A Preparation of Impromptu Remarks

I’ve been thinking a lot about our culture and the desire for acceptance and peace. While peace most definitely is an admirable thing to strive for, peace achieved by delusion is extremely dangerous and harmful. Truth should be the basis for achieving peace, and if truth is under fire it should take priority. You can’t build the castle on sand.

This post was somewhat sparked by a recent discussion on freedom and the restraint or abundance of it, and which is more harmful. I feel that our western culture is obsessed with freedom to the point where discernment is lacking. I’ve taken this topic and run, so it has developed into something else in the process, something I’ve been wanting to write about for a long time: Islam and Christianity. To what extent should we be supportive of this religion, if at all? Should we go so far as to fight for an understanding of a “peaceful” Islam in the west, and the world?

I’ve heard it said that Christians are especially intolerant of Muslims. So what exactly are preachers “preaching,” or Christians saying, regarding Islam? I don’t think it’s limited to one thing as proposed by some. There are both liberal and conservative pastors/Christians who have different views regarding Islam. Someone who is coming from the angle of supporting Islam as a peaceful religion would be more prone to look at Christianity as being the bad guy or party-pooper when it comes to the acceptance of others. They would probably be looking at the more conservative church’s stance, as there are many liberal churches that have a completely different mindset. As a Christian, I certainly don’t treat my Muslim neighbor poorly because of what they believe. However, that does not mean I will entertain their beliefs as being right. There is a line between respecting someone and respecting their beliefs. I am not going to pretend like I’m okay with the fact that they are buying into a religion that will lead to their destruction in the end. That is the biggest disservice you could ever do for someone. I’m not interested in playing the unbiased, diversity game that our culture is promoting. I’m not interested in fighting for Muslims to be able to worship in mosques around the U.S. I don’t care how horrible and selfish that sounds. Not everyone is right, and not everything is beneficial. Discernment is something that a lot of people seem to be lacking these days, and it’s scary. No one who claims to be a Christian should support someone in their beliefs when they are wrong. This does not mean that you attack the individual; but engaging them in discussion and pointing out what you view to be flawed, and why, in a respectful manner, is perfectly acceptable. I’m not going to waste my time nagging at people who keep a close eye on Muslim organizations because I believe there should be attention paid to this religion as it is known for housing terrorists. Call me judgmental. I call it common sense. I don’t think every Muslim is a terrorist, but I do know that the Qur’an leaves room for terrorism.

I read a certain post of someone to whom I am partially writing this blog post as a response to. While I admire Benazir Bhutto’s courage and the fact that she stood up against what she knew was wrong, I believe the fact that she was murdered speaks for itself. In the eyes of fundamentalists who take the Qur’an quite seriously, she was spreading blasphemy. Where are the examples of Christians who blew up other Christians because they promoted peace? If that was a common occurrence in Christianity, I might begin to question the origins of my religion. So who is right about Islam? Peaceful people like Bhutto, or the one who kills in the name of Allah? Until someone can present the Qur’an to me, in context (which is hard, thanks to abrogation; it isn’t exactly the most orderly and sensical of books), showing how it promotes peace and love, I remain on the end of the spectrum that views Bhutto as being the one who was trying to make her religion into something it is not. Regardless of how one wants to interpret history, Islam’s spread was not peaceful. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I know this “lets be diverse and peaceful” generation would like to believe that Bhutto’s version of Islam is correct. However, I strongly believe that is a prime example of choosing the desire for optimism over truth and blatant facts. Any Christian should know that Islam was deceitful and satanic in its’ origins (who is the father of lies?) and such a religion will never be beneficial, no matter how you try to package it. One is correct in saying that those that blow up abortion clinics, etc. are not acting on Christian values. But those who blow up buses certainly believe they are acting on Islamic values and can actually present scripture that backs up their actions. Islam leaves room for a lot of actions. Lets be honest – violent Muslims have made a larger name for themselves than the few violent and psychotic Christians who aren’t even acting on scriptural truth.

Let me present you, my Christian reader, with a hypothetical situation: Say that we manage (by what means, I don’t know) to get rid of all the “extremists” or Islamic fundamentalists and replace their take on Islam with a version that is peace-loving, but maintains the same core belief that one ultimately answers to Allah (as presented in the Qur’an). Pretend this is something you fought for. And now you have it. An overall peaceful Islam. You will barely find one Muslim who would even consider a violent jihad. Now, why is this good? The religion is more peaceful than ever, so more people are interested in it, and even consider converting to Islam. However, here’s the crux – if you really are a Christian, now more and more people are buying into deceit. You’ve just committed a portion of your life to either telling people their religion is good (even though it will ultimately land them in an unhappy spot) or actually went so far as to fight for the redefinition of a worthless religion. Why commit your time and efforts to such a thing? I just don’t understand. It is wrong and harmful. The Bible says to love your neighbor and your enemy, and deceit (promotion of a lie) is not a characteristic of love. I’d define ‘promotion’ as anything that takes time away from promotion of the real truth by focusing on other religions and patting those who believe in them on the back. I mean, go ahead, pat someone on the back, be their friend. BUT DO NOT CONDONE THEIR BELIEFS IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN. Do not even come close to condoning their beliefs. Truth is the priority, not shallow friendships. Deeper friendships are more likely to be established if you express your concern for someone to know the truth. Yes, it is important to understand where someone is coming from, but once you establish that do not pat them on the back and walk away. Do not run around telling everyone that theirs is really a good religion and we should be more ‘accepting’ of it. What the heck does that mean, anyway? By all means, be welcoming to your neighbor of another faith. But draw the line there.

I recently visited a mosque and had the opportunity to ask a imam questions regarding Islam, along with other classmates. He was polite, but very talented at evading direct questions and answering them with a twist. When he felt challenged, you could see the suppressed hostility rising. This was especially demonstrated when a grouchy old man decided to bombard him with somewhat finger-pointing inquiries (we left soon after that). Anyway, we visited the mosque with a Christian woman who has spent a great portion of her life living in that community and developing friendships with the Muslims there. She runs an organization which teaches immigrants English (so that they may apply for U.S. citizenship) alongside the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her reasoning to them is that the United States was founded on Christian values, so they must learn them if they are to become citizens. In this process, many have actually come to Christ. She has spent a great deal of time studying under one of the most brilliant Muslim scholars, and knows just as much, if not more, about Islam than the Muslim residents in the community. She is even friends with an ex-member of Hizbullah who has now dedicated his life to writing educational literature promoting the truth about Islam. Him, and others who used to be in that religion, would be the first to tell you that those who promote Islam as being peaceful are absolutely full of it. Guess what? They’re up on the top of Hizbullah’s hit list.

A recent group of scholars wrote up a proposition redefining Islam as a truly peaceful religion, accepting of other cultures and beliefs. They then sent it to major mosques to get signatures. Guess what? No one signed it. It was a joke to them. To your face they will tell you that Islam is peaceful, but in their hearts they know the truth of their religion. You know why? One is allowed to lie if they feel Islam is being threatened. The Qur’an itself states this, and ex-Muslims will tell you this very thing. If Muslims are to lie to protect their religion if necessary, how can we ever know if they are telling the truth? We can’t.

The woman who I am talking about has undergone threats as well as developed friendships. She has a decent relationship with members of the mosque. She’s even more harsh than me, so that’s a surprise, huh? There have been prayers of wrath and incantations made against her by some. Muslim woman have come to her for help and they have warned her of potential dangers when their husbands enter fits of rage at the end Ramadan. This is when “the heavens open up” and the Mahdi may descend. Some of them believe they may be designated Mahdi by Allah or the Mahdi will possess their body. One Muslim woman shared that she and her children would always hide in a room and put furniture in front the door as her husband would go crazy, breaking everything in the house.

Story after story could be given, showing the behavior belief in Islam creates. This is in the U.S. It’s not limited to the Middle East. Go ahead, try saying “that’s not the right way to look at it.” But I betcha if you tried to live in a Muslim community you would have little to no respect. Whatever respect you think you had would most likely be a show for the purpose of creating more acceptance and tolerance so that they could continue with their practices. No doubt you’d be viewed as a naive person. Truth with love is the only way to get anywhere.

What really ticks me off is the fact that I know/know of people who have suffered at the hands of Islam. Persecution of Christians in Indonesia at the hands of Islamists is prevalent. This goes for other nations dominated by Islam as well. I could procure thousands of examples if absolutely needed. Gracia Burnham, a missionary who went to the same mission school I attended for a year, was taken captive by an Islamic branch for their own political purposes. They justified their behavior in the Qur’an, just as Muslims do in the U.S. within their secluded communities for their support of certain terrorist organizations. And her’s is only one story. So pardon me if I am extremely offended by those who say the west should be more tolerant of a destructive religion that is detrimental the well-being of many lives. Go, look at the burned, bruised, and cut body of the young Egyptian Christian who was beat by his fellow soldiers for his beliefs and then thrown in the Nile. Go, watch hundreds of Christians be hung from trees in Africa by those that “follow” the Qur’an. Now tell me that Christianity is no different from Islam. Tell me that we are doing Islam and Muslims a disservice by saying it’s not peaceful. Tell me that we are making too broad a categorization by calling Islam violent. Tell me that most Muslims are not violent. Define most? Your Muslim neighbor who has lived in a “Christian/Catholic” dominated town his whole life and reads his Qur’an every once in a blue moon? C’mon, use some logic.

If anyone fits the description of one who spends time promoting acceptance of Islam or other ideals that are detrimental to a person, and is a Christian, I’d like to call you out and ask what you’re more concerned about: Looking good and in-step with our culture to fellow journalists, classmates, etc. or actually doing something that promotes the truth, no matter how popular it is. It’s not clean and it may make you look like a nut case to a lot of people. But it’s what really matters in the end, and it will not always be a let down. Feel free to keep writing pieces that call for more understanding of religions, but where will you draw the line? What will make more of a positive difference in light of eternal values? I wish there were more people who combined developing friendships with peoples of other religions WITH promoting truth. Because a friendship devoid of truth is not a friendship at all.

EDIT: I think the purpose of this whole blog entry was misunderstood. I was simply trying to show the inadequacy of the Qur’an/Islam when held up to the Truth of Scripture, and the different ‘fruits’ the two religions produce. My purpose was not say that Christians are perfect compared to Muslims, etc. I was, and am, concerned over certain Christian’s lack of understanding that it is more important to share truth with others than to worry about making other religions (Islam, in particular) more accepted and understood as being as certain way (in this case, ‘peaceful’). There is a difference between contending for truth and being hateful and ‘judgmental’ of others. I believe my argument was taken completely out of context, and the points I made were ignored so that my pharisee-like ‘hypocrisy’ could brought up. The point is being missed… completely.