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. ( Habakkuk 2:8)

I have long warned that there will be more riots and civil unrest in the USA. Ferguson is a suburb of the city of St. Louis, Missouri.

There is violence in the land.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians? A related sermon would be: Christians, Violence, and Military Service.
Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What do the Bible and early writings show? There is also a YouTube video available titled Should Christians watch American football?
Christian Soldiers How are Christians to be like soldiers? How are they to be different?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?