An actor who starred in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy has called out the West for ignoring the evils that are attacking Christianity around the world.
Citing the persecution and martyrdom of Christians across the Middle East, largely at the hands of the Muslims, actor John Rhys-Davies said, “There is an extraordinary silence in the West.
“Basically, Christianity in the Middle East and in Africa is being wiped out – I mean not just ideologically but physically, and people are being enslaved and killed because they are Christians. And your country and my country are doing nothing about it.”
The Welsh actor’s comments were made on Adam Carolla’s popular podcast, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Rhys-Davies, who played the axe-waving dwarf warrior Gimli in the movie series about the conflict between good and evil, said, “We have lost our moral compass completely, and, unless we find it, we’re going to lose our civilization.”
He warned Islamic terrorism and political correctness could bring destruction.
Rhys-Davies continued: “This is a unique age. We don’t want to be judgmental. Every other age that has come before us has believed exactly the opposite. I mean, T.S. Eliot referred to ‘the common pursuit of true judgment.’ Yes. That’s what it’s about. Getting our judgments right.”
He was interviewed about the coming release of the “Return to the Hiding Place” movie about Jews in Holland during World War II.
“It’s an age where politicians don’t actually say what they believe,” said Rhys-Davies.
“They are afraid of being judged as being partisan. Heaven forbid that we should criticize people who, after all, share a different value system. ‘But it’s all relevant. It’s all equally relative. We’re all the same. And God and the devil, they’re the same, aren’t they, really? Right and wrong? It’s really just two faces of the same coin,'” he mocked.
At Movieguide, commentator Diana Tyler wrote: “As Christians, we believe what the Bible has to say about judging others, namely this oft-quoted verse in the Gospel of Matthew, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged’ (Matthew 7:1, NIV). Many people, in the name of tolerance and moral relativism, use this scripture or similar aphorisms to shame Christians from speaking publicly about or warning against particular lifestyles and behaviors. However, what Jesus wants for us is to first get right with God by confessing our sins and accepting Jesus Christ’s free gift of forgiveness so that we can be filled with His Holy Spirit and then can judge righteously from His point of view.”
She continued: “Jesus’ command to refrain from judging others does not mean there should be no mechanism for approaching and dealing with sin. There is an entire Old Testament book, after all, that is titled ‘Judges.’ (The judges in the Old Testament were raised up by God Himself, according to Judges 2:18.) The modern judicial system, including its judges, is a necessary part of society. In saying, ‘Do not judge,’ Jesus was not advocating an ‘anything goes’ worldview.”
She noted in the Gospels that “Jesus gives a direct command to judge: ‘Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly’ (John 7:24).”
“We at Movieguide applaud Mr. Rhys-Davies for his boldness in addressing the pitfalls of political correctness and its ominous implications for the future of our nation and the world. The church must continue to stand tall, speak out, and shine bright as a city on a hill lest the diabolical evil we see at work gain more ground in our lives and the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in nations around the world,” she wrote.
