Last year, Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian scholar and outstanding speaker and writer, made some compelling remarks regarding the future of America. Here is an excerpt from an interview dated last summer: (the full interview can be found on examiner.com)

"How can you be so sure that America will turn into a third world country?"

Let me tell you this, how I can be so sure. Right now the FBI is investigating 52,000 wealthy Americans who are hiding 15 billion dollars in secret, safe accounts. America is a very rich country with lots of millionaires, and altogether they have 15 billion dollars in tax-evaded secret, safe accounts.

India is a poor country. How much money do you think Indians have in secret safe accounts? It’s 1500 billion, 1.5 trillion dollars that Indians have in secret accounts. We’re number one. Russia is number two; Russians have 350 billion.

Now, what does that tell you about America? It tells you that Americans pay taxes. Very few people cheat. They hire tax consultants; they save as much tax as they can legally. Very few of them take illegal means to save taxes.

Why do Americans pay taxes? Is there any reason for you to pay your tax if the government is going to take that money and give it to corrupt corporations that have made a mess of your economy by billions of dollars…trillions of dollars? 

While you are making money, they are messing up money. Why should you pay taxes to bail them out? The reason we pay taxes, is because the Bible said that you shouldn’t steal --that you should pay your taxes.  

- Vishal Mangalwadi 

March 15, 2008, I was privileged to occupy a seat at the 25th anniversary banquet for Frontiers. Frontiers mission is to invite Muslim peoples to follow Jesus by loving them and respecting them. The banquet consisted of Frontiers missionaries, staff and donors.

During the banquet, Frontiers staff introduced a Muslim couple from Pakistan who they had brought along for the anniversary events.  As the couple stepped up the microphone, the packed banquet hall silenced, all eyes glued on the couple who bore their traditional dress. The man spoke first. Speaking from the heart he spoke to the kindness he and his wife had received from the Frontiers missionaries in Pakistan. He also spoke about how he could never follow their Jesus. He spoke to the many contradiction’s he saw weaved in and out of the West and the Christians of the West. The room was sober and the guest speaker was honest and convicting.

After 10-15 minutes of observation of the West and its wicked ways, which had a stinger full of truth, the wife of the man approached the microphone. She spoke out against the promiscuity of Western women. She spoke as to how she could never embrace Christianity when the values of relationships and character were so flippant. As they closed their speech and thanked us Christians for listening to them, Muslims, the room was so silent I was afraid to swallow for fear those sitting across the room would hear.

After a period of silence, the Pakistan Muslim man stood to the microphone again and took off his turban. He then introduced himself as an American Christian missionary serving the Pakistani Muslim peoples. His wife followed suit as she removed her burka. You could feel the weight of the room lift as he began to share with us how he and his wife have served with Frontiers for many years. He shared with us that what he and his wife had said when they were posing as Muslims was exactly what they deal with in Pakistan daily in the Muslim community.